How deep of a scratch can you sand and polish out of a nickel plated bolster?

[Kragnut]

In generally, is a slight ding or scratch just something you have to live with on most modern factory folders like a GEC or Case? Or is the nickel plating pretty thick? Like in the 0.0003 - 0.0005 range

 

[Crag the Brewer]

In generally, is a slight ding or scratch just something you have to live with on most modern factory folders like a GEC or Case? Or is the nickel plating pretty thick? Like in the 0.0003 - 0.0005 range

I don't know which knife you are referring to, but imo bolsters would be Solid Nickle, or other materials.... not plated.

 

[Kragnut]

I don't know which knife you are referring to, but imo bolsters would be Solid Nickle, or other materials.... not plated.

I'm pretty sure factory knives are going to be nickel plated brass or low carbon steel. I'm just curious how far you can take it before you break through to the copper substrate layer of the plating or underlying material.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

I posted (too fast without reading) I was thinking of FIXED at first.
Still, I'd want solid, just for these kind of things.

Good luck with better direction.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

The bolsters on these knives ARE NOT plated. It's a solid material, whether the bolster is so-called 'nickel' ('nickel silver'), or brass or iron (some of GEC's knives featured iron bolsters).

With all that being said, they'll be very easy to sand as needed to remove scratches, dents or dings. And then polished up easily after that.

 

[Kragnut]

The bolsters on these knives ARE NOT plated. It's a solid material, whether the bolster is so-called 'nickel' ('nickel silver'), or brass or iron (some of GEC's knives featured iron bolsters).

With all that being said, they'll be very easy to sand as needed to remove scratches, dents or dings. And then polished up easily after that.

Yeah the GEC 23 woodland micarta I have has just low carbon steel bolsters with a sanded finish. I really like them cause even if tarnish develops they are easy to touch up.

I'm talking about the bright polish bolsters on common GECs etc......solid nickel? I find that hard to believe since its such a pain in the ass to machine. Even on a $100 Case knife?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Yeah the GEC 23 woodland micarta I have has just low carbon steel bolsters with a sanded finish. I really like them cause even if tarnish develops they are easy to touch up.

I'm talking about the bright polish bolsters on common GECs etc......solid nickel? I find that hard to believe since its such a pain in the ass to machine. Even on a $100 Case knife?

The 'nickel' in so-called 'nickel' or 'nickel silver' bolsters is a small part of an alloy similar to brass. It's not solid, pure nickel. Instead, it's mostly copper, with a smaller percentage of nickel (maybe up to 20%) and also zinc. It's a soft metal - much softer and easier to work than even the iron bolsters, or stainless as used in some higher-end knives. All of these metals are easy to sand with aluminum oxide or SiC sandpaper.

Nickel silver - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Kragnut]

The 'nickel' in so-called 'nickel' or 'nickel silver' is a small part of an alloy similar to brass. It's not solid, pure nickel. Instead, it's mostly copper, with a smaller percentage of nickel (maybe up to 20%) and also zinc. It's a soft metal - much softer and easier to work than even the iron bolsters, or stainless as used in some higher-end knives. All of these metals are easy to sand with aluminum oxide or SiC sandpaper.

Nickel silver - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

But basically these are homogenous materials that I can sand and polish to my hearts content without breaking through to an underlying material?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

But basically these are homogenous materials that I can sand and polish to my hearts content without breaking through to an underlying material?

Yes.

 

[ferider]

But basically these are homogenous materials that I can sand and polish to my hearts content without breaking through to an underlying material?

Not sure that's true. I have a 36 that I carry quite a bit, and the bolsters are starting to look brassy.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

There are videos out there, of some makers' factory production process in making their knives. In at least some, if you watch how the handles & bolsters are put together, you'll see they start out as larger solid pieces pinned together and then are shaped ('hafted') into their final shape on belt grinders. After that, they're simply polished on powered buffers to a bright finish. No plating process at all - and watching it eliminates any worries about stripping any plating away.

Not sure that's true. I have a 36 that I carry quite a bit, and the bolsters are starting to look brassy.

Some variations of the nickel silver alloy will tarnish to a slightly yellow, brassy patina. It is similar in many ways to brass in it's makeup, with copper being the prevalent influence. The yellowing patina seems to be more common in Germany-made knives that I've seen. Some variations of 'nickel silver' are also known as 'German silver', BTW.

 

[Kragnut]

Some variations of the nickel silver alloy will tarnish to a slightly yellow, brassy patina. It is similar in many ways to brass in it's makeup, with copper being the prevalent influence. The yellowing patina seems to be more common in Germany-made knives that I've seen. Some variations of 'nickel silver' are also known as 'German silver', BTW.

Now this I can attest to.....

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Now this I can attest to.....

View attachment 1978440

Somewhere stashed away, I have a Germany-produced 'German Bull' stag stockman with nickel bolsters looking exactly like that. The knife has lived its life stored away as-new, in the factory packaging. The polished nickel bolsters have taken on a nearly golden hue in that time - it's actually very pretty and I've not been willing to alter it at all. I did manage to find another of mine, also a 'German Bull' folding hunter pattern showing some of the same 'goldening' of the nickel bolsters:

 

[Kragnut]

Somewhere stashed away, I have a Germany-produced 'German Bull' stag stockman with nickel bolsters looking exactly like that. The knife has lived its life stored away as-new, in the factory packaging. The polished nickel bolsters have taken on a nearly golden hue in that time - it's actually very pretty and I've not been willing to alter it at all. I did manage to find another of mine, also a 'German Bull' folding hunter pattern showing some of the same 'goldening' of the nickel bolsters:

Yeah I like it on my Soligen made two blade trapper. Its like polished brass that doesnt tarnish and corrode nearly as easily.

Thanks for answering to all that did. Most of my life the only pocket knives I had were all stainless SAKs, Gerbers and Bucks but get it now on the alloy bolsters...only got into traditional slipjoints recently.

I forgot about CuNi alloy as an easily workable corrosion resistant decorative material though I should have realized it as it is common in decorative flatware handles, lamps etc. I may put a brushed finish on my bolsters now with unidirectional sanding and see how I like it, since it can be altered if I dont.....

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Yeah I like it on my Soligen made two blade trapper. Its like polished brass that doesnt tarnish and corrode nearly as easily.

Thanks for answering to all that did. Most of my life the only pocket knives I had were all stainless SAKs, Gerbers and Bucks but get it now on the alloy bolsters...only got into traditional slipjoints recently.

I forgot about CuNi alloy as an easily workable corrosion resistant decorative material though I should have realized it as it is common in decorative flatware handles, lamps etc. I may put a brushed finish on my bolsters now with unidirectional sanding and see how I like it, since it can be altered if I dont.....

Sanding and Scotch-Brite pads work well on nickel or brass bolsters. Both very easy. The knife below is a Hen & Rooster (German-made, BTW) that had developed some sort of deep corrosion on one of the bolsters, years ago. Still don't know what caused it. But it etched the bolster deeply enough, it couldn't simply be polished away. So, I sanded it out with the original intent of finishing thru high-grit and polishing to as-new again. But the sanded satin finish looked good to me. So I left it that way, and did the rest of the bolsters to match.

And the Buck 111 pictured below originally had polished nickel. But that tends to show fingerprints or any other scratches or scuffs too obviously. So I used a Scotch-Brite pad (green) to put a satin finish on that one, which hides the fingerprints & fine scratches pretty well. About 5-10 minutes' work - it's that easy.

 

[Robert Ptacek]

Sanding and Scotch-Brite pads work well on nickel or brass bolsters. Both very easy. The knife below is a Hen & Rooster (German-made, BTW) that had developed some sort of deep corrosion on one of the bolsters, years ago. Still don't know what caused it. But it etched the bolster deeply enough, it couldn't simply be polished away. So, I sanded it out with the original intent of finishing thru high-grit and polishing to as-new again. But the sanded satin finish looked good to me. So I left it that way, and did the rest of the bolsters to match.

And the Buck 111 pictured below originally had polished nickel. But that tends to show fingerprints or any other scratches or scuffs too obviously. So I used a Scotch-Brite pad (green) to put a satin finish on that one, which hides the fingerprints & fine scratches pretty well. About 5-10 minutes' work - it's that easy.

Those bolsters do look nice but I am ogling the wood scales.I presume it is dymonwood but still it has nice grain.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Those bolsters do look nice but I am ogling the wood scales.I presume it is dymonwood but still it has nice grain.

It is Buck's stabilized hardwood laminate. I don't remember what their name for it was - not sure I ever knew. But I agree, it looks nice. Reminds me of ironwood.

That knife was produced as a 'factory build-out' of the 111 pattern, some years ago. They basically used up all the spare inventory of parts they kept for it, until they were depleted. Built as factory-new and covered by their same warranty. Then the pattern was officially discontinued. A bunch of them were scooped up by buyers at the factory and then re-sold on the 'big auction site' at relatively decent prices at the time. That's where I found this one.