Green polishing compound and smooth white bone

BDubbs

BDubbs

Joined
May 25, 2020
Messages
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So wife found me a used 78 in smooth white bone but it looks like the edge of one of the handles along the spring has some polishing compound in the grain? Here’s a photo, any thoughts on how to get it out? Got a bit of a gap going as well it looks like.
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BDubbs said:
So wife found me a used 78 in smooth white bone but it looks like the edge of one of the handles along the spring has some polishing compound in the grain? Here’s a photo, any thoughts on how to get it out? Got a bit of a gap going as well it looks like.
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The easiest way is to wear your work jeans and drop the knife in and let time & walking do The removal . You could try buffing it our with white compound and the problem is you may damage the scales since you say there is a gap., I’d just carry & use it myself.
 
I like what Rino said, I think I'd d ok that but if it really bugged I'd try a dry cloth wheel on a dremel.
 
Scott J. said:
I like what Rino said, I think I'd d ok that but if it really bugged I'd try a dry cloth wheel on a dremel.
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Yea, texture there is already a bit rougher, like a previous owner went amateur hour on it. I’ll stew on it a bit and maybe send a photo and email to the mothership to see if I can get it fixed with the gap or replaced.
 
Cut up some apples, onions, potatoes, beets, and get a good patina going on it. It's a user now so drive it like you stole it, that gap won't effect it's performance one bit. As for the green flecks, I'd chalk that up to character. I doubt GEC will do anything for you, I contacted them via facebook about a knife with issues and they said I could send it back to the distributor...I bought it used so, yeah, hosed on that one...good luck.
 
Depending on several things... if the black flecks aren't too deep, and if the bone isn't already too thin, you can lightly file it down with a fine file until they disappear, but if the bone is already "thin enough", you probably don't want to go that route.
With bone being porous, any polishing compound or sanding dust is liable to just add more to the problem. Filing usually just takes the dust, etc, away, as opposed to the back and forth of sanding.
 
I’m assuming it’s polishing compound but maybe it’s not. If it was compound it would have been done at the factory...would they have let it go like this?
 
BDubbs said:
I’m assuming it’s polishing compound but maybe it’s not. If it was compound it would have been done at the factory...would they have let it go like this?
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Yes, I imagine so. Once it's down in the pores, it's pretty difficult to clean.... although, I'm not an expert on how knife companies "do it".. I know the 62 white bone pocket carvers were about 50/50 on having black flecks in the bone.
 
Yea mine has a bit of that but because it was “speckled” I’m ok with it, this looks more like my knife is moldy. Not cool.
 
Maybe give the green bits a dabbing with cotton buds and some metho it might lift the crud....personally I like its used condish....good score .:)
 
They will disappear with carry, it's very common to have compound left in the pores of Ivory Bone knives as it's basically impossible to avoid.

Sanding with very fine paper could accelerate matters.

It's the gap I don't like the look of, potential crack house..:eek: It might be due to GEC's habit of opting for sink-hole pins so the slab isn't secured quite enough? When they use flush or domed pins it looks a lot better in my view, one of my reproaches of GEC.
 
Depending upon your love for the white bone, you could always dye the covers a darker color.
 
hornetguy said:
Looking more closely at the pics, your flecks look a little green, which would also suggest verdigris staining from the brass liners....
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Yup, guessing it sat for awhile in some leather and then the original owner tried to remove. I'd need to have it in hand to make a good recommendation, but to start with I'd take a stiff nylon brush to it to see what happens and work my way up from there.
 
BDubbs said:
So wife found me a used 78 in smooth white bone but it looks like the edge of one of the handles along the spring has some polishing compound in the grain? Here’s a photo, any thoughts on how to get it out? Got a bit of a gap going as well it looks like.
View attachment 1425329
Click to expand...
There is a chance that this not honing compound but verdigris. Try a weak acid, like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Soak a Q-tip and put the wet cotton on one spot and let it work for a couple of hours. If it’s honing compound it’s aluminum oxide suspended in green wax, which may respond to heat. The best solvent for waxes is acetone. You can soak a knife in acetone, but probably wouldn’t do that except on bone or stag. I’d also try a soft brass wire brush.
 
Thanks all for the advice, I’ll work on it this weekend and send photos of any progress.
 
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