Ground vs. hand finished blades on slipjoints

J

John L

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Oct 28, 2004
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I understand that for a shelf queen a hand ground or even a mirror polish is nice.....and even required by most collectors What is the thinking on a working knife and its' finish? What grit, for example, do the Bose boys take their gound finish? It seems like for rust prevention on a high carbon blade the better the finish the less chance of rust. For SS blades and carbon blades a ground finish seems more workman like. Also seems that for a highly finished blade the first time you use it....there goes the pristine finish. What do people like that actually use their knives?
 
In reality, mirror polished blades will rust/tarnish more rapidly than satin finished blades. It actually has little to due with the actual finish, and more to do with the tiny scratches in a satin finish retaining oil, wax, or whatever an individual used for rust prevention. Personally, if it's done well, I don't think there is anything wrong with a machine finish, as long as the maker takes the time/effort to highly finish those areas of a blade that count.

Concerning slipjoints, your going to want the pivot area at least hand finished to a fine 800+ grit to obtain a nice "action".

Although folks might not realize it, I make a large number of "users"....and almost all my clients who order this type of knife request a fine, hand applied, satin finish. I also etch a lot of my "user" blades in ferric chloride, simply because that is what people have come to expect from me.

The point is for the maker to NOT get the idea in their head to do something only because it's "faster" or "less labor intensive". Make it "right" first, and if you can take or make some shortcuts, while maintaining the desired level of quality, then I say go for it.
 
BChou-E29 said:
Did you mean the other way around?
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I don't think he did. I do think there is a trade-off for both finishes. Ed is suggesting that the scratches of a satin finish tend to hold oil better than the smooth surface of a mirror finish. As such, a well cared for blade that is periodically oiled and not put away wet might fare better with a satin finish. On the other hand, the scratches in a satin finish tend to allow more surface area for moisture to attack and create oxidation. So a poorly cared for satin finished blade would likley fare worse than one with a mirror finish.

For me, I perfer the look of a fine hand-satin finish to a machine finish on most knives. I also find it easier to "repair" a hand finish after use. I'm not a fan of high-polished blades, but that's just my preference. I don't like 'em, so I don't do 'em.

--nathan
 
I will typically go to a 600 grit for a nice hand rubbed look and go to 800 + buff to get a smooth action on the pivot. After I get to 600 I will buff the blade to make sure there are not some scratches hidden and also kind of clean the slate prior to the final rub.

PS. I carry a 1095 blade everyday and cut alot of fruit and there is no rust, its a matter of care unless you go stainless.
 
I did mean it the way I wrote it. Popular opinion is that a mirror finish will not rust or tarnish as quickly as a satin...but in reality, that's not the case. Nathan explained it perfectly.
 
Ed :
It actually has little to due with the actual finish, and more to do with the tiny scratches in a satin finish retaining oil, wax, or whatever an individual used for rust prevention.
Click to expand...

I can understand that being the case if oil or wax were used , however , if neither were used , wouldn't the scratches in a satin finish retain more moisture than a polished ?
This is a serious questions , and one I look forward to your thoughts on.
 
John: Yes. IF there is no preservative used, your spot on.

But really, I can't think of anyone I know who owns a carbon steel/alloy blade, that does not apply some type or preservative (oil, wax, etc)....and in that case there is no doubt the satin finish will "hold" whatever preservative is used, and will far outlast a mirror finish in it's ability to deter rust/tarnish.

I personally do not produce mirror finished blades any more, simply because I do not like them, but for those who do, a few simple experiments can prove what I'm saying to be true.
 
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