Polishing knife blades.

[Easyrider]

Will I damage the knife blade's heat treat using a buffing wheel and jewelers rouge? I want to polish the blade on my REKAT Carnivore Cub. Any ideas on how I can get a mirror polish?

 

[ArchAngel]

You will not hurt your heat treat as long as you keep the blade fairly cool to the touch. I have polished the bead blast finish off of quite a few of my knives. I always do this with a dulled edge and NO gloves. This way I can feel as the blade warms up and place it in cool water. Keep the water handy and DO NOT let the blade get to the point that it feels hot! You should be fine.
A word of warning on buffing the blades. I always caution people about how to use the wheel. If done improperly, the blade can be wrenched out of your hand and come back at you. VERY dangerous. I always polish from the center of the blade outward, never letting the back edge of the polished object get caught up un the wheel. This is where I have found problems to arrise. Good luck and be careful. Let us know how your blade comes out.

 

[dsvirsky]

Can't answer your question about buffing wheels and heat treat. You can get a mirror finish by sanding with increasingly finer grades of sandpaper. I refinished my CF Dragonfly to remove a nasty scratch on the blade, and after wet sanding with the 1500 grit wet/dry paper, it was looking pretty good. Should be even better after I use the 2000 grit.

------------------
Dave

Let no one ever from henceforth say one word in any way countenancing war. It is dangerous even to speak of how here and there the individual may gain some hardship of soul by it. For war is hell, and those who institute it are criminals. Siegfried Loraine Sassoon

 

[Easyrider]

Thanks guys, ArchAngel, I will keep some water nearby. I thought about cooling the blade with water, I was concerned about the
heating/cooling cycle. I should be ok as long
as I keep quenching it in water often?

 

[ArchAngel]

You will not hurt it. Keep it cool and you are in there. Lots of rouge also, gives a deeper polished look an you are less likely to burn the steel. Water is very important. Buff,dip,dry, buff, dip, dry etc. You will do well. Good Luck........