Cream Polish for Mirror Finished Knives

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SilverSwarfer

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Anybody use this product?

It is waaay different from anything I have used. Flitz. Mother’s, Simichrome are my usual polishes. Among these I find myself reaching for a Simichrome most often.

This new stuff is really interesting. Not much scent and super viscous. Almost dry.

I have had best results using a wooden block to scrub the cream into the blade but I feel like I’m doing it wrong. It works really dry and wants water to loosen it. Or maybe oil?

So question is: how is this product intended to be used? What is the most effective application and scrubbing method?
 

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I actually just used this stuff today. I use a spent cork from a wine bottle. Take a bit of the paste and rub it onto the blade and dip the cork into water and work it across the blade surface adding water as needed.

This stuff has been around for a while, I first bought it a couple years ago from MTC. Our old buddy Jon Klip kinda guided me through this stuff, actually the coolest results come when used on a mono-steel blade, especially honyaki (though any works)- when you run a progression of wet sand up to a mirror and then use this polish, some sweet banding pops out. Even did it on an hd2 with crazy results to my surprise. Prolly gonna hit my new Evan and watch the banding fly!
 
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Ya know come to think of it, I also picked up this really odd looking small grey brick from MTC the other day, it was sitting in the case next to that polish compound. It looks a lot like a rust eraser, but says ‘mirror finish stone’ -it’s a new product and they asked me to let them know how they work. Haven’t had any time to really get after it, but I’ll let ya know when I do.
camphoto_838832689.jpg
 
I actually just used this stuff today. I use a spent cork from a wine bottle. Take a bit of the paste and rub it onto the blade and dip the cork into water and work it across the blade surface .when you run a progression of wet sand up to a mirror and then use this polish, some sweet banding pops out. Even did it on an hd2 with crazy results to my surprise. Prolly gonna hit my new Evan and watch the banding fly!


interesting great tip.. aggresive polish will remove steel banding!
 
Makes total sense. Thanks for the info! Let us know the new mystery mirror brick works too, please.
 
What about just using green chromium oxide?? Small pieces can be picked up quite cheap from shaving places. You want to the 100% cr-ox not the one with al-ox particles inside. because those are supposedly bigger than 0,5 microns. Hand american used to supply the best variety supposedly.
 
Makes total sense. Thanks for the info! Let us know the new mystery mirror brick works too, please.

So I used the ‘mirror brick’ on a Toyama and I think it’s possibly made/best suited for stainless. The soft clad showed a fair bit of the striation pattern in a way that i didn’t find appealing (albeit minor, just not to my satisfaction). It almost looked like the same effect I get with a wet sand at 2k. So I actually hit it with the polish compound and it cleaned right up. I’ll try it on some other steels and get back atcha.

Quick pick for size comparison.
IMG_5258.jpg
 
So I used the ‘mirror brick’ on a Toyama and I think it’s possibly made/best suited for stainless. The soft clad showed a fair bit of the striation pattern in a way that i didn’t find appealing (albeit minor, just not to my satisfaction). It almost looked like the same effect I get with a wet sand at 2k. So I actually hit it with the polish compound and it cleaned right up. I’ll try it on some other steels and get back atcha.

Quick pick for size comparison. View attachment 51981
Several questions-

What’s the price point?

Are you using it the same way you would use a rust eraser?

How would you describe the consistency o the mirror brick- hardness? It doesn’t look like it’s eroded after the Toyama test. Seems like it would last a really long time.

Does it make sense to use the brick to apply the cream polish?
 
All great question!

-it was 20$

-I did, with loads of water

-feels closer to the hardness of coral, not too much actual visible change, however on a harder steel I could imagine it eroding more...

-that’s an idea that hadn’t crossed my mind. But looking at it again, this may be what was intended. Again, the lovely folks at MTC didn’t know how it stacked up and asked for a review. So I guess anything is on the agenda for ‘how to’ on this bad boy. Really should just ask Jon.
 
I have used all of those things that you are trying… Swing by and bug me whenever… We can go over it
 
I have used all of those things that you are trying… Swing by and bug me whenever… We can go over it

so mr broida. what is your preferred method of mirror polishing?

My own method from today is using the naniwa superstone 12k. true mirror polish results. can't argue with that. and this was not really a secret at all its the go to stone in the razor world. and has been for many years.
 
not that paste... its really slow and ineffective. Are we talking about the sides of a knife (in which case a stone makes no sense) or the bevels, in which case the stones make more sense.
 
not that paste... its really slow and ineffective. Are we talking about the sides of a knife (in which case a stone makes no sense) or the bevels, in which case the stones make more sense.
-I’m polishing sides-tables-roads-

with
-Wet sand up to 7-10k,
-I use stones some 8k/10k/30k,
-I use “diamond powder” (cbn I think) 8k-14k-50k-100k-200k
-I use the polishes too

I have not really nailed down an effectively efficient progression or regimen though.

So interested to hear anything anyone else does that he/she really stands by.
 
we use mostly powdered equipment here, in a manner similar to what you would see if you went to sakai (or sanjo) and watched craftsmen do mirror polishing. I currently am using a system comprised of methods used by two different craftsmen I have trained with. It involves a few belts and a few buffs, along with a bit of hand finishing.
 
Sounds mysterious. I’m working on hacking my way to effectiveness.
 
I basically want to use my mirror finished knives and enjoy them for a while. Then maybe put them away and rotate into something different- maybe new, maybe old. And be able to manage and maintain finishes up to mirrored.
 
Thank for the invite Jon! If I ever get to California again I’m not leaving until I visit your store, I will be interested to check out your inventory but especially to catch a few sharpening and polishing tips.
 
So I used the ‘mirror brick’ on a Toyama and I think it’s possibly made/best suited for stainless. The soft clad showed a fair bit of the striation pattern in a way that i didn’t find appealing (albeit minor, just not to my satisfaction). It almost looked like the same effect I get with a wet sand at 2k. So I actually hit it with the polish compound and it cleaned right up. I’ll try it on some other steels and get back atcha.

Quick pick for size comparison. View attachment 51981
How’s the old “mirror brick” working out? Or more specifically- have you found a solid application for it?
 
Honestly haven’t taken the time[emoji51]. Was gonna ask Jon last time I swung through JKI but totally spaced it.... but thanks for reminding me!!
 
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