Be careful, most polishes contain abrasive cutters and they certainly do the job. Household furniture polish might be the only exception. For soft metals, i.e. copper, aluminum, silver, and gold use a cleaner like Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax. It's automotive clearcoat safe so won't abrade surfaces like anything labeled polish. Run screaming from grandma's favorite pink silver polish as it's loaded with grit.
For hard metals, 0000 steel wool is a safe bet on the likes of pitting chrome (amp chassis) or specially hardened aluminum alloys (bike chainrings).
For hard metals, 0000 steel wool is a safe bet on the likes of pitting chrome (amp chassis) or specially hardened aluminum alloys (bike chainrings).