Brian-
The $60,000 question here.... is: How do you do this on one of your Js test knives.... in the hotel room....2,200 miles from home, in Atlanta, at midnight... the night before you are to submit the knives for review???
Moral of the story, always take a "touch up kit" with you to shows. And FWIW- that knife is the one that got me the George Peck award.
To answer your question: PSA paper stuck to a sanding stick. Sand in front of the choil and behind the spine first, then do the sides (make sure to Scotch tape the sides of the ricasso first). I have found this order will give the most consistent scratch pattern with the least amount of weird overlap/inconsistencies.
PSA paper (or regular paper with spray glue) works BY FAR the best because you can stick it to your sanding stick (I use a 1/8" thick X 3/8"-1/2" wide micarta stick) and then use a razor knife to cleanly cut the paper
right to the edge of the stick (front and sides) which allows you to sand right up to the blade without actually touching the blade with abrasives. The tape will protect the blade from the sanding stick rubbing, but is very little protection from abrasives.
You'll never get it as perfect as what you get sanding the guard face on a granite block, but you can get it so close that 98.7% of the folks that look at the knife will never see the difference.
