Thread: Iron Oxide Powder?

Does anyone use this stuff? If so, where would it fit in in a progression of TI white paste and Cromium Oxide? Just to use as a touch up or smoothing after coticule.

Start here: United States Products Co. - Lapping/Polishing Compounds

I can't help you as much as the professional honemeisters here because what I don't know is the grit size (the abrasive quality). Iron oxide is listed as a finishing compound (rouge) for a high polish. I suspect it's not very abrasive but I will defer to those who work with it more on razors.

Like Mike said it really is all about Purity and Grit size after taking the material itself into account..

If I can't verify purity and size I just will not touch the stuff

Very useful for hand polishing blades. It has to be of consistent grit size (purity) to work well.

The best I Have ever bought,I got from Glen.

Kremer pigments sells .09 micron (not a typo) graded iron oxide for about $10 for a pound. You do have to pay to ship it, though. It's far finer than 0.5 micron chromium oxide. I have a vegan buddy who doesn't want to use a leather strop, so he uses that on balsa instead as his daily regimen. I found it a bit too keen, shaves off every little bump you have on your face.

Never used anything more coarse. Iron oxide, though, is generally less aggressive than chromium oxide - it's more of a polisher than a cutter in terms of relative comparison, so I can't see any reason to use anything more coarse.

I have the Kremer chrox @ 0.3 microns and Ferox/iron oxide @ 0.09 microns also on balsa only so far as I don't want to add it to my strop felt and it works a treat you can tell the difference in polish under the loupe

For my TI, I use the following progression for a quick touch-up (the T135 steel is harder than most other blades - for my Dovo and my vintage Lafayette, I use 1/2 the strokes);
15 laps TI white paste on a leather strop
15 laps CrOX on Balsa
25 laps Iron oxide on balsa
25 laps webbing
50-75 laps strop

On anything with a paste I wash the blade thoroughly before continuing on to the next grit to avoid contamination, and take extra care before hitting the plain webbing to ensure no traces of any of the compounds is left on the blade or in between the scales, etc.

That is good for approx 15 shaves on each razor before I need to touch it up again...sometimes more. I am still learning, and as I tinker less and less and get more into a "groove" with stropping I think I will find that the edge lasts longer (to a point of course).

Originally Posted by Substance

I have the Kremer chrox @ 0.3 microns and Ferox/iron oxide @ 0.09 microns also on balsa only so far as I don't want to add it to my strop felt and it works a treat you can tell the difference in polish under the loupe

Which of the Ferrous Oxides are you buying from Kremer?

Kremer Products part numbers I have used as follows:

44200 Chrome Oxide 0.3 Micron
http://www.kremer-pigmente.com/media...lic/44200e.pdf


48100 Iron Oxide 0.09 Micron
http://www.kremer-pigmente.com/media...lic/48100e.pdf

I got mine from an Australian supplier but the Kremer part numbers are the same

I have used them as paste & made crayons from it

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...addles-oz.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...x-crayons.html