BT2 removal

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fishbulb

Joined
Sep 18, 2001
Messages
1,196
I recently recieved a BT coated Benchmade 720 which I would like to turn into a non-BT coated Benchmade 720. What would be the best way to go about doing this?

I guess that just hitting it with sandpaper will get the coating off, but I want a finish that looks good, if not quite factory. I'm trying to find somebody with a sandblasting cabinet but I don't think it's going to happen.

Can I get BM to replace it with a satin finish blade if I wend it in? I would imagine they would want some money for this.

Any suggestions?
 
i imagine that if BM will replace the blade itll cost almost as much as a new knife.

do not try sandpaper. i bought a beater from a guy who bought it from the sandpaper fiend and can tell you sanding will not result in a good looking knife.
sandblaster might but youll void your warranty by taking the knife apart.

why do you want the coating off anyway?
 
I'd imagine that consistent single-direction sanding with progressively higher grit sandpaper would allow you to achieve a satin-finished effect. I'm halfway there on one of my knives, I just need to get very high grit sandpaper and perhaps metal polish.

I've heard many places have sandblasting cabinets. Maybe gunsmiths in the area can help you out.

Another way to remove BT2 is to just use the knife a lot. :)
 
The best way to replace your BT 720 with a non-BT 720 would be to sell the BT one and use the proceeds toward a non-BT.

BT really gets into the surface of the blade. It's not just painted on. You'd have to remove a lot of metal from every surface of the blade.
 
I agree with gollnick on this one. I have a bt2 coated mini-stryker and after lots of box,wood,insulationa and anything else that i can find cutting there are streaks where the coating somewhat wore off but it would take a lot to actually get the fade of the coating off. it does go into the metal rather than on top of it-think stain not paint. If your really set on doing it however follow car prep principles. it doesn't matter what grit sandpaper anyone used even if there are deep scratches in the metal you can ALWAYS sand them out it just depends on how muc work you want to do. DON"T use a dremel or other mechanical means use wet-sandpaper an wet sand the blade by hand. The water helps keep metal shavings from deep scratching. Progressively work up to the shine that you want. We made my brother a new gauge cluster for his car out of a billet of aluminum and polished through 2000 grit and then rouge. Shines like a mirror:D Just keep moving up the grit ladder until you have the finish that you want. Another tip after each sanding switch directions of your sanding motions it will help break the ridges off during sanding each new layer. In short buy a new knife.
 
I would prefer to remove the coating because I think it's rather ugly and I have always considered black blades to be symptomatic of the Tactical disease.

The warranty (or lack of) means nothing to me.

What about using a chemical solvent of some sort? BT2 may be quite tough but I doubt it will like a few hours sitting in a jar of lacquer thinner. The only real problem woulb be finding a chemical that would not adversely affect the blade steel.

I don't mind having traces of BT2 soaked into the metal, I just want to get away from that "black blade" look.
 
What about using a chemical solvent of some sort? BT2 may be quite tough but I doubt it will like a few hours sitting in a jar of lacquer thinner.
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The T in BT2 stands for Teflon. There aren't a lot of solvents that'll take it off, and nothing you want to be using in your kitchen. Lacquer thinner, Acetone, Tolulene, MEK, won't touch it.

When parts are molded out of Teflon, the molds sometimes have to be cleaned. When it has to be done industrially, it's done in a bath of molten salt with nitric acid added. This is ok for injection molds. But, even if you could find someone with the facilities and equipment who'd do it for you, the heat would destroy the temper in any part of your knife blade that the acid didn't eat.
 
Originally posted by Gollnick
The T in BT2 stands for Teflon.

When parts are molded out of Teflon, the molds sometimes have to be cleaned. When it has to be done industrially, it's done in a bath of molten salt with nitric acid added. This is ok for injection molds. But, even if you could find someone with the facilities and equipment who'd do it for you, the heat would destroy the temper in any part of your knife blade that the acid didn't eat.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I was afraid of that.

I knew the T was for teflon but I wasn't sure whether it was a true teflon coating or just a standard pigment that contained some amount of PTFE.

Regardless, the more I read about BT2 the more I think it might be worth leaving on. I still think it looks bad, but this is going to be a work and utility knife anyway so the increased corrosion resistance might be worth it.
 
Yup.., either leave it on.., or sell it and get a new knife. As Chuck mentioned..., the result won't be good with the small amount of absorbtion with BT-2 anyway.., and you will have to remove a bunch of steel.

It can be done with a good result.., I simply don't think it's worth the work...


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
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