501 micarta in s35vn....dealer exclusive..

st8yd said:
Here is pic after two days pocket carry. No more use or contaminates. Honestly, since carrying the 486 clipped outside my pocket I rarely use my 501 which I just can't seem to not carry as I've carried one since 1989.
View attachment 1107191
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I tend to like green micarta, even though it almost never looks as good in person as in the glamour photos. While I wasn't "turned off" by it being listed as brushed stainless, it wasn't a draw for me. I've had the black and green in my cart for some time now...just haven't been able to pull the trigger, for some reason (not really a mystery - I've been trying to rethink all knife purchases thoroughly, especially in the case of multiples...hemming and hawing until the opportunity, or the urge, passes). I'm sorry you are disappointed with it; but I like the way yours looks...its as though it has become an old friend overnight (in this case, almost literally :thumbsup:).
 
I don't mind green sometimes, but it's not a favorite color. The green micarta is to me kind of an olive drab, and I reiterate the drab part.
My main attraction to the knife was the SS bolsters and the S35vn blade.
I don't know the way I see it is if it was well used it would have more of a polished look, not tarnished.
 
Unfortunately, green canvas micarta's appearance tends to range from quite similar to black canvas, to sort of a greenish brown, to straight olive drab...and it darkens enough with use to shift away from OD if it started there.
As BuckShack said, not being thrilled with the appearance gives you the go ahead to just use it... or you've got the option of passing it along. I won't post my other thought publicly - PM forthcoming (probably not what most are thinking, given my last post)
 
st8yd said:
I don't mind green sometimes, but it's not a favorite color. The green micarta is to me kind of an olive drab, and I reiterate the drab part.
My main attraction to the knife was the SS bolsters and the S35vn blade.
I don't know the way I see it is if it was well used it would have more of a polished look, not tarnished.
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Stainless bolster vs brass with canvas micarta question.
Would brass tarnish and stain the micarta eventually?
 
I think I would polish those bolsters to see if it happens again. It's just so odd now seeing a picture of it. I can't remember ever having that problem with nickel silver.

I wonder if factory polishing actually protects it by not letting stuff stick to it, whereas brushed could give stuff something to hold onto. You never know.
 
st8yd said:
Here is pic after two days pocket carry. No more use or contaminates. Honestly, since carrying the 486 clipped outside my pocket I rarely use my 501 which I just can't seem to not carry as I've carried one since 1989.
View attachment 1107191
Click to expand...
After seeing the picture it looks to me that it is nickel plating on copper or some other base metal not solid nickel silver. I remember seeing some copper and green knives a while back. Maybe they didn’t sell because the copper tarnishes much easier and tried nickel plating. I’d sure enough send it back.
 
BuckShack said:
I think I would polish those bolsters to see if it happens again. It's just so odd now seeing a picture of it. I can't remember ever having that problem with nickel silver.

I wonder if factory polishing actually protects it by not letting stuff stick to it, whereas brushed could give stuff something to hold onto. You never know.
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Lol, i stepped over to the shop after lunch to do some work and walked by the buffer and decided to do one bolster on one side, as I was wondering if more surface area due to being brushed was accelerating it.
However, my SK 501 is tarnished as well as the stag 501 with ns ive carried for probably close to ten yrs. None as fast as this. And this one is worse on one side than the other.
 
Lesknife said:
After seeing the picture it looks to me that it is nickel plating on copper or some other base metal not solid nickel silver. I remember seeing some copper and green knives a while back. Maybe they didn’t sell because the copper tarnishes much easier and tried nickel plating. I’d sure enough send it back.
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I doubt it. havn't seen 501's in anything other than SS and NS and the SS was disco'd a long time ago.
 
My guess would be the most tarnished side is toward the body. Probably due to the makeup if this batch of ns reacting with chemicals in sweat.

The alloy mix of ns can be relatively loose resulting in variations from one batch or manufacturer to another.
 
Lesknife said:
After seeing the picture it looks to me that it is nickel plating on copper or some other base metal not solid nickel silver. I remember seeing some copper and green knives a while back. Maybe they didn’t sell because the copper tarnishes much easier and tried nickel plating. I’d sure enough send it back.
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It is not plated.
 
BuckShack said:
I think I would polish those bolsters to see if it happens again. It's just so odd now seeing a picture of it. I can't remember ever having that problem with nickel silver.

I wonder if factory polishing actually protects it by not letting stuff stick to it, whereas brushed could give stuff something to hold onto. You never know.
Click to expand...

I think this may be at least partly responsible, as the brushed finish would give the oxidants a place to start. Personally, I do not like the brushed finish and took my green canvas immediately to the buffer before taking it's place among my other 501's. Actually, I had to sand the bolsters down to 400 before buffing as there were some deeper scratches in the original finish. If you try this bear in mind you will have to buff the canvas micarta as well, but it looks better I think.
 
I was contemplating taping the micarta off so as to leave the satin finish but it does seem to brighten the green a little.
 
This is all the same knife I just matched the pictures together for better reference.
On the mark side I taped off the micarta and polished only the bolsters.
On the pile side I polished the micarta and the bolsters.
20190414_121330.jpg
20190414_121307.jpg
 
Thanks, ya I think i like it better as well.
Since i didnt sand the micarta finer, only hit it on the buffer, there isnt much diference in the texture.
 
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