Recommendation? Can this be fixed?

M

Mick Brown

Joined
Feb 21, 2019
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5
Hello all you knife makers

I have bought a knife that i waited for a long time for, but it looked like this when i received it, what is your judgement on it? Is it burned or maybe sanded deeper in that spot?


I would love to know if the line that run across the grain shown here in the video clip can be fixed by myself.

It is desert ironwood

 
It could be a smear of glue the maker missed.
You can sand it with 400 grit paper and follow that with 800-1200-2000. Before doing anything, clean it well with some alcohol.
 
Honestly I don't really see what you talk about. That deeper shade in the wood? Finish looks uniform to be, so that could be natural as well. Why not talk to the maker first?
 
Additionally, is that where the top of the sheath sits? I’ve seen that make very slight discoloration on my knives.
 
Weird line. Almost looks like a band of some sort was strapped around it. Can you feel a ridge or depression? Do you know how the wood is finished. Ie is it stabilized or tung oil or boiled linseed oil or poly? Stacy had good advice. Hard to mess things up with a light sanding.
 
Looks like what’s left after you wrap
It with electrical tape.
 
But it’s good looking wood.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far, glad that you can come with constructive things to help me out.

Tried the rubbing alcohol, didn't appear to have any affect, except removing some of the dirt from sanding. I will try to use a scour pad, with the rubbing alcohol later on. Then move on to the sanding part. Should I try to just use the finest sandpaper first, or is it the better route to just go with the 400 grit first?
 
400 will take it down a tad. Then go up the grits. No need to go crazy, just a very light sanding should do it.

If you had filled out your profile and we knew where you lived, perhaps some maker near you could offer to quickly give it a buff and see if he could make it go away.
 
Just go easy with the 400. You don't want to dig a groove or a dip at the brass. That can still be fixed easily but will take a lot more sanding. 10 minutes of light sanding should get you fixed up.
 
Mick Brown said:
Thanks for all the replies so far, glad that you can come with constructive things to help me out.

Tried the rubbing alcohol, didn't appear to have any affect, except removing some of the dirt from sanding. I will try to use a scour pad, with the rubbing alcohol later on. Then move on to the sanding part. Should I try to just use the finest sandpaper first, or is it the better route to just go with the 400 grit first?
Click to expand...
Leave it alone , use knife and with time handle will get better looking .It is beautiful knife and that wood look insane good :) You ask to many question , I m afraid that you will make more damage then good.What you call dirt from sanding is probably applied oil in wood which you remove with alcohol...Just friendly advice :thumbsup:
 
Are we sure this isnt just a odd grain/pattern almost like Curly Maple? Ironwood doesnt really absorb water or the like very well...doesnt even need to be stabilized.

Another angle: It does, however, oxidize FAST and darken if exposed to oxygen. Most use Renwax or similar to keep original sanded color. Over time otherwise it will darken quite a bit...more to the color of that strip. Any chance its the opposite here and the REST of the handle was somehow covered but that band exposed/oxidated and therefore darkened at a different rate?

Doesnt look like glue or such residue...looks in the wood.
 
Hengelo_77 said:
I also think it may have to do with the sheath. Was it wet formed?
Click to expand...

Interesting though, Bart. I had not thought of it being caused in shaping the sheath.

Natlek has a good point. You could just use the knife as-is and see what happens. You can always do more sanding/polishing later.
 
Another question. Did you ever ask the maker what it is? I think before I ever started sanding or otherwise trying to remove it I would contact the guy who made it and ask him.
 
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I would not do anything to it. It does not look like a raised area, or depression. Looks like coloring in the wood.


Nothing to be "fixed"


Use it.

You may find any "fix" you attempt just ruins the lovely finish the maker has spent time putting on the knife.

You should find, over time, that the whole handle color changes as the knife ages. By scrubing it with alcohol, you have likely made it more likely that the area will darken faster than the rest of the wood.
 
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If you want another (although admittedly not so helpful) opinion, I'm not sure what I'd do beyond contacting the maker to ask questions. From the replies above, I'd say it looks like it's either from the sheath (if there was one) or just the natural figuring/coloring of the wood (although it does look a little too uniform and symmetrical to be natural figuring). I'm also seeing a second, smaller band closer toward your thumb that reminds me of when you see a second, fainter rainbow in the sky above or below the main rainbow....
 
Best advice spot far that I've heard was to leave it alone, and contact the maker if you have any questions about it. Odds are, anything you do to fix it will likely make it worse. If it was a knife I sold you, any modification you make to it would probably void any chance of having the knife repaired or replaced at no charge. Besides it doesn't look bad enough to warrant any refurbishing.
 
I'd like to see more pics including some of the entire knife and sheath if there is one. I've wet molded several hundred sheaths onto ironwood and never seen that happen.
 
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