- Joined
- Jun 13, 2007
- Messages
- 7,743
Hey guys. So this is something that I've been wanting to do since the day I got my 810 several months ago.
From my research it seemed that there were virtually NO chemical methods for stripping this ceramic like coating. From forum member, Gunsnknives I learned that he had stripped his 810 using a really strong type of vinegar.
Although quite doubtful I decided to give it a shot, partly out of mild desperation, and partly because I could see that his stripped blade retained the logos from the factory. I *could* have done it by abrasion, but I'd lose the blade markings and I really didn't want a sterile blade.
So! My method was to take apart the knife, including the thumbstuds. I then put the blade in a jar of normal white vinegar. Then I waited. Like 30 hours of waiting.
When I finally removed the knife I saw that I had made progress. My belief is that the acid doesn't eat at the coating at all. Instead it breaks the bond by corroding the steel underneath.
At first removal of the coating was difficult in places where the acid didn't quite reach. Still, it did get to an impressive area by virtue of time.
For the actual stripping I used a combination of a cheap (but sharp) s&w blade that I knew must be softer than the M4 on the Contego, as well as 320 grit SiC paper.
Here's the blade after a little bit of scraping with the s&w.
And a few shots of it as it is now.
Obviously I've sharpened it. It's got a near mirror 28° edge with a 30° microbevel. I more than expected the edge out of the jar to be extremely dull and corroded, it was still pretty sharp, and I may have gotten away with a serviceable edge by stropping alone, but I wanted to reprofile it anyway.
The steel has some pitting, but I actually like it. I'm very very pleased with the stripping and would do it again in a heartbeat.
The knife is very sharp, it has retained the logos, but best of all, that awful (to me) coating is long gone.
:thumbup:
From my research it seemed that there were virtually NO chemical methods for stripping this ceramic like coating. From forum member, Gunsnknives I learned that he had stripped his 810 using a really strong type of vinegar.
Although quite doubtful I decided to give it a shot, partly out of mild desperation, and partly because I could see that his stripped blade retained the logos from the factory. I *could* have done it by abrasion, but I'd lose the blade markings and I really didn't want a sterile blade.
So! My method was to take apart the knife, including the thumbstuds. I then put the blade in a jar of normal white vinegar. Then I waited. Like 30 hours of waiting.
When I finally removed the knife I saw that I had made progress. My belief is that the acid doesn't eat at the coating at all. Instead it breaks the bond by corroding the steel underneath.
At first removal of the coating was difficult in places where the acid didn't quite reach. Still, it did get to an impressive area by virtue of time.
For the actual stripping I used a combination of a cheap (but sharp) s&w blade that I knew must be softer than the M4 on the Contego, as well as 320 grit SiC paper.
Here's the blade after a little bit of scraping with the s&w.
And a few shots of it as it is now.
Obviously I've sharpened it. It's got a near mirror 28° edge with a 30° microbevel. I more than expected the edge out of the jar to be extremely dull and corroded, it was still pretty sharp, and I may have gotten away with a serviceable edge by stropping alone, but I wanted to reprofile it anyway.
The steel has some pitting, but I actually like it. I'm very very pleased with the stripping and would do it again in a heartbeat.
The knife is very sharp, it has retained the logos, but best of all, that awful (to me) coating is long gone.
:thumbup:
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