Anyone who has a Filipino made brass handled knife knows that sooner or later, it's going to need cleaned up and polished. Often, a regular polish does the job fairly well, but it takes time and a love of knives to do the job right. At times, a knife is going to require more than just polished. If I want to buff out a knife, I have a cheap $25 grinder I use that is made in China. They do not have much power, but they are good enough to polish with. You can buy a buffing wheel for about $5 and the buffing compound is about $5. So, for about a $40 investment, you can get all you need.
Of course when I hear about how often people on this forum cut themselves with their knives, I really have to wonder if they can handle buffing a knife out, without losing a finger or something along the way. Sense I have been working with power tools and sharp cutting instraments for about 35 years now, I have learned a little bit about how to be carefull, but ever now and then, something unexpected will happen. I have a friend who had been using a machine in the shop for over 15 years, and one day it did something it had never done before and took 8 of his fingers off. Now you can honestly say the guy is all thumbs!
About 3 months ago, I got a shipment in of knives from the Philippines that were really in bad condition. It was either more than I could do myself, or if I could have done it, I would have had at least 4 or 5 hours per knife of time involved. So I worked out a deal with Sabo who is active in posting here on this forum. He has a lot more equipment than I do, and also does this for a living.
I was surprised with the work he was able to do. He took a Filipino knife and made it look like a fine peice of jewlery. I did not realize that brass can be just as nice looking as gold. Of course gold is a little bit easier to maintain. But I enjoy polishing up a knife to bring out it's best, and keep it in good shape.
Anyways, if you need some professional finishing work done, and don't mind paying a living wage to have someone do it, you may give Sabo a try, he does real good work. He has a love for hand made Filipino knives and knows how to bring out their best, and push the natureal defects you find in hand made knives far into the background. The luster far outshines whatever little hammer marks that maybe to deep to buff out.
Of course if I had to make a living off of just my knife business, I would never make it at the prices I charge. It's more of a hobby for me. But what I wonder is why more people do not buy out my whole shipment, and resell them, sense I often see Filipino made knives sell for up to twice what I sell them for. Thanks, JohnR7 <A HREF="http://www.BalisongKnife.com
" TARGET=_blank>www.BalisongKnife.com
</A> <img src=http://home.neo.rr.com/johnr7/Sabo.jpg>
