scratches on satin finished knife handles..

[samo]

Folks, I've recently purchased a Spyderco Endura II. Lovely piece and definitely sexy! But pocketing this knife with a bunch of keys and etc is a NIGHTMARE! Any ideas on how to smoothen the scratched stainless-steel surface?

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stilltryintokeepitsharp!

 

[Chang]

You could hand sand the handles a bit with sand paper, but I'd be careful if you don't know what you're doing.

Maybe you could ask some Dremel junkie about how to polish the handles. I don't know too much about this stuff.

-Chang, Asian Janitorial Apparatus

 

[rdangerer]

Ah! Beware of the butcher with a Dremel in search of a project to use it on! Know your Dremel wielder!

You can sand your knife by hand and you will avoid the super-rapid agony of slip ups with a Dremel. Trust me on this. Don't ask how I know (DOAP!). There are gunsmiths, there are gunbutchers. Same in knives.

Autoparts stores (Pep Boys, etc) have multiple grit sandpapers for autobody refinishing. Suggest 400 up through 600 or maybe 1000 grit for your knife (1500 and 2000 grit are just super fine, too fine for a satin or brushed finish, they'll get towards mirror). You can also use ScotchBrite, same effect.

Take your time. Use very straight, consistently straight, deliberate strokes, obviously starting from the 400 grit or Scotchbrite and getting a uniform series of tiny, straight scratches. Get all the offending cross-grained scratches from the keys out with the 400. Then move to 600. You might stop here. Maybe to 1000 if you like.

It might help to get some tongue depressors (super cheap for a boxful, many uses, medical supply store in a business park or something) or other straight sticks to wrap inside the sandpaper. Helps to anchor the knife somehow. Between leather in a smal vise maybe, with surface to sand above vise jaws.

I've done this myself. On a handgun slide, and on two knives. It is a method used by many custom makers. Others use Scotchbrite wheels on buffers (much quicker!).

You may need to disassemble the knife to do it really right (dodging around screws, pivot pins, etc).

 

[Brian C]

A while back, Sal Glesser mentioned that Spyderco uses Scotch Brite belts for the final finish on SS-handled knives. Following Sal's tip, I've had very good success using Scotch Brite pads by hand.

If you can find some Scotch-Brite at a hardware store in KL you may want to give it a try before going to more involved methods. The maroon pads are marked as "very fine" and the light gray are marked as "ultra fine". Starting with the maroon & then moving to the gray should restore your satin finish with minimal effort.

Cheers,
Brian

 

[samo]

Thanks for the tips folks, will work on the handles with them Scotch pads if I can find are any here.

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stilltryintokeepitsharp!

 

[James Mattis]

Hard sanding block, particularly for the first grit or two. You might be satisfied with a good clean 400 grit finish. The final passes, at least, should be in one direction, so you don't have scuff marks from going back and forth.

:Satin finish - no coating" is at least theoretically user-maintainable. Not so with anodizing, tefflon, or bead blast.

Careful with power tools - you can make mistakes a lot faster that way. Dremels in particualar were not designed for putting an even polish on a flat surface.

Beware of buffing wheels and knives. Buffers like to grab things and throw them. 'Nuf said.



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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001