Bolsters Keep Getting Scratched, How Can I Make Them Scratch Proof/Resistant???

Ares1307

Ares1307

Joined
Jun 14, 2012
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I used to have a Spyderco Navaja, which I absolutely loved, but the bolsters got all scratched up and ugly very easily. I ended up selling the knife because of this. I want to buy another, but I want to be able to carry it without it getting all scratched up. How can I make the bolsters scratch proof or resistant?
 
you would need to have the bolsters coated with a very hard material , like TiNi or similar. Anything carried gets rubbed against grit and will scratch unless it is harder than any other object it encounters.
 
Yep, Bolsters will do that. In all honesty I haven't found anything that protects them without messing them up worse as far as over the counter type stuff. I even tried clear nail gloss, various super glues, etc.

It doesn't bother me on stainless as much as it does brass. Copper is the worst, and it needs cleaning the most too though it sure starts out pretty. I've never not used a knife because of how it looks or how it might end up looking. If I was that worried about scratching up bolsters I'd get different knife designs without bolsters.
 
What was causing it to be scratched up? Was it pocket carry (i.e. riding deep in the pocket with keys, coins, etc)? Or was it the way you were using the knife (i.e. hard use, batoning, etc)?

Maybe I baby my knives but they rarely get a ding. I've carried and used a William Henry for six months and it still looks like new.
 
I think your best bet is to make one of your pickets a dedicated knife carry pocket. No change or keys. Just the knife. I think that technique combined with careful use will cut down on the scratch factor.

If it still persisted I think u may be better off with a bolster-less knife.
 
Or repolish it when it get to scratched up? I like the look of a well worn knife though.
 
A soft leather or velvet slip cover would stop the in pocket scuffing but if you are using a knife it's a very strong likelihood that it's going to get some digs and dents, just a sign of it's use.
 
I'd say just keep on carrying and using the knife. The first couple of scratches might stick out like a sore thumb and not look very nice, but eventually the bolster wear will mellow into kind of a stonewashed finish. But maybe telling someone to just ignore the scratches is like telling someone not to obsess about fingerprints... :rolleyes:

You could also try light sanding to produce a brushed metal effect. It takes a lot of time and patience to do it right, but I've seen some very nice examples. It's also possible to bring back a mirror finish afterwards with a whole lot of polishing.

Good luck, OP! :)

-Brett
 
Thanks for the replies everybody! I believe the scratching was done when I dropped my keys into my pocket and pulling the keys out, my pockets are deep so the keys never touch my knives, unless its on the down or up. I am going to buy another Navaja brand new and probably only wear it on special occasions, which I don't like to do, I believe knives are meant to be used and don't have 'safe queens'. But to me, this knife is something special, I really want one and want it to stay beautiful. I might buy two, one to keep safe and one to use, not sure yet. I do like the idea of hand rubbing the bolsters, I was even thinking about trying to stonewash the bolsters and blade, but I'm not sure how this particular knife would look. Ideally, I would want to remove the bolsters and have some all carbon fiber scales made for one Navaja and all G10 scales for a second, but I don't know if that's possible, I'll have to ask around.
 
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