AZTimT
The Stripetition Finish Guy (inactive)
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2009
- Messages
- 4,506
This may have been previously covered already several times, but I don't mind taking a few minutes to address it even if it has. After receiving several questions about sanding my handles here are a few things I've figured out from smoothing many of my handles either a little or a lot:
Edit to add something very important I forgot that resinguy caught:
By hand for the smoothing is easier to control than with a machine, but if you are going to take it down a lot, something faster is more convenient just be careful and make very light contact as it is easy to go too far fast.
At any grit level, it doesn't really matter which direction you go as long as it gets the job done to your liking.
If you go coarser than 80 grit though, you will have some pretty deep scratches in a hurry that are harder to remove.
It is hard to use just one or two directions to get the holes around the tubes knocked down enough to not be sharp when using it, so basically there is no right way to do it.
Just go at it and you'll figure it out pretty quick, trial and error works well.
You won't hurt the micarta/G10 any and when it turns whitish don't worry, just wash it and it turns right back to the normal coloration.
With a little practice you can bring your desired patterns to surface which for me was more black on the very top layer for the Gladius.
The first time you do it you'll be a little hesitant, after that you'll do it to every knife you have that has any hotspots/sharp edges on the handle. :thumbup:
Here is an example of the results of my first smoothing project, a BWM and also my most recent the Gladius.
Factory new Bushwacker
Smoothed to hand shape for my liking
Factory new Gladius
Smoothed with black brought to top surface layer
Edit to add something very important I forgot that resinguy caught:
Thanks for that! :thumbup:
By hand for the smoothing is easier to control than with a machine, but if you are going to take it down a lot, something faster is more convenient just be careful and make very light contact as it is easy to go too far fast.
At any grit level, it doesn't really matter which direction you go as long as it gets the job done to your liking.
If you go coarser than 80 grit though, you will have some pretty deep scratches in a hurry that are harder to remove.
It is hard to use just one or two directions to get the holes around the tubes knocked down enough to not be sharp when using it, so basically there is no right way to do it.
Just go at it and you'll figure it out pretty quick, trial and error works well.
You won't hurt the micarta/G10 any and when it turns whitish don't worry, just wash it and it turns right back to the normal coloration.
With a little practice you can bring your desired patterns to surface which for me was more black on the very top layer for the Gladius.
The first time you do it you'll be a little hesitant, after that you'll do it to every knife you have that has any hotspots/sharp edges on the handle. :thumbup:
Here is an example of the results of my first smoothing project, a BWM and also my most recent the Gladius.
Factory new Bushwacker
Smoothed to hand shape for my liking
Factory new Gladius
Smoothed with black brought to top surface layer
Last edited:
"stripping" means taking the coating off. DCBB is NOT a coating, it IS bare metal, so there is nothing to strip. Some people have sent their DCBB back to Garth, and paid to have it made into satin.
