Thread: polish

The white I have is listed on the package as 2-3 micron

Note: I totally agree with floppyshoes but here is a practical answer to the which compounds question.



White is less fine than the chromium oxide. there are several whites but the most common is a form of aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide can range from black to brown to grey to white but most that I see are white. If you are looking for finishing pastes for polishing a blades finish then on most you can stop with a white since continued polishing will only result in the flaws becomming noticable. Also you shouldn't start on the white either. You should use a coarse stainless polish compound or a tripoli(though I don't like how greasy tripoli is) and work from there. But if you take the time to sand the surface of a blade to a perfect finish the then it is worth the effort to use a coarse stainless on a tightly wound buff, then a white alumium oxide on a looser spiral buff, and then use a chromium oxide on a loose muslin or flannel buff. If you are really obsessive you can even go so far so then to hand polish with the chromium as I do or use a ferric oxide "jewelers rouge" However this does not cut hard steel well and will take forever to get any sort of effect. I have also heard tell that there is a pink one that works well but I don't know what it is or how it works.