Resale Value of Stripped INFI

W

Whiteshield

Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
121
I had the chance to acquire a Busse knife but the finish on the handle has some issues. If I strip the blade around how much of its value will be lost?
 
Unfortunately, while your question may seem harmless enough, questions about value cannot be asked by registered members.
 
Since the question isn’t being asked about a specific knife I don’t think you need gold membership. Of course stripping usually diminishes value some it also depends on the model you are stripping. It also depends on if it’s a used blade or new blade with some imperfections. If you are gonna use it I’d strip away.
 
If done properly with etching and everything I don't see why it wouldn't increase in value or at least stay the same. Satin is more to buy because of the extra time and work involved. so if someone buys a coated blade and then puts the time and work into making very close to satin then why would it diminish value unless it was a crappy strip job or the steel looks horrible underneath.
 
I drunk a lot of beer before I dumped this one in the goop , just go for it
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I've made money on some and lost money on others. Lots of different variables come into play but the main things seem to be how clean of a job you do, if the knife still has the factory edge or if it's been resharpened, and what the steel looks like beneath that coating (which is the biggest part of the gamble).
 
I think the value is in the eye of the beholder - I say that a good strip job does not necessarily decrease value, and can up/maintain the value of a once beat up blade that would have otherwise needed work by you. If you can do the work yourself, buy a beater and have at it. If not, there is value to someone having already down the work for you.

Example - I would buy one of clamp daddy's knives at or maybe at a little premium above factory if what he does strikes my fancy and there is time-resource value in the work that's done that I could not do myself.

Same as "sending it off", although you get exactly what you ask for when you send it off, and it costs more than someone's pet project.
 
I think it totally depends on what it looks like after. The only one I ever stripped that looked really bad was an ASH-1.
 
I prefer mine stripped. But as stated, you can do it right or you can totally botch it.
Others claim they have to earn their stripage thru extended useage first. Meaning after they get ugly after alot of the coating gets worn off.
 
Stripped ups the value to me personally. Plus I enjoy doing the work. To each his own. I know the ASH 1 with leather Rowe sheath that recently was sold on the exchange by jbs was etched and stripped by me and the buyer didn't know. It all depends on how much pride you take in your work.
 
The problem with stripped blades is how they were stripped. Did someone put it on a sander and get the steel so hot hat they tempered the blade? If the blade was stripped using a chem stripper then sanded by hand then great. Or if the person who used the sander knew better than to get the blade hot, I am good with that. I have purposely ruined cheap knives with belt sanders to prove the point to myself. It does happen. I am not so much worried about INFI as I am the other steels.
 
I’ve stripped a bunch of mine now and while some coatings are miserable to get off I feel like you need to try to mess it up. Citistrip plus time, plastic razors and then I wash the blade. Next I’ll scotchbrite dremel it and then go over it with different grits of sandpaper. Lastly I love to use a polish like never dull. To me it’s relaxing. I got the music on, drink a beer and clear my mind. Similar to breaking down all the firearms to their firing pins for full cleaning/maintenance after the range.
 
I'd pay at least the same for a stripped blade if not more depending on who did it and the resulting blade because I hate coatings, but that's just me. I've got 2 in the process and the right way is to take off the scales and do it right imo - I'll give you a classic example - Mr. Flar - He has a TG proto recurve blade he put up on the echange back in the summer- I was too new to be smart enough to buy that damn thing and I still regret it. The coating was beat off it and looked kind of like crap - No one bought it so he stripped it and made it shine like a chrome goddess - Now, you can't buy it for any amount of money, or at least until he gets bored with it then he know's to send me a msg when the time does come - So, for me, don't mean sht but I'm only one opinion, and that don't really mean sht either ;)
 
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