Nobody's helping ya out?! Fer shame, hehehe. I've been away...
Trouble probably is that nobody has a good idea, and I haven't either. With a few exceptions, Benchmade anodizes their aluminum handles with a dye for coloring. Sanding the surface will remove this finish as well as smoothing the feel - probably wouldn't look too good (unless you go all the way and take it down to bare aluminum all over).
You might try using an abrasive polish like Metal-Glo - this removes the finish slowly and evenly enough that it doesn't look like scatches, just gives a softer feel and a "dark chrome" appearance. It's similar to the effect of years of pocket carry, but more even overall. I've only seen this done on steel finishes, though, so proceed at your own risk.
Sorry if that doesn't help too much, just hate to see stuff go completely unanswered.
-Drew
