Thread: Where to buy inexpensive Chromium Oxide Paste?

Dear Fellow Razorheads- Am wondering if I can buy the small block of Chromium Oxide and shave it into a powder and mix with water, prior to applying to my Balsa strop? I bought a water based Chromium Oxide paste, but it's difficult to work with being so runny and it's a very small amount for the $, IMHO. If not the block of Chromium Oxide, does anyone know where I can buy the Chromium Oxide powder to mix with water? Moderators, please move if in wrong section. FWIW, I have the Norton 3 stone set incoming, bought an inexpensive Jap Nagura stone at Woodcraft, have the Big Daddy Strop, the Balsa Chromium Oxide strop and have the felt strop incoming that takes the diamond slurry paste. Touched up the Balsa Strop after lightly sanding with 320, as it had some gray streaks on it-Gearhead

You can check out almost any of the vendors that sell honing gear and most of them sell the CrOx powder.

Cheap CrOx usually means Un-pure CrOx

The stuff SRD sells is made specifically for what we do, and you might also think about at least making yourself a leather strop for the paste

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..

Fascinating! So I should buy an inexpensive strop and coat it with Chromium Oxide paste then?-Again, any feedback on the Chromium Oxide blocks? Still searching-Gearhead

gearhead222

You would be wise to pay particular attention to Glen's reference to "un-pure" CrOx.
Many years ago I made the mistake of buying a bar of CrOx from a woodworking store and it was a waste of money. Then I discovered Hand American which sold .5 micron paste. Great stuff because it is pure .5 micron. SRD can fill your needs. I believe there is also a .3 micron version out there somewhere.

Bottom line is make sure of the quality before you spend bucks for inferior stuff. Ask questions.

Jerry
____

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

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

+1. A tablespoon of powder is basically a lifetime's supply. I bought mine from whippeddog, very inexpensive. I use it exclusively for touch up.

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.

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