Becker Bk2 Stripping and Finish Questions

G

Gorka

Joined
Aug 25, 2016
Messages
7
So I'm fairly new to knife modding, and I've been planning on stripping and polishing my Becker Bk2. I just have a few questions before hand, and if anybody could help, it would be much appreciated.

1) After removing the black coating with paint remover, I've seen people say that you should work through the sandpaper grits to get a nicer, cleaner finish. I was wondering which sandpaper grits I should use, and more importantly how do you know when you're ready to move to the next grit? When do I know when I'm done with, say a 100 grit sandpaper and ready to start using a 240? I guess it's kind of a noob question, but I'd rather ask a dumb question than get a dumb result. :P

2) How do you protect the blade after removing the black coating? I've seen people put forced patinas on their knives to protect them after removing the coating, but I personally don't like the stains that the patinas give (I also don't know much about forced patinas, so any help on those would be cool too). I was wondering if there was anyway to protect the Becker blade without getting stains/patterns? I've heard of a vinegar patina and how it gives an even finish. Is that what I'm looking for?

That's about it for what I have right now. Im new to the forum, and this is actually my first post. Hopefully my questions aren't too annoying to answer. Thanks again.
 
Last edited:
For the polishing, there's far more helpful advice out there than I can give, but for preventing rust/staining on your blade, I'd recommend a routine regimen of your preferred oil, and keeping it in a leather sheath with a healthy amount of that oil on the interior. Because 1095cv (What they're making Becker's out of still Right?) Is a carbon, non stainless, steel, it's pretty unavoidable to develop a patina over time. You'll probably have to re polish periodically.
 
1) No idea. I don't polish my blades.

2) Soak the entire blade in hot vinegar to get an even patina, then keep a light coating of your favorite oil on the blade for storage. A patina will wear as you use the knife so the uniform finish will go away. Here's my bk16. It used to have a really even patina, but it obviously didn't last.

fa1cad737297e08ad98ec3cc472d66dc.jpg
 
@CoolBreeze, how hot does the vinegar have to be? And how long do you have to keep it in there? Also, does the blade have to be standing up to get an even finish, or can it be laying on its side in the vinegar? And did you sand your knife at all after removing the paint? Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for the response.
 
@TheWambo, how often would you recommend oiling the knife? And how do you oil the inside of the sheath? Thanks.
 
Gorka said:
@CoolBreeze, how hot does the vinegar have to be? And how long do you have to keep it in there? Also, does the blade have to be standing up to get an even finish, or can it be laying on its side in the vinegar? And did you sand your knife at all after removing the paint? Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for the response.
Click to expand...
It doesn't actually need to be hot. It just accelerates the process a bit. Anywhere from room temp to almost boiling will work. You can lay it on its side. I did not sand mine at all.
 
CoolBreeze135 said:
It doesn't actually need to be hot. It just accelerates the process a bit. Anywhere from room temp to almost boiling will work. You can lay it on its side. I did not sand mine at all.
Click to expand...

I see. In room temperature, how long should you keep it in the vinegar?
 
Gorka said:
@TheWambo, how often would you recommend oiling the knife? And how do you oil the inside of the sheath? Thanks.
Click to expand...
For the inside of a sheath I usually just cover my knife in oil and press the interior of the sheath to the blade and leave it in overnight, I usually do this every few months as needed (or when I'm conditioning the leather sheath). As for oiling the knife I usually buff off any surface rust after an outing and oil it before storage. For a polished carbon steel blade you might want to check it every couple of weeks.

Again, realize that it's going to be an uphill battle to keep your knife at a clean polish. I'd really recommend a forced patina, in my opinion it gives the knife character and it allows spots and discoloration to blend in.
 
TheWambo said:
For the inside of a sheath I usually just cover my knife in oil and press the interior of the sheath to the blade and leave it in overnight, I usually do this every few months as needed (or when I'm conditioning the leather sheath). As for oiling the knife I usually buff off any surface rust after an outing and oil it before storage. For a polished carbon steel blade you might want to check it every couple of weeks.

Again, realize that it's going to be an uphill battle to keep your knife at a clean polish. I'd really recommend a forced patina, in my opinion it gives the knife character and it allows spots and discoloration to blend in.
Click to expand...

How do you remove rust without removing the patina? Also, is there a difference between a forced patina and a vinegar patina?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top