Question about maintaining brass

:cool:...I have a couple of the 112 Founder's Edition knives still sitting unopened in their boxes and the visible side of both of them are oxidizing as we speak...My bet would be the visible side will develop a definite patina which will be much more prominent, as time goes by, than the back or non-visible side. I have an old 2 rivet 110 that I was told had it's BG-42 blade installed by Wilde Bill some years ago that hasn't had the bolsters touched at all. It's patina is very dark, shiny, mottled and hard now and actually looks quite nice. As to the 112's at the same price as a 110...I'll defer to one of the 112 "experts" like Bucksway or someone of similar expertize...:D
 
mister_wilburn said:
On a seperate note: I can get a 110 at walmart for less than 30, where can I get a 112 for a similar price?
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It will be difficult, 112's tend to run a little more.

outside of the occasional Ebay auction, the lowest store price I see on 112's has been at Gander Mountain for around $35.00.

On the brass, I have actually stopped trying to keep the 110 I carry "shiny" and have just let the brass develop this aged look, that has grown on me. Give it real character.
 
first rule in the navy.. if it dont move ...
polish it or paint it...

i have seen some of the brass on old ones i get have what looks like fuzz it was so bad i could not polish it fast enught and
some that had that almost dark gold brown hard shinny look...
that i like and only wipe off with dry cloth...
if it is nice and shiny i leave it if it is dull i shine it..
remember Buck has changed brass forumla a few times
so it will all age differently
this is NOT almost bronze were it is suppose to get dark with age..
now white brass or german silver ...(nickel frame to the newbies)
nothing but shine!!!!


but to each his own...
now the price of a 112 has never been less then a 110 ...
beats me...
'cides i only collect the cheaper 110 in case no one here knew that,,,
 
Your best bet is e;bay... one of the Founders edition went for 23.00 or so..Whats funny is you can get a collectable 112 new cheaper than a current issue if you look hard and bid cheep [a lot !] Dont forget the 422! Its a light 112 and you will find them for under 20.00 once in a while...Find a drop point,with finger grooves..A great EDC..
 
Maybe the price of collectible knives is less is because no one would ever use one. A lot of times you can get an etched or engraved knife cheaper than a stock one. Buy the special one and use it. That should impress your friends and also occasionally start a conversation. I was at a BBQ over the weekend and used a nice knife to cut carnival wristbands off of kids. They were pulling and gnawing at them and acting like animals. All I did was slip the blade under, touch the plastic and they fell off. Even a special edition can be a user.
 
I don't mind the brass turning dark, It's when it starts to turn green is when I find it pits the metal.
 
The question of maintaining a shiny finish comes up every few months or so...

I have found that polishing with Nevr-Dull and then applying a coat of automotive paste wax (Turtle Wax in my case) will keep the brass from oxidizing... ;)

There are some here who maintain that polishing the brass destroys the collectivity of the knife...the same for sharpening it... :rolleyes:
 
chickentrax said:
There are some here who maintain that polishing the brass destroys the collectivity of the knife...the same for sharpening it... :rolleyes:
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To some degree, both do. When you polish metal or sharpen blades, no matter how small an amount you think it is, you are removing metal.

Knives is that condition are no longer new or mint and to many collectors that does hurt them.
 
Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
To some degree, both do. When you polish metal or sharpen blades, no matter how small an amount you think it is, you are removing metal.

Knives is that condition are no longer new or mint and to many collectors that does hurt them.
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seems that i recall Bernard Levine said some thing on that...
kinda like- as the knife leaves the factory and nothing done to it,
leaves it with the highest value.. # 1 condition..
but that they are rare in that some one handles them and wipes them off and that is doing some thing to them ... so he see's very few # 1 knives
i am most likely wrong and he will drop in and correct me...
and i would like to have a refresh on any way..
 
334dave said:
seems that i recall Bernard Levine said some thing on that...
kinda like- as the knife leaves the factory and nothing done to it,
leaves it with the highest value.. # 1 condition..
but that they are rare in that some one handles them and wipes them off and that is doing some thing to them ... so he see's very few # 1 knives
i am most likely wrong and he will drop in and correct me...
and i would like to have a refresh on any way..
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I've heard him say something to the effect of "If you want a nice shiny knife, go buy a new one".

:D

A lot of times, it will also have to do with why a person wanted a particular knife. Not all "collecting" in my eye, is for the purpose of investment for future profit. Some (me included) just "collect" certain knives because we like them, and I'll carefully clean an already non-mint one sometimes to improve appearance or restore proper function, because the bloom is off the rose already. :D
 
I get asked this question a lot and for me, I let 'em patina. The only thing I do other than nothing is to make sure that I dont store my brass bolstered knives in their leather sheaths. Sometimes the tanning solutions will turn the brass green.
I will say that I have yet to find one that actually pitted from the greenification process. (no, thats not a real word but it should be...) It always wipes off the brass but it will tend to stain the leather sheath.
 
I have the prototype for the 432 [112 Wrangler } and it has not been touched since then...The patina really has a unique look ,I would neaver clean/change it..It looks 'hard' not fuzzy at all..The acid in your skin oils will print if handled then set aside..I picked up a NS bolstered 112 that had a print you could send to the FBI, it took a hour to bring it back...The gold etched Bucks [BCCI, LE's ect.] are tougher than you would first think,Dont be too skereed to EDC one..
 
Bucks and Bear, Your correct for I've noticed the same thing concerning the cost of a 112. I still keep polishing mine up. DM
 
Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
I've heard him say something to the effect of "If you want a nice shiny knife, go buy a new one".

:D

A lot of times, it will also have to do with why a person wanted a particular knife. Not all "collecting" in my eye, is for the purpose of investment for future profit. Some (me included) just "collect" certain knives because we like them, and I'll carefully clean an already non-mint one sometimes to improve appearance or restore proper function, because the bloom is off the rose already. :D
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Bear Claw, I failed to address this earlier. You strike a cord here w/ me and I'd bet w/others as well on collecting. We don't collect for the purpose of investing as in stocks. We often collect certain knives just because we like them. Agreed.:)Then justify our activities to wives especially under the umbrella of "investment" to make money. Which passes the discussion and subject dropped. DM
 
David Martin said:
We don't collect for the purpose of investing as in stocks. We often collect certain knives just because we like them.
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I'm with you there. The knives I actually "collect" I never give much thought to resale.

David Martin said:
Then justify our activities to wives especially under the umbrella of "investment" to make money. Which passes the discussion and subject dropped. DM
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That is almost to funny for words!

Better hope your lady never reads it!!! :D :D :D
 
Joe Houser said:
I get asked this question a lot and for me, I let 'em patina. The only thing I do other than nothing is to make sure that I dont store my brass bolstered knives in their leather sheaths. Sometimes the tanning solutions will turn the brass green.
I will say that I have yet to find one that actually pitted from the greenification process. (no, thats not a real word but it should be...) It always wipes off the brass but it will tend to stain the leather sheath.
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That green stuff is technically termed verdigris and is the result of a chemical reaction between the brass, or copper, and, most commonly, the acids using in the leather tanning process. It is principally copper sulfate. You also see it build up commonly on copper in plumbing applications. As Joe has stated, I have never seen it actually pit the metal.
 
chickentrax said:
The question of maintaining a shiny finish comes up every few months or so...

I have found that polishing with Nevr-Dull and then applying a coat of automotive paste wax (Turtle Wax in my case) will keep the brass from oxidizing... ;)

There are some here who maintain that polishing the brass destroys the collectivity of the knife...the same for sharpening it... :rolleyes:
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I also use never dull. It cleans the brass but does not take away any brass with it over time like brasso will. After spending 22 years in the Navy, I've learned that brass is meant to be kept polished. The only thing I don't like about the paste wax is that when the brass finally does need to be polished, the paste wax makes it more difficult.
 
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