Thread: Where to buy inexpensive Chromium Oxide Paste?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You should probably look through the forum and search out the old posts on the Blocks from Lee Valley and from Woodcraft..

Some of the guys went through the trouble of finding the actual Matraials handeling sheets to find out that they contain, trust me that the search is worth the effort..

Thank you for stepping in and making me/us aware Glen. Its a good read and has made me reconsider a few things. Here's the link Gents.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-bars-not.html

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The Balsa was really never meant to be used all the time they were recommended years ago as a cheap test platform for trying out different pastes before committing a leather strop to a single type of paste..

Hi,

I'd like to know more about this statement. This didn't pop-up during my searches on the forum. My understanding was that I should keep the leather strop clean and use the canvas/linen/silk/felt part of the strop for the finishing/refreshing paste. I'm asking because I just ordered a balsa wood bench-strop along with chromox powder and I was planning on using this instead of the felt part of the strop I ordered with it.

Gearhead, if you're in Canada, classicedge.ca is the only place I found (so far) chromox in dry powder form this side of the border (its the 3oz package from Hand American, for 16$ I assume it's a good deal(?)).

Cheers.

Ok let me explain the "Genesis of the Balsa Expolsion" on the shaving forums

Pastes have been around in sharpening razors for the entire time straight razors have been used, they are not new, they are old school..
The new pastes are however "Better" at what they do and basically more pure more uniform etc: etc:

Now for years people on here used pretty much their old leather strop for pastes and their new leather strop for plain leather. (you needed 2 strops)
Which paste was the best paste for your face was always a big question on the forum, somebody made a suggestion that was a flow over from a Woodworking background (much like the Magic Marker Test is) to use a Balsa strip as a test strop.. You could try the CrOx the Diamond The CBN the Dovo and TI pastes and never permanetly impregnate a leather strop.. basically a cheap dirty way of testing many pastes

Of course several of the guys decided this was a good market for Dumb Newbs to waste money and stated promoting "Balsa Strops" (you needed 1 leather strop now) next thing was the "Too Harsh Explosion" using pastes went from a good thing to everyone saying "OOOOOoooo pastes are too Harsh" the only change was the balsa
Over the years many newer inovations have hit the strop market like Felts and Bench style strops, and Pastes are now coming back strong as people are using softer media under the pastes and getting excellent results..

Pastes change effectiveness not only with grit and type of particles, but also with the bed they are used on, Balsa is a "Very Effective" surface in fact it might be a bit "Too" effective for some pastes and some razors..



IME

Effectiveness from High To low

Balsa
Linen
Leather
Felt

So if you want a nice S M O O T H edge you want to use Leather or Felt for your pastes if you need more cutting power then you want to use Balsa or Linen..

Of course this is followed by the YMMV statement for the inivitable next post that says "I use Balsa and I like it"
And if you like the effect of Balsa then all you need is $1 and a Home Depot, A "Balsa Strop" is a piece of wood


"And now you know the rest of the story"
TY PaulHarvey


Ps: There is a trend toward a Micro Fiber "Strop" used for CBN that I have not used enough to make a recommendation about.. So if any one has used it, and the other medias, could rank it in there I would appreciate it

Thanks! Much appreciated.

No problem brother, sitting at Starbucks waiting for the wife to finish her shopping, hehehe would much rather be doing this then following her around

Hey! "I use Balsa and I like it"

I'm another guy who pulled the trigger on economical CrOx before I knew any better. I ordered the big Formax 6 oz. bar online, pasted up the backside of my Tony Miller linen strop, and went to town. I have no doubt that it contains some over-size particles, but I've been using it for over two years and getting mirror-bright, hair-popping edges, especially when followed up with 60 polishing strokes on the Latigo. I'm too cheap to get rid of it, and as another poster said, it's enough for several lifetimes. But I'd get the fine stuff if I had it to do again.

Wow! What a great variety of responses! Thank you! I will have to reread these posts several times to derive full benefit
FWIW, I have a water based Chromium Oxide mix that I use just on my Balsa strop. I ordered some Chromium Oxide paste from SRD for around 20 clams-it's the .5 micron paste. Have a really nice Bridle/Latigo leather dual strop and plan on applying the Chromium Oxide paste to the Bridle Leather, as I already have a Bridle leather Big Daddy Strop, but no Latigo Leather strop. Also bought a block of .5 micron Chromium Oxide from Sharpening Supplies.com. They call it their "green honing compound". Any feedback on either of these products is greatly appreciated-Great forum!-Gearhead

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

I think that Larry at whippeddog.com will sell small quantities of CrOxide powder (0.5 micron), if you can't find it elsewhere.

I've been using a block of "Veritas honing paste" from Lee Valley Tools. It may be impure, but I can shave off a strop pasted with it. A bar of that stuff should last about 3 lifetimes.

. Charles

The CrOx they sell at Whipped Dog is repackaged from Kremer Pigments (Chrome Oxide Green - Mineral Pigments - Kremer Pigments Inc.), where it's sold as pigment for artists' paint. You can get 100g for $7.80US. That's enough to last several lifetimes. I've been using it on the balsa I got from Whipped Dog with their Poor Man's Strop kit and, along with the Iron Oxide on the other side, it's kept my razor nice and sharp.

I've been using SRD CrOx on a linen strop with great touch up results.