Thread: Chalk

I wonder if diatomaceous earth would work. We use it for insect control and it is a very fine powder.

BTW Glenlivet is excellent Scotch. I also love Kelt cognac.

hmm, something like Kaolin clay perhaps? Kaolinite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My wife uses it for soapmaking all the time, so I happen to have a big bag on hand. It should be more uniform and not have all those binders present in the chalk-sticks.

I will put some on my linen strop and start experimenting tonight.

If I recall prior threads on this subject correctly it was pointed out that the "chalk" we have available now is usually not. But it is a mineral and thus abrasive to some degree. As has been pointed out it is necessary to make sure there are no "lumps" in what is applied to the linen. I had rubbed a piece of chalk over my linen strop and when I applied the razor I found that there were a few large pieces so be sure to check first. I now use a electric coffee bean grinder to bust up any abrasive into a fine powder.

Just my $.02,

Yeah, last time I used chalk, Crayola brand I think, it was clumpy, sticky on the spine, and just generally not good...

You can get powdered chalk (calcium carbonate) at a paint supply store. It is sold under the name whiting. I use whiting to make metal polish.

Charlie

Real chalk is calcium carbonate. Blackboard chalk is calcium sulfate. Calcium carbonate in polishing grades can be purchased from lapidary supply houses. So can fine alumina oxide and Chromium Oxide.

I've got some very fine abrasives coming right now. Some alumina oxide at around 1/4 of a micron. I also use pure Chromium oxide powder with extremely good results. I may try calcium carbonate, but I've a hunch that the superfine .3 micron alumina oxide is going to be just outstanding stuff. I doubt that calcium carbonate is finer or has a better crystalline structure than that.

Of course, who am I to argue with anyone that's happy with the way toothpaste or blackboard chalk is working for them, though. There's no right or wrong outside of "better shaving" and "worse shaving". And as I always say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Classic razor honing is turning into pure science. Experimentation just for the joy of the experimentation.


# Blackboard chalk is a substance used for drawing on rough surfaces, as it readily crumbles leaving particles that stick loosely to these surfaces. Although traditionally composed of natural chalk, modern blackboard chalk is generally made from the mineral gypsum (calcium sulfate), often supplied in sticks of compressed powder about 10 cm long.
# Sidewalk chalk is similar to blackboard chalk, except that it is formed into larger sticks and often colored. It is used to draw on sidewalks, streets, and driveways, mostly by children, but also by adult artists.
# In agriculture chalk is used for raising pH in soils with high acidity. The most common forms are CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) and CaO (calcium oxide).
# In field sports, including grass tennis courts, powdered chalk was used to mark the boundary lines of the playing field or court. This gives the advantage that, if the ball hits the line, a cloud of chalk or pigment dust can be seen. Nowadays the substance used is mostly titanium dioxide.[1]
# In gymnastics, rock-climbing, weight-lifting and tug of war, chalk—now usually magnesium carbonate—is applied to the hands to remove perspiration and reduce slipping.
# Tailor's chalk is traditionally a hard chalk used to make temporary markings on cloth, mainly by tailors. Nowadays it is usually made from talc (magnesium silicate).
# Toothpaste also commonly contains small amounts of chalk, to serve as a mild abrasive.
# Polishing chalk is chalk prepared with a carefully controlled grain size, for very fine polishing of metals.[2]