Thread: Bartender's Friend?

Somebody told me about some steel cleaner called Barkeeper's friend, they swear up and down by it. Has anybody used this stuff in restoration work? Seems to me like it's a bit too industrial for use on razors.

There's a guy on here (occasionally) named gfoster, who's a brewer in his free time. He mentioned this stuff before, I think, and said it was outstanding for scales and the like, though I can't remember if he said he used it on blades.

Barkeeper's friend is great stuff for pots and pans. I have mainly All-Clad LTD, which is stainless cook surfaces with aluminum clad to it on the exterior surfaces. I've always used the Barkeeper's on the stainless surfaces, and I now use it on the exterior aluminum since the anodizing has worn away over time. It cleans very well, and is similar to, but less harsh than Ajax. I believe it's still felspar powder, but maybe ground finer.

If you want to restore a razor with it, try with Ajax if you have some around, as the effect will be similar. I use the barkeeps because it's supposed to not cut as much as Ajax. Fine striations in your cookware are undesirable, but they may be helpful, like sandpaper for restorations. - John