Sanding Victorinox scales?

L

Lassegas

Joined
May 20, 2013
Messages
13
Hi.
I have an old Victorinox folding knife given to me by my grandfather when I was young.
Being young I scratched my name into one of the scales in a rather ugly manner.

Hoping to pass this on to my son Colin I want to remove this.

Are the scales on these knives thick enough so I can sand this off without sanding through it?
And what grit do you think the scale need to be sanded to, to match the other side?

- Lasse
 
Hope nobody minds my mentioning a vendor as this is very pertinent to the OP's question if he's willing to purchase instead of sand.

You might just consider buying some replacement scales from Swiss Bianco Canada. They have replacements for sale occasionally. Look under Products-Victorinox Accessories.
 
Arugess said:
Hope nobody minds my mentioning a vendor as this is very pertinent to the OP's question if he's willing to purchase instead of sand.

You might just consider buying some replacement scales from Swiss Bianco Canada. They have replacements for sale occasionally. Look under Products-Victorinox Accessories.
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I don't mind. But I haven't been able to find my exact model.
Can anyone here tell me which model this is?


Here's a picture:
DSC_0014.jpg
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you would need to get Wenger 85mm scales, I'm not sure if replacement scales are available. I would contact Victorinox (they own the wenger company now) and see what they say, they do refurbishments at a cost, but might also sell the parts you need. As far as I know Swiss bianco only carry victorinox scales.
 
If you can't find replacement scales (I doubt you can), you can lightly sand (fine sand paper) and then re-polish the handles with a paste polish like Flitz or similar product. I've done it on a couple of mine that I bought used and that needed a clean up.
Rich
 
Give it to him as is. It's all the more meaningful. I would love to own something like that ,into which my dad as a youngster scratched his name thereby claiming it as his should other ,envious young eyes come across it.
If you're going to replace /refurbish the scales, you might as well buy one BNIB.
 
nozyk said:
Give it to him as is. It's all the more meaningful. I would love to own something like that ,into which my dad as a youngster scratched his name thereby claiming it as his should other ,envious young eyes come across it.
If you're going to replace /refurbish the scales, you might as well buy one BNIB.
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I agree! :thumbup:
 
If the inscription is deep, then forget about trying to remove it.

You can, however, buff up the scales somewhat using metal polish. Simichrome works best, but Flitz will work too. Smear on a small amount, then buff it really, really hard with a cotton cloth. Repeat as necessary until you get it as shiny as you like — or until your hand (or patience) gives out.

You probably won't eradicate the scratches, but you'll likely give the rest of the scales a nice shine. A longer approach (and better) would involve using a stepped set of sandpaper/emery paper grades, going progressively finer until it's time for the polish (as above).

But why not try the polish straight off, in case it produces an acceptible result?

By the way, your SAK was made by Wenger (not Victorinox) and appears to be the Fly Fisherman model: http://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Fly+Fisherman
 
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gadgetgeek said:
you would need to get Wenger 85mm scales, I'm not sure if replacement scales are available. I would contact Victorinox (they own the wenger company now) and see what they say, they do refurbishments at a cost, but might also sell the parts you need. As far as I know Swiss bianco only carry victorinox scales.
Click to expand...

Thanks, will check it out to see if they have any :)

Jamesh Bond said:
What do you mean "to match the other side?"
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I mean the finish itself. To get the same shine\glow on both sides without having to sand both sides.
I like the side of the knife shown in the pictures I posted since they indicate use.

nozyk said:
Give it to him as is. It's all the more meaningful. I would love to own something like that ,into which my dad as a youngster scratched his name thereby claiming it as his should other ,envious young eyes come across it.
If you're going to replace /refurbish the scales, you might as well buy one BNIB.
Click to expand...

I would if it were just the wear shown in the pictures, but what I don't think it pretty is this:


This was done by me at probably age 10 with another knife.
But I get what your are saying about the "ownership" marks though. Haven't really though about like that. Just been focused on the s**t job I did scratching my name on there :p


Another question while I'm at it:
There is a lot of grime and dirt between the tools in the knife.
Would it be easiest to get this out with some small brushes and solvents(WD40 etc) or would it be best to disassemble the knife and do a thorough cleaning?
 
actually one thing that might work.... victorinox scales are dissolved/softened by methanol. So you could try to gently soften the plastic and let it re-form. I got the idea from 3d- printing, there is a method for "chemically sanding" prints. they use acetone, but I think it could work.
 
Lassegas said:
Another question while I'm at it: There is a lot of grime and dirt between the tools in the knife. Would it be easiest to get this out with some small brushes and solvents(WD40 etc) or would it be best to disassemble the knife and do a thorough cleaning?
Click to expand...

Put a few drops of dish detergent into the sink and add about two inches of warm water. Suds it up good. Find a brush with bristles long enough to reach the bottom of the blade well. Open all the blades, dunk the knife, and scrub with the brush inside the well. Check to see if the gunk is coming out; continue until it's gone.

Rinse thoroughly and dry. Use a popsicle ("craft") stick or (even better) a Starbuck wood coffee stirrer and paper towel or clean thin cotton cloth to get all the moisture you can out of the blade well and from around the tangs. Use canned air to get out the last of it and from inside the scales. Keep at it until you've chased all the water out. Let the knife dry overnight in a warm place.

Now it's clean (and time to oil, assuming you aren't going to work on the scales). 3-in-1 is not the best choice — too thick — but it'll do if that's all you have. I use Quick Release gun oil, and there are other oils you may hear of from BF members. Next trip to the hardware store, get a needle oiler or two. They're handy for precisely placing a bit of oil where it's needed.

Trust me, this won't be the last knife you'll clean and oil.
 
AreBeeBee said:
Put a few drops of dish detergent into the sink and add about two inches of warm water. Suds it up good. Find a brush with bristles long enough to reach the bottom of the blade well. Open all the blades, dunk the knife, and scrub with the brush inside the well. Check to see if the gunk is coming out; continue until it's gone.

Rinse thoroughly and dry. Use a popsicle ("craft") stick or (even better) a Starbuck wood coffee stirrer and paper towel or clean thin cotton cloth to get all the moisture you can out of the blade well and from around the tangs. Use canned air to get out the last of it and from inside the scales. Keep at it until you've chased all the water out. Let the knife dry overnight in a warm place.

Now it's clean (and time to oil, assuming you aren't going to work on the scales). 3-in-1 is not the best choice — too thick — but it'll do if that's all you have. I use Quick Release gun oil, and there are other oils you may hear of from BF members. Next trip to the hardware store, get a needle oiler or two. They're handy for precisely placing a bit of oil where it's needed.

Trust me, this won't be the last knife you'll clean and oil.
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks for the tip. I'll try your suggestion and get ot squeeky clean :)
Can I use oil meant for air tools? Or will that have completely different qualities?

I live in Norway and things mentioned on here is rarely obtainable here :)
 
Lassegas said:
Alright, thanks for the tip. I'll try your suggestion and get ot squeeky clean :)
Can I use oil meant for air tools? Or will that have completely different qualities?

I live in Norway and things mentioned on here is rarely obtainable here :)
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OK, basically, you want a thin oil, not a thick one. I have no idea what's on the market in Norway for lightweight oils. I mentioned 3-in-1 because it's the common all-purpose household oil for sale here; it's really too thick for pocket knives. (Although years ago, of course, I used it all the time on my Boy Scout knife.) Talk to somebody knowledgeable at a hardware store and mention that you need a thin oil for a folding pocket knife. Bring it along to show.

Because the blades and tools on your knife are stainless steel, rust won't be a problem. Aside from keeping the edges sharp — a major topic in itself — maintenance will be mostly keeping dirt, grit, dust, pocket lint, and gunk out of the moving joints, and lubricating them as needed — maybe once a week, unless you are using it a lot.

Keep a used toothbrush handy for cleaning out the tang areas. The bristles will get oily, but that's not a problem.
 
Whenever you consider giving a child a knife that has sentimental value, you have to consider how you would feel if your child lost the knife. I'm not suggesting that your son is irresponsible, but sometimes children lose things (sometimes grownups do too).

If the knife has sentimental value to you, then I would suggest keeping it and buying your son a new one of his own. I know they aren't free, but if you were willing to buy new scales and pay the shipping, you could apply that money to a new knife instead.

Then you can have your knife, and your son can have his knife.

Receiving a knife from ones father is great. But it's no less great, and no less a cherished treasure, if the knife is brand-new.
 
The oil sold for sewing machines works great for folders but might not be ok for food prep. I like the idea of keeping "this is mine!" inscription from your youth.
 
^^I reckon that would work.
Alternatively if you do want to sand you should be able to get that out it doesn't look too deep in the photo. I agree though that a good polish with something like Flitz would do wonders.
Failin g that have you considered making a set of wooden scales for it? I've done that to SAK's twice so far and it really lend something to the knife, timber being such a warm material.
 
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