Honing Compound Question

Ken in Dartmouth · #1 02-23-2007, 09:19 PM

What is the relationship between the different colors of honing compounds and their coarseness (or fineness)? The only two I have heard of in my previous life (as a metal worker/machinist) are Tripoli (brown) and Rouge (red or white), but I have noticed references to green and yellow. What are they?

Claude · #2 02-23-2007, 09:39 PM

Ken:
Allegedly, the colors may indicate grit size. However, I bought a stick of green (think it's chromium oxide) at Woodcraft, and that's what's on my main strop. I have two Flexcut strops, also. One came with a white compound, and the other came with yellow compound. My personal belief is that just about any one of them is good enough! Based on my usage so far, the three bars I have are good for about 200 years of use.

Go to your local carving club and ask someone if you can have a half inch (12 cm) of their stick for price of a cup of coffee. That little piece of honing compound will last you for literally years.

Claude

mark yundt · #3 02-24-2007, 01:29 AM

Hey Ken.
Usually on the back of the packages ( I think the main brand is Dico) they list what the colors mean. Most Sears/home centers have them. Personally I use the red rouge on my buffer(cloth) and leather strop,,have rubbed some green on a wood strop and the green is on a felt wheel on my buffer as well.Why did I do it this way??? I don't know,,the different ones were at hand at the time I guess. So unsophisticatedly silly huh? To me ,, the green seems to cut faster than the red,,but I have some friends that swear by the black,,I'd use it but haven't found the one they use,,and they keep pulling my chain by not telling me where they got it,,LOL.They have a 5 lb bar and won't share.LOL jerks!I think the red is safe enough to use ,,it'll keep your edge crisp without rounding it over too soon,,a couple of passes and I think you'd be good to go.But then what do I know,, I can't make up my mind between red and green,,,stop,,,go,,stop,,,go,,??I'm totally confident this was helpful,,right?

GeorgiaCarver · #4 02-24-2007, 10:47 AM

I use the green from Lowes..... Seems to be the same as from Woodcraft. I like it the best.

I have black, much rougher, don't really like it (lowes)

I also use the Red, but the main stropping compound that I use is the dark green that I got at lowes......

I agree, one bar will last a life time! Get a chunck from someone and try it.

Greg

Mark N. Akers · #5 02-24-2007, 11:07 AM

I use the white from floppy on any thing spinning over 3000rpm's,and I use the green german compound from Koch on any thing under 3000 rpm.If you have never tried the German green,you need to,it is fantastic,a little pricey though,it runs about $30 a stick.

Eddy Smiles · #6 02-24-2007, 02:33 PM

I'm with Claude! Four years ago I bought a tube of "Yellowstone" which is actually pink at Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers and then a year later got a stick of the "Flexcut Gold" in a Flexcut Slip Strop set. Even though I'm a habitual stropper, you know, like a "stropper addict", I figure that I'll need another lifetime to use it all.

As for which one is better, I'll be darned if I can tell a difference. Both seem to get the same results. It's my humble opinion that here is no magic bullet when it comes to sharpening.... it just takes practice and perseverance!

dart · #7 02-24-2007, 06:50 PM

My friend made knives and used "Hut dark" on his to polish the blades. I have the Sears 4 piece set of the medium. I can't really tell any difference in using them. "Hut" has a catalog with various polishing compounds in it. PM me if you want the phone number for ''Hut''. I just got my first catalog from ''Hut'' today. I haven't tried their compounds but they seem to be reasonably priced. They are saying in their catalog that it is used to polish wood, but I'm sure they said to use it to polish metal also.

Ken in Dartmouth · #8 02-25-2007, 09:14 AM

Many thanks to all who replied. It does my heart good to know that others are just as confused as I am!!!

Ken

Thomp · #9 02-26-2007, 08:20 AM

i have obtained a rainbow of compound colors over the years of metal working from white to black, i even have some maroon i do not remember what it was for, probly some exotic metal or plastic i must have 20 pounds of it all togather, but i found flexcut yellow best so far to maintain my edege tools...
black is suppose to be the most agressive i use it for rust and stain removal then move to tripoly for chrome mirror finish...

abrasive compounds is not just for metal the colors represent the abrasion grit and other factors here is a page from enco machinest supply, its a dico products line has some color to relivence the product is to be used for
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?P...PARTPG=INLMK32