Case peanut has a nick on bolster, repair?

[cards94]

I'm outside yesterday, and just felt like taking the peanut out of my pocket. I tried to close the main blade with one hand and ended up dropping it on the pavement. Picked it up, no damage to the blades but noticed a small nick on opposite ends on the bolster. Should I leave it alone, or is there a way to buff it out? Can you use sandpaper or would that scratch the bolster and make it worse? Should I just live with the little nick on there?

 

[gredpe3]

Yes it is now a hard user. Get a purty one to carry to church or out to dinner.
Eddie

 

[pertinux]

Picked it up, no damage to the blades but noticed a small nick on opposite ends on the bolster. Should I leave it alone, or is there a way to buff it out?

I dropped my White Owl days after receiving it, and the resulting gash was not only unsightly, but sharp around the edges. I was able to buff it out with steel wool.

2) My White Owl is definitely mine now, having taken an unfortunate, head-first tumble onto the asphalt this afternoon, ka-Poink. Ouch!

Try a piece of leather or a strop, just rub the bolster as you would the blade over the strop and it should fix and polish it quite nicely, I do this all the time to mine it works wonderfully

I wouldn't have thought of that, and it worked really well. I happen to have a bit o' leather around. Thanks!

The divot no longer scrapes skin, and catches my nail only if I specifically test to see if it will still do so. I'll work on it more off and on, but for now I'm pleased that it's stopped attacking my hand (and hurting my feelings).

Hoot!

(Inspired by meako)

Further advice:

Pertinux, don't be afraid to use a little 2000 grit wet 'n' dry on that nick. Smooth it off with the sandpaper, then polish the bolster with a little flitz on a piece of leather. I use my strop, loaded with flitz held in my hand like a file, to polish. Works great!

Frostyfingers

I have used sandpaper as well. 600-1000 grit. Then polish on a strop. Metal polish on leather works wonders!

I have used this after fixing wiggly blades. (padded vice, peen the pivot, and sand/polish).

Update.

When last seen, our beloved hero (the knife, not the Drop-per) was still sporting a noticeable battle wound.

I just took this picture to post in the current Patina thread, and noticed that it captures how well I was able to adios the divot (bolster at far right). So, I thought I'd post it here as well:

Yay.

So, 0000 steel wool did the job with the White Owl's divot. I've since used the wet/dry sandpaper progression suggested by Bigfattyt on other knives, to good effect.

Good luck.

~ P.

 

[cards94]

thanks for the advice. i will definitely try the above techniques.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Wet/dry sandpaper works best to remove the heavy dings & divots (completely). A tight sequence of grit like ~400/800/1000/1200/1500/2000+, plus additional polishing with Flitz/Simichrome paste, can have it looking like brand-new again, maybe even better than new.

Otherwise, other methods can sometimes work to at least take the rough edges off the dings, and shine them up a bit.


This is a Buck 112 that had a lot of tarnish, many scratches, and a deep divot on the bolster (seen at right edge of bolster, near the corner):


After most, but not all sanding, with a grit sequence as described above, and before polishing:


Finished:

I used a very flexible rubber eraser to back the sandpaper, as a sanding block. Worked very well in following the contours of the bolster, and evenly distributing pressure for a uniform scratch pattern.


David