Liberon Oil Free Steel Wool

Without a doubt, Liberon oil-free steel wool is the best steel wool currently on the market. Unlike other steel wool brands, Liberon treats the steel wool after manufacture to remove the oil used in the manufacturing process. Because the steel wool is virtually oil-free, it can be used without fear of contamination.

The 0000 grade steel wool is finest grade made. This is the stuff that first made Liberon’s well-deserved international reputation. It’s fabulous for rubbing out a shellac or varnish finish, applying waxes, and other applications like that. It’s also good for polishing metals such as bronze, copper, chrome, etc. and for cleaning (with soapy water) porcelain, marble and glass. We use it for everything. The big advantage for using 0000 steel wool when applying waxes is that the wool itself doesn’t absorb any wax, and 0000 steel wool also helps rub out the finish at the same time.

Tip: Don’t rip chunks of steel wool from a roll. That stresses the fibers and breaks them so they don’t last as long. Use a scissors and cut off the required piece.

The 100 gram size is probably all you need for most small projects. The 250 gram is a lot of steel wool and probably a good size for regular usage. The larger sizes make sense for professional finishing shops or when you are refinishing an entire room.

0000 grade is the finest and what is used for rubbing out finishes, applying wax and polishing.
Grade 0 is great for removing wax build up and for smoothing wood before applying finish. With the right solvent, grade 0 can be used to scour metal parts.
For heavy duty cleaning and paint or varnish removal, use grade 2, the coarsest grade we carry (It’s typically used in concert with a paint stripper).
All the grades are “oil-free” so there is not danger of finish contamination, either when preparing the surface for finish or rubbing out the finish between coats. However, because trace amount of iron might remain on the work, steel wool is incompatible with water-based finishes. We recommend for water based finishes that you use Norton Bear Tex pads instead. Made in England.