Polishing My Tamang

B

Broken Eye

Joined
Apr 2, 2010
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52
So, I received a Tamang a couple months back, fixed up the neem handle, and set it aside. Now, after seeing how good a mirror finish looks on neem handles (i.e. m43s from past couple DOTDs), I am wondering how I would go about removing the black villager finish from my tamang and any other knife I have or will get that is similar to it.

Tried 0000 steel wool but it doesn't seem to be having any effect. Tempted to run it ever so lightly against the soft stone of my bench grinder, but I think that would damage the blade.
Any info is appreciated. Thanks.
 
Polishing up a blade is hard work - especially without the right tools and starting from the forge scale. You'd need to sand/grind away the forge scale (while making sure the blade doesn't get too hot as to ruin the heat treat) then start sanding up in grits... probably from 100 all the way up to ~1000 grit. Then you'd want to buff it to get a mirror finish.
I'm telling ya - it's hard work and I'm quite surprised that the mirror polished HI khuks don't cost that much more than villager and forge scale versions.
 
Getting to the mirror finish will take a while, if doing it by hand. If you are sure you want to clean it up..try sand paper...I have even used a power sander before..and it worked quite well.
Just wear a mask and start with higher grits if you are going to use a power sander...I started with 80 grit before and had to sand forever to remove the deep scratches it made. I would just start with 220 and go up to 400, and then 600 wet paper. At first it will seem like not much is happening, but it will turn out fine, if you put in the time.
 
I use a 4.5" Dewalt grinder with a wire wheel to get the scale off. It's a lot faster than doing it by hand. When the scale was removed what I had was the hammer marks left on the blade. I liked it like that so I stopped. To get the hammer marks out you can continue using the wire wheel. I did this with several CS tomahawk heads. It took maybe 6-8 hours, but I got a smooth finish. For a high polish. that will have to be done by hand.
 
to get a mirror finish will require a felt wheel and if you don't know what you are doing, these can prove very dangerous to use.
 
Being the impatient person I am (need to work on that), I decided to use the soft stone on my bench grinder to get the scale off. Good news: it removed the scale. Bad News: it left a lot of scratches, and I mean LOTS. I then decided to use the 220 grit sandpaper on a power sander to remove the rest.
As of now, I'm sitting at about 98% removal of forge scale with all thats left being in the little pits (it was a blem after all) and the grooves near the spine. The blade is now smooth to the touch but, alas, the scratches remain. Anyone know a way to remove the deeper scratches or is it just a lot more sanding time? I mean to NOT be impatient this time around, and do it right.
(P.S. Shoulda wrapped the blade with masking tape first...)
 
Hi Brokeneye, the guys are right, lots of hand work and depending what tools you have, you may want to go to Harbor freight and spend some$ for buffing wheels for your bench grinder and the polishing mediums will help you maintain the high polish status of your knives, well, from there it all adds up and you may become a knife maker, LOL I have!! lots of luck to you.

Oh, a grinder or Buffer can Maim or even kill,:eek: please be safe!! Wear safety glasses and respirator when buffing and grinding.:)
 
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I had a knife a long time ago, one of the Ontario spec plus line. I put a near mirror polish on it with just sandpaper by hand. I will admit, it took time and effort, but it turned out nicely without the danger of the buffing wheel. Started with the rough stuff (120) to get the epoxy off and worked my way down to the 2000 grit wet-dry you can get at Wal-Mart.

More recently, I used a belt sander to take the epoxy off of one of the old Carbon V Trailmasters. It did fine for a satin finish, but not nearly as nicely as doing it by hand. I ended up putting a convex edge on it by hand, which involved polishing it further on the stone anyway.

If you do use a belt sander, I recommend a wide one (I used 4"). It gave me more consistency and worked faster. Also, though I may be preaching to the choir, make sure you use a new belt. The older, the duller, and so the more friction and the hotter you will get your blade.

Honestly, though, the forge scale on the tamag protects it from rust much better than a mirror polish, at least in my experience. It is the real man version of the epoxy coat on production knives.

It's only if you are concerned for the looks of the knife, and if you do the sandpaper method, you will end up with the hand-rubbed finish that custom knifemakers charge hundreds and thousands of dollars for. Even better than the mirror polish, but that is just my opinion.

Post some pics when you finish it. I am interested.
 
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The following process is really suited to a 'villager fit and finish' 'weekend project knife', i.e., blade only. Vinegar will remove forge scale. I normally use a half gallon plastic pitcher, however, these blades are longer and therefore require something deeper. A length of PVC pipe 18" - 24" (or several inches longer than the blade), capped at one end. Fill with vinegar, drop in blade, check ever few hours or leave overnight and check the progress in the morning.

Warning.. this process creates a nasty, black sludge on the blade that will get your hands, clothing, countertop, etc., dirty. Remove this sludge under running water. I use a toothbrush, a charcoal grill scrubby and a green scrubby. Be careful, the scrubby will scratch the blade. The vinegar will also very lightly edge the blade as it eats away the forge scale. You will have to resand and polish the blade. Additionally, if there are deep pits, it may take several efforts to get the scale out of the pits. I usually leave a few pits as proof of its ancestry as a forged blade. As to the vinegar, in the US, typical vinegar is 5% acedic acid. that works just fine. warm it up and keep it warm and it works better. I leave my pitcher where the sun shines on it and it stays warm, lately it gets hot. Some folks swear by apple cider vinegar, others say distilled vinegar is good. YMMV. In the Asian markets locally, various vinegars up to 13% - 16% are available. They all work just fine with the higher ratios just a little more aggressive.
 
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