- Joined
- Jun 29, 1999
- Messages
- 9,892
A few months ago, after reading a review of the Kabar Mark 1 general purpose deck knife on this forum, I bought one (this seems to happen from time to time). Good all-round knife, I thought, when it arrived: sturdy blade, great steel, 1095 Cro Van/Carbon V, stacked leather grip, big pommel that adds a bit of balance. The Mexican-made sheath was OK, over-large, sort of thin and floppy, but it would do. (I did make another one out of latigo saddle leather, sturdier and more compact.) The edge was very obtuse so I filed it back a few degrees and put a more acute bevel on it.
But I didn’t really care for the black epoxy blade coating. Fine for the tang under the stacked leather grip, but not really necessary for the blade unless you live in a very wet climate. And it made the knife look too “tactical” and clumsy for my taste. I also thought it would cut better without the paint.
So I decided to strip the epoxy paint on the blade. Acetone didn’t work at all, so I resorted to a methyl chloride paint remover. (Note of caution: this is nasty stuff that has been discontinued at a few outlets – only use in an open well-ventilated space and wear rubber gloves.) I wrapped the blade in a scrap of old towel soaked with the remover, stuck it in a plastic bag and let it sit a half an hour. Voila! That softened the paint sufficiently so I could scrape it off, although it took a bit of work.
The blade shows very clean grinds, no finishing marks at all. Impressive. It should take on a nice patina, like my CS Master Hunter. It just looks right now and I suspect I’ll get a lot more use out of it.
But I didn’t really care for the black epoxy blade coating. Fine for the tang under the stacked leather grip, but not really necessary for the blade unless you live in a very wet climate. And it made the knife look too “tactical” and clumsy for my taste. I also thought it would cut better without the paint.
So I decided to strip the epoxy paint on the blade. Acetone didn’t work at all, so I resorted to a methyl chloride paint remover. (Note of caution: this is nasty stuff that has been discontinued at a few outlets – only use in an open well-ventilated space and wear rubber gloves.) I wrapped the blade in a scrap of old towel soaked with the remover, stuck it in a plastic bag and let it sit a half an hour. Voila! That softened the paint sufficiently so I could scrape it off, although it took a bit of work.
The blade shows very clean grinds, no finishing marks at all. Impressive. It should take on a nice patina, like my CS Master Hunter. It just looks right now and I suspect I’ll get a lot more use out of it.