Polish Help Folks PLEASE

[Knife Crazied]

Okay well this young one needs some help some you older folks please. I want to polish the bolsters on my knives and don't know what you use. Some of the bolsters are stainless some brass. Please tell me what to use and how to use it.
Does it remove scratches or just polish? Thanks

 

[yablanowitz]

I seldom bother since they just get scratched up again. Flitz Metal Polish is available in most hardware stores, just follow the label directions. It works pretty well for the tiny scratches that fog the bolsters. Deeper marks would have to be buffed out. Remember, you can't remove a scratch, you can only remove everything around it until it is all the same height.

 

[MarkPinTx]

Nevrdull wadding polish is good and cheaper than flitz or simichrome. Usually brightens even old ones nicely.

 

[jackknife]

I've used both the Flitz and Never dull, and both work pretty good. Once a scratch is in the metal, it's true that to remove it you have to take down the surounding area to it's depth.

I just leave the knife alone. It's going to get used and scratched again anyway. All my knives look used. But then, most of my knives these days are shadow patterns. No bolsters to worry over.

 

[rifon2]

I've tried several over the years - Wenol, Flitz, Nev R Dull, Maas, and Simichrome come to mind, but there have been others too.

Flitz has become my "go to" polish for just about all of the nickel silver, stainless, and brass bolsters in my collection.
It just works really, really well.

It removes very fine scratches and marks, and of course polishes too.

 

[wsfarrell]

I've tried everything too, and now use Mother's Mag exclusively. It's made for alloy wheels and sold at auto shops. I learned about it at the Colt forum, where old-timers use it on their stainless Pythons. It's less aggressive than simichrome, and polishes everything.

And while you're at the auto store, pick up some brake cleaning fluid. Works like acetone and is much cheaper.

 

[rifon2]

I've tried everything too, and now use Mother's Mag exclusively. It's made for alloy wheels and sold at auto shops. I learned about it at the Colt forum, where old-timers use it on their stainless Pythons. It's less aggressive than simichrome, and polishes everything.

You're right - Simichrome is definitely somewhat aggressive.
I use it only when I feel a somewhat aggressive polish is what's needed.