1] Remove the blade coating. I used Klean Strip KS-3 Premium Stripper- a thick paste/gel type remover. Found it at the local Home Depot for ~$6. You could try to sand it off, but I've heard others say that it's very difficult to remove that way.
2] Papers used- 320x, 400x, 600x, 800x, 1200x, 1500x, and Metal Glo polish. I think that not skipping too far between grades made for the best finish- I probably would have used more grades if they had them.
3] I used a piece of mouse pad to back the paper, for protection and to increase the pressure I could apply. I started by sanding from the handle towards the tip, in one direction only. Make sure to keep sanding in as straight a line as possible, without going off at angles near the tip. Scratches going in any direction other than straight can be difficult to remove.
4] I spent about 10-15 minutes with each grade, using about 1/2 sheet of paper each time. I'd sand until I really couldn't see the scratches from the previous grade of paper. Take your time with this- if it works right, you can stop at 600-800 and have a nice satin finish, that won't look all scratched up, but fairly smooth. If you rush, or skip too much between grades of paper, it'll look really beat up and junky, and you'll have to start over more or less from the beginning.
5] When I was done with the 1500x, I used a little Metal Glo polish to finish the blade. I just applied it with paper towels.
I might actually take it back down to 800x or so, since it is supposed to be a user- it just depends on how bad it looks after I've used it a few times. My original intent was to duplicate the satin finish of my ZT Satin Jack, but I got a little carried away with the process.
