Flitz or Mothers to finish a sandblasted blade

[JJ_Colt45]

Hey, I was hoping someone might have experience trying this or have a knowledgeable reply ...

I had a couple Becker knives ... (1095CV steel) ... sandblasted instead of stripping them ... I know that leaves the steel with very lil corrosion existance ... orginally I had thought I would sand it or maybe even have it bead blasted to a matte finish for just a bit of corrosion protection ...

but I am wondering if I use Flitz or Mothers Polish and a soft cloth wheel would that polish the blade to a near satin finish and be a better option over just hand sanding?

I hope that makes sense how I asked the question ... running on very little sleep forgive me if my question makes no sense as asked ...

but if anyone has done this or has knowledge of how it would turn out ... I'd love to hear thoughts and suggestions before I jump into finishing the blades and decide what way to go ...

thanks JJ

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Those polishes are too fine to remove enough metal after sandblasting.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

A 'satin' finish on a steel knife blade is better done with sandpaper in the 220-600 grit range, depending on preference. That's assuming one doesn't use a belt grinder for the job. Most factory 'satin' finishes are akin to a ~ 220-320 finish done with wet/dry sandpaper (usually silicon carbide) or aluminum oxide sandpaper in the same general grit range. If trying to emulate that sort of finish, 220-320 is generally what I use.

Metal polishes like Flitz, Mother's Mag, Simichrome, etc. will just make an existing finish brighter/shinier, but won't change the underlying grind patterns much, if used on finishes anywhere below about ~ 800 - 1000 grit in finish. Otherwise, the super-fine polishing grit won't be aggressive enough to change it much.

If looking for best corrosion protection on carbon steel, via the finishing technique only, a high-mirror polish will do that best. A high polish minimizes the depth of surface voids in the steel, which reduces the ability of corrosion-creating stuff (dirt, moisture, acids, etc) to cling to the steel. But it takes a lot of work to mirror-polish a blade, requiring a full & tight grit sequence up through ~ 2000 grit or higher, followed then by the polishing pastes and buffing.

There are simpler and more effective ways to protect a blade from corrosion; namely, just keeping it clean & dry between uses, and maybe applying a thin film of oil. That, and not storing it in a leather sheath if conditions are wet or very humid.

 

[JJ_Colt45]

Thanks Bill and Obsessed with Edges ... that was the issue I was wondering about ... and thsnk you for the deatailed desription of the process you recommended.

JJ