Mirror polish vs forced patina to help protect from corrosion

T

testpilot118

Joined
Apr 19, 2014
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Sorry if this has covered before but I've been reading for a while, tried a little bit of searching and haven't seen anyone discus this specifically. I have been thinking about stripping my 5 and was wondering if sanding and polishing it to a mirror helps as much, more or less than a forced patina in rust preventing. I like the mirror polished look but wouldn't like to have to smear it with wax or the like to prevent corrosion.
 
Forced patina would be less labor intensive.

Without power tools, you will be looking at many many hours of hand sanding. Got 16 hours of hand sanding into getting my 10 to just 800 grit.
 
Strip it. Use it. Let it rust. Oil with mineral oil. Repeat.......

Rust on a knife is like a sunburn, the first couple hurt, but then you get dark and it don't.

Moose
 
Heh..Moose and Travis have it right In a big picture kinda way. You always dread that first ding, dent, scuff, rust spot, whatever until it happens then your all good.

I'd hate to mirror polish a BK as the grinds are fairly coarse after stripping the coating off. Like Moose said...Oodles of freaking work. I'm gonna muss any finish up but it would hurt if i put countless hours into a mirror polish just wear the bejeezus out of it.

That said I love forced patinas. I'm partial to jalapeno salsa. I like the streakines... that's a word. I swear.
 
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The smoother any steel is, the less rapidly it corrodes. That's just a fact.

Don't forget to consider a high-grit finish with an etch/forced patina "on top" of it. That looks cooler than a polar bear's backside.

Or... forget all that. Just use the thing and maybe sometimes remember to clean it... and maybe even oil it for storage. It'll be fine.
 
All good points and I get that the mirror polish is extremely labor intensive but it does look so beautiful and the shape of the 5 goes with that look so well. Valhalla makes a good point about doing all that labor and being very hesitant about using the knife as not to ding up the finish you worked so hard to create. I think if I was going to let things happen naturally, I would rather let the finish strip itselft naturally over time and use. I think I've just been seeing all those beautiful pictures you guys have of thier fine mirror polished blades and I was getting a little green with envy... :apple:
 
no mirror polishing of coarse-ground already-hardened steel. ugh.
For the hours involved you could take a side job at minimum wage and buy a custom polished blade next month.

Shortcuts on high polishes usually look washed out anyway, with everything rounded over like shiny noodles. So power tools are USUALLY out unless you're a pro, in which case you'd make your own blade and do 90% of the work pre-heat-treat anyway.
 
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