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I keep hearing about good Chrome Oxide and bad Chrome Oxide. I have 2 stick types, One I just bought from Amazon which came from Woodcrafters, and another one from Porter Cable company, so how can you tell which one is "bad" and which one is "good"?, and whats the difference?.
You can't tell by looking at it. Many of the general purpose products and some specialized ones contain other materials which are not good for razor use.
You need to buy from a reliable source where you will know what's in the stuff.
There is another thread around where the guy looked up the msds. I think it was for the stuff from Lee Valley. It showed other things in the bar that were not good for razors.
I doubt either of those brands are optimal. They may work but i doubt they are pure and probably mixed with alox and other abrasives. I have the wood craft and i only use it to strop knives now, its no where near as good as the SRD stuff or kremer pigments.
Puma extra fein is pretty good and available on amazon. This is the one I use.
It is not that those sticks are not 'good', they are probably just too much of a good thing for the delicate edge of a straight razor.
Probably be great for plane blades, chisels or knives. The added stuff guys are mentioning is additional abrasive in the mix.
I use a pigment grade myself.
Not sure how it would compare to the good or bad stuff. It can only be described as a very soft fine powder with no discernible grit at all.
Like I say I can't compare it to anything other than polishing grade chrome oxide stick. The reason I use the powderer over the stick is it doesn't leave the strop feeling waxy.
In terms of performance it seems to clear the 12K naniwa scratch marks after a few laps. So I can only assume it's a reasonable grade.
Humbrol AV0005 Weathering Powder Chrome Oxide Green - 28ml
If you go into a lapidary shop you can buy sticks of the stuff. Most are designed for polishing rocks and have a bunch of other grits in them. Some are marked for content and some aren't. They do have the pure stuff but it can be hard to find.
My experience with Enkay green crayon is that like most, it's mixed with Aluminum Oxide or other things, but it breaks down over time and becomes homogeneous with the "Chromium Oxide" green component. I have an older paddle strop that I finish all my kitchen knives on that has Enkay green on one side, and Enkay Black on the other, and I can tree-top arm hairs afterwards. I don't use it with my straights, however.
I use Kremer pigments. CrOx and FeOx. I have been using them for 2 years and they are cheap and effective and last a couple of lifetimes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceni
Glen, aka gssixgun, sells Crox paste that is very pure and I use that. A little goes a long way and my little container should last the rest of my life! I tried Bark River and another brand and they were difficult to apply in addition to the unwanted abrasives.
For razors you want pure Chrome Oxide, trusted brands are SRP, Kremer Pigments, Hand America or any from Razor manufactures, read the labels.
Hardware & Woodworking stores and polishing paste all contain other abrasives for aggressively polishing metal and will leave a harsh micro chipped edge.
Good razor quality Chrome Oxide, is not expensive and a one-time purchase is a lifetime supply, buy the good stuff.