How would you feel about this

[Hickory n steel]

My knives are users not safe queens, but I haven't had this knife a month yet.
I guess it only annoys me because it's pretty new, and I didn't expect this so soon.
Edit :
Sorry for the confusion, what I'm talking about is the real scratching and hazing of the nickel silver bolsters.
I was just surprised by how quickly this happened.
I'm going to leave it like this as it is a user, I just didn't expect it to get like this so soon and was taken back a little bit.

 

[abbydaddy]

I always hate to see my knives get scratched up, but that is what happens with a user. I feel like the only way to avoid it is a pocket slip.

 

[Neko2]

If it's brass you can probably polish those mostly off or lightly steel wool them to a satin finish.
Usually doesnt bug me though and if I think it will I either dont carry the knife or keep it in a separate pocket or slip.

 

[kamagong]

What am I looking at here? The fine scratches on the bolster? It happens, user knives pick up marks of usage. Not a big deal at all.

 

[bozack]

Those can be polished out.

 

[Carboniferous]

A little polishing compound (I use white) on an old rag should buff that up a bit. I don't really mind my bolsters getting cloudy/scratched up, but it is still nice now and then to freshen up a well-used knife.

 

[cbr1000]

What is it that you didn't expect? I don't know what the knife looked like to start with, but if you are asking about the dye loss near the bolster that would be concerning if it didn't start out that way. I assume you're not asking about bolster scratches - because metal scratches.... well you know.

 

[solphilos]

Scratches on finely polished bolsters may look bad at first, but give if some time and they will even out in a sort of matte finish. Personally, I think this kind of wear looks great though it may take a while to achieve.

 

[popedandy]

It looks perfectly normal to me, assuming it has been carried and used. I can't think of any way to avoid it other than not using it and handling it gently.

 

[gotgoat]

looks good to me

 

[Jsega51]

What a strange thread.

 

[Byrom Hermo]

If it bothered me I’d polish it. Easy.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

You can't have it both ways, can't have a user and then complain because it looks used. Might as well just buy 2 of everything, one to use, one to save. Than you could have your cake and eat it too.

These vary in age from 200-5 years old, $3-$500 ($500 is the most expensive knife bought some of the vintage knives are irreplaceable, priceless) nearly all my knives regardless of age or value get carried and used as they were intended. What's the point of owning a knife that never gets carried and used?

Here's a sampling of what finds it's way into my pockets, the first scratch is the hardest but then I'm over the baby picture phase, I like to take as many pristine pics for reference as soon as I get it to have new and or pristine pictures for my inventory and posting.

 

[idahoguy]

What, the bandage on yer finger?

 

[oldtymer]

Is that a crack in the bone about half way between the pin & the shield? Maybe that's what the OP is referring to?

 

[4thpoint]

More reason to use it know.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I edited the thread because I mistakenly wasn't clear.

I was referring to the bolsters being scratched up and hazy, it's not been in my pocket a whole month yet and I was surprised today when I noticed how quickly this had happened.
This is a user and not a safe / show queen, I just was taken back by how not new the bolsters already look on my relatively new knife.
I don't mind a knife showing wear, but I'm used to a knife looking relatively new for a little longer than this.

I guess it all has to do with the stainless blades, their still pretty fresh looking while the bolsters aren't.
If this was brass with patina, or the blades were carbon with patina I wouldn't have even given it a second thought.

 

[popedandy]

It doesn't take long for the bolsters to get scratched up. I have had knives that I could swear got scuffed up bolsters while I was holding them and thinking about putting them in my pocket.

 

[jc57]

If you carry it in a pocket with keys and coins, that's what it will end up looking like. I generally carry my pocket knives in a pocket by themselves, or not in the same pocket with other metal objects, so the bolsters don't get that bad. However, I don't follow that rule 100% and certainly have a few with some bolster-wear. If it bothered me, I could easily polish it back up with some combination of abrasives and polishes.

I used to worry more about it when I was first into traditionals and would keep the bolsters polished and waxed. But now I just use them and don't think about it much.

 

[Hickory n steel]

The knife was only in a pocket with a Victorinox Classic, but now that I think about it the classic does have some points that could scratch bolsters.