Thread: Where to find Chrome Ox?

Hi all! I just recently scoured a few hardware stores looking for some very fine chromium oxide polish, and alas, my search has come up nil. Does anyone know where I might be able to acquire some without having to order it online? And is green rouge a finer polish then red rouge? I'm trying to get a mirror finish on my razor, and I have all the Dremel tools, I just need the polish. Thanks much!

Here, in liquid or powder. JapaneseKnifeSharpening.com at the bottom of the page is the only place I know to get it. I know, it's online.

I think you'll have a very hard time finding it at a brick-and-morter store - most CrO you'll find will come in bar form (like at Lee Valley) but the additives and binders are far larger than the .5 micron that is listed for the CrO. You need it in pure form either in powder or liquid. I think that ChrisL has some for sale (VERY reasonably priced) in the classified section.

Good luck.

Mark

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Hi all! I just recently scoured a few hardware stores looking for some very fine chromium oxide polish, and alas, my search has come up nil. Does anyone know where I might be able to acquire some without having to order it online? And is green rouge a finer polish then red rouge? I'm trying to get a mirror finish on my razor, and I have all the Dremel tools, I just need the polish. Thanks much!

Be sure to watch the heat. You can destroy your edge with a Dremel. Use the lowest speed possible.

I would try the Yellow Pages for jewellers supplies, rubbing compounds for car paints, vendors of rock polishing supplies, anything to do with polishing metals, paint or stones.

Good luck,

McKie

Yes I still have some of the .5 micron pure chromium oxide powder left in the small packets. Mine has always been sold and used for honing though. I guess you could try dipping the ends of a dry felt bob into the powder and dremel polish that way but I've never tried it.

The ad is still in the classifieds I believe, but it's probably buried quite a way back.

Chris L

I did not realize Chris L still had those little packets available. You can’t beat his deal with a stick. For Dremel type polishing you can get final finishing compound sticks at Lowes. I don’t know what it’s abrasive component is, doubt it is CrOx, but it will put a near mirror finish on your blades. It’s in the tool section, about $3.

Thanks for the help. In the next few days I'll have a chance to order some to make my razors shine!

Originally Posted by kahunamoose

I did not realize Chris L still had those little packets available. You can’t beat his deal with a stick. For Dremel type polishing you can get final finishing compound sticks at Lowes. I don’t know what it’s abrasive component is, doubt it is CrOx, but it will put a near mirror finish on your blades. It’s in the tool section, about $3.

Actually I do have some of that Dremel red compound in my basement from not too long ago. Do you think that's safe to use on my razor? And should I add a drop or 2 of water to the blade before I start polishing with my Dremel, or just run it dry?

I’m assuming it’s the hard stick/cake type of stuff. Use a small felt disk, start your tool at low speed, grind into the stick to load abrasive on the felt. About 1 second’s worth is all you want. No water involved. Should be fine on your razor, buff a little on the spine to make sure and to get a feel for what it will/will not do. Recharge the abrasive whenever you feel the need as you are buffing. If you are getting black residue on the blade you are using too much abrasive. Dremels and other rotary grinding tools have a love/hate following here, mostly hate. Yes, you can really clean up a blade fast and get that mirror finish if you are super anally careful. Very nice. BUT – you can destroy a blade far easier. It is very easy to overheat a blade and lose the temper/hardness of the steel. This is especially true on the thin cutting edge of the blade. We are talking seconds here. Buff for only a moment at a time, moving to a new spot constantly. Go back many times verses doing the same place till it shines. The bigger danger is catching an edge and snapping off a chunk of your razor. Common sense tells you the rotation of the felt pad needs to be from the middle of the razor to sweep off the side or end of the blade. Most of the time this works, but occasionally you will still not roll off the razor quickly and cleanly. Something will catch and your spinning edge will pull the blade onto itself at an extreme angle. This generally occurs coming off the sharp business edge. You thought you were being soooo careful, then you hear ZING, feel the blade ripped from your fingers, and see a half inch of steel missing. Blade destroyed, hopefully same cannot be said of one’s eyes or fingers. And this is all if you got your stuff together. Seems like most people decide that hand sanding is much less dangerous , both physically and fiscally. So, good luck, just be very careful.