Removing scratches from a stonewashed blade

JoWa

JoWa

Joined
Mar 9, 2021
Messages
189
All, hi...I've got a maintenance question that I hope someone can help me with.

I bought a Sebenza 31 a couple of months ago, and after using it for a few weeks I washed the blade. My mistake was using a 3M type scrubber sponge to wash the blade. They are very light and not deep by any means, but they're very noticeable and I'd like to find a way to get rid of them.

I treat all of my knives as tools to be used, and I have to say that a CRK is as much a thing of beauty as it is a functional tool for me personally. Any thoughts or proven methods that you can point me to to lighten/hide/remove these scratches would be greatly appreciated!
 
You'd basically have to re-finish the blade. Either have the scratches buffed/polished out, or give the blade a satin finish, both of which would remove the stonewash finish. Or have it stonewashed again.

Go to Chris Reeves website, they offer re-finishing (stonewash) for $50, sharpening is free. But they also warn that re-finishing will remove metal from the blade, and they recommend only having a knife re-finished once in it's lifetime.

Or learn to live with the scratches.
 
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I'd just live with the scratches, for the time being. If you continue to use & sharpen the blade over time, it'll continue to accumulate more scuffs & scratches.

Down the road, after the 'newness' of the blade's finish is diminished beyond a certain point, it'll be easier to take the matter into your own hands and scrub the rest of the blade with the 3M pad, or sand it out to a satin finish with some SiC wet/dry sandpaper.

I have an older-generation Sebenza Classic 2000 model, and initially cringed when I'd left some sharpening scratches on the blade. But, if the knife is to be used at all, it's inevitable. Once I'd gotten past that realization, I've never again regretted it or worried about it. For what I paid for the knife, it's a very good thing to reach a point where I can use the knife at will, and not worry about it anymore. The real beauty of the CR knives is in their thin blade grinds and precision fit tolerances, like that 'bank vault door' feel in the locking of the blade. Keep the pivot in good working order and the blade sharp, and the rest is gravy.
 
Scratches and patina just add character to the blade, IMHO. On the other hand, having accumulated a fair bit of both, I sometimes wish I could send myself in for a complete re-finishing. Maybe I could if I'd been manufactured to Sebenza standards.;)
 
Sounds like the general consensus is “let it go”, especially if it’s going to be a ‘user’, which is my intent. Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!
 
caution but some minor scratches in stonewashed blade can be scrubbed out with Barkeepers Friend. BF dissolves metal and finishes, so caution here.
 
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