preventing scratches after finishing

Atlas Knife Company

Atlas Knife Company

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Feb 16, 2010
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Before posting this question I searched the forums for fishhooks and read about 50 threads on hand sanding.

After spending several hours getting out all the fishhooks(oddly enough after getting out all my fishhooks for the fishing trip this weekend) I thought I was done on a practice knife. However, when I picked it up to tape it and start putting scales on, I noticed some scratches from dirt on my fingers. I cleaned it and sure enough, it was scratched. Keep in mind that this is a practice knife made of crap steel from a shelf bracket that has not been heat treated.

After using good steel and heat treating, will I still have this problem, or is there a final blade treatment step that I am missing?
 
After making a few knives with highly polished surfaces and seeing how easily that shinny surface scratches many makers start looking for alternatives and there are many.

Hope you catch a big one this weekend.:thumbup:

Fred
 
Unhardened steel will scratch much more easily than hardened stuff. Having said that, there are lots and lots of things in this world that will scratch even the hardest steel. One thing that is kind of paradoxical is that some softer materials like wood often contain small particles of silicates and other minerals and these particles are hard enough to abrade steel. So even a "soft" material can scratch your knife.
This is one of the reasons there are so many different preferences for finishes, some wear more gracefully/attractively than others. On a heavy-use knife you generally have to be prepared to accept some scratching/scuffing, and collectors knives or decorative pieces you have to be anally careful about or they will start to show blemishes sooner or later.
 
While it doesn't make sense, it is a well known fact that after finishing a blade, scratches spontaneously grow while the knife is stored in a secure place. LOL

Ask any knife maker and they will probably agree that if you finish a knife and inspect it in you shop and find no scratches, the next day you can take it in the house or outside (different light) and you will see more scratches. Satin finishes are much better for not showing scratches than a highly polished finish.

Jim A. ABS JS

PS test knives for ABS rating are especially prone to the spontaneous scratch growth!
 
So, if I understand the "between the lines" sentiment, a heavy use knife like a kitchen knife shouldn't have a mirror finish because it WILL get scratched, so stick with satin/blasted finishes for these types.

Can someone tell me the difference between sand-blasting and satin? Perhaps post a picture of the two side by side?
 
Here is what I do to help stop those creaping scratches....

First when I finish rubbing one side of the blade I wipe off any oil with a clean cloth wiping in the same direction as the rub was done,then immediately lay a wide piece of tape over the blade.Then I trim the excess tape from the blade profile.Now I do the opposite side of the blade and do the same thing after finishing.From here I never touch the blade or set it on anything unless it has tape or a quick papertowel and tape sheath.If you want to check the finish of both sides of the lade after rubbing the back edge and riccasso you can wipe all oils and rubbing mud off the tape then remove the tape while holding the tang only,any cleaning or wiping of blade from here should always be done in the rub direction,then when you are happy with the inspection re-tape the blade and finish the knife.Rememeber to wash your hands after rubbing also as you will have grit on your fingers that will scratch any of the materials your using..I also put a hole in all my tangs so I can hang the blade from a shelf above the work bench thus never laying it down and possiably scratching through the tape with a accidental drop or bump from something..Other than that you just gotta be careful what you set the finished knife on when your done..
Hope this makes sense and helps out a little.
This is just what I do and isnt the only way to solve this problem.
Bruce
 
zaph1 said:
So, if I understand the "between the lines" sentiment, a heavy use knife like a kitchen knife shouldn't have a mirror finish because it WILL get scratched, so stick with satin/blasted finishes for these types.

Can someone tell me the difference between sand-blasting and satin? Perhaps post a picture of the two side by side?
Click to expand...

Satin is a directional abrasive finish, like a grinder finish or hand-rubbed finish. "Sandblasted" finishes are done using an abrasive blasting gun powered by compressed air. Sand can be used as the media/abrasive for this but there are several other types of media that are generally preferred, such as glass beads, aluminum oxide grit, etc.
 
I found out the hard way on a recent knife (O-1 steel) that tape isn't foolproof protection either. I had taped up my finished blade very carefully and it stayed that way for probably a couple of week or more while I got around to gluing on the scales and finishing it up. When I pulled off the tape, I was treated to some light staining/rusting on the blade underneath.

I think it was both some fingerprints on the blade and the adhesive in the tape that caused the blemishes. Now, I only leave tape on for a short period of time whenever possible to prevent this from reoccurring, which is a pain in the neck.
 
I found out the hard way about the tape also..When using masking tape look at the package it came in,you will see that most of it now days has a time limit to leave on,it will leave glue on the blade and can let moisture in very quickly,always remove it before the time limit...handling the tang only and leaving it hanging in open air works best for me with no tape on the blade...Bruce Bump tapes his blades with black electrical tape and doesnt have problems,I am going to try this myself and see how it works...Always rub any finger prints off the blade immediately and a wipe down with oil is a must to keep the light rusting from happening..

Bruce
 
If I recall correctly, the tape in question was clear packing tape from Walmart, which I have since stopped using. Lately I've been using blue painter's masking tape, but I still avoid leaving it on for any longer than necessary so I can't speak to it's staining properties, if any.

I live in a very dry climate and am pretty neurotic about constantly wiping the blades down with oil and keeping my finger prints off of them, so that made my experience all the more annoying and perplexing...
 
Bruce Evans said:
Here is what I do to help stop those creaping scratches....

First when I finish rubbing one side of the blade I wipe off any oil with a clean cloth wiping in the same direction as the rub was done,then immediately lay a wide piece of tape over the blade.Then I trim the excess tape from the blade profile.Now I do the opposite side of the blade and do the same thing after finishing.From here I never touch the blade or set it on anything unless it has tape or a quick papertowel and tape sheath.If you want to check the finish of both sides of the lade after rubbing the back edge and riccasso you can wipe all oils and rubbing mud off the tape then remove the tape while holding the tang only,any cleaning or wiping of blade from here should always be done in the rub direction,then when you are happy with the inspection re-tape the blade and finish the knife.Rememeber to wash your hands after rubbing also as you will have grit on your fingers that will scratch any of the materials your using..I also put a hole in all my tangs so I can hang the blade from a shelf above the work bench thus never laying it down and possiably scratching through the tape with a accidental drop or bump from something..Other than that you just gotta be careful what you set the finished knife on when your done..
Hope this makes sense and helps out a little.
This is just what I do and isnt the only way to solve this problem.
Bruce
Click to expand...

:D I got your post confused.... Instead of wiping the oil off and applying the tape, I wiped the dirty oil off, reapplied a thin layer of fresh oil on the blade, then put regular masking tape on it with the oil still on it. It was not a problem getting the tape to stick to the oil since you can just wrap the tape around a few times. But theoretically, the oil should make the tape easy to remove after and also protect the blade from rust. I know this sounds kinda backwards, but I guess I'll see how it works.:)

Just checked a blade I had left overnight with the oil and the tape on it and after taking the tape off (very easily), the blade looks to be just fine. No glue residue, no staining, and it didn't let any moisture affect it because it had oil on it the whole time.
 
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That is when I wrap the blade with a paper towel then wrap with tape to make a removable temporary sheath..I never leave the blade wrapped overnight just coated in oil and hanging in air from the edge of the shelf.
Bruce
 
We don't leave any blades wrapped in anything over night. On a carbon steel blade we will put on a coat of wax to prevent any oxidation from forming. We leave them hanging from the thong hole while we are not working one them and try to not lay them down on anything. We use several different types of light to help show up scratches and like to check under a light source that is only coming from one direction. It seems to really show up scratches well.

Scratches grow on their own in many places and one of the worst is a knife show. With people handling the knives, they seem to pick up scratches fairly often, just from peoples hands that might have grit on them. We have had some scratched bad enough that we had to refinish the blade. Much of this comes from people that want to wipe down the knife after they have handled it. I have seen some people pull out cloths from their pockets and wipe blades before putting them back on the table. While well meaning people do this, it can cause real problems.

Charlie and I check the knives often from both sides of the table. Many times something can be seen from the customer side that can't be seen from the maker's side of the table.
 
Leaving the blade overnight with the oil and tape on it was an experiment (just to see what would happen), but the experiment worked in my opinion. The blade was not damaged and I was able to continue finishing the handle the next day. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the next though. I don't like using the paper towel sheath...I find it just too bulky and get's in the way of my work.
 
I think different areas of the country have different problems with rust too. We have a pretty high humidity year round and have found that leaving the blue tape on a carbon steel blade will almost guarantee rust. Electrical tape left on for any length of time can also trap moisture and the blade will stain underneath. We go through the blue tape like crazy. On a carbon steel blade, I will take the tape off while I'm gone to lunch, wipe the blade down with a silicon cloth and put the tape back on when I get back.
 
I agree,we all do things differently and our own way....that is why making knives is so much fun,lots of new things to try..
Bruce
 
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