I'm just learning how to sharpen with stones instead of a more mechanical tool and I've gotten great results on the bevel, but in the process of learning I've put some ugly scratches on the steel. What's a good way to get those scratches out and make the knife look shiny again?
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Unsightly Scratches
- Thread starter sts0011
- Start date
- Joined
- May 10, 2012
- Messages
- 1,812
Scratch the whole thing!
It sounds crazy, but it's one easy way to polish a knife. Just make the scratches smaller and smaller until its shiny again, using progressively higher grits of sandpaper. Don't start too low, unless you really gouged it. You can probably start at 320 grit and go from there if its not too bad.
It sounds crazy, but it's one easy way to polish a knife. Just make the scratches smaller and smaller until its shiny again, using progressively higher grits of sandpaper. Don't start too low, unless you really gouged it. You can probably start at 320 grit and go from there if its not too bad.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2012
- Messages
- 840
I personally don't mind scratches. A worn/scratched up blade looks as good to me as a new shiny one.
I've seen many do this with a belt sander and finer grits or an orbital sander the same. Any power sanding machine would work quickly.
Depending on how deep the scratches are hand sanding could work just as easily, sand out the scratches with a rougher grit, then work your way up to finer grits then eventually polish or stop when feel it looks good again. The only catch with these is you probably will have to resharpen it when your done if your like me and are clumsy with your hands. I'd mess up the edge most likely.
This is just how I would go about it. I'm sure there are better ways and hopefully someone else chimes in and helps you further.
I've seen many do this with a belt sander and finer grits or an orbital sander the same. Any power sanding machine would work quickly.
Depending on how deep the scratches are hand sanding could work just as easily, sand out the scratches with a rougher grit, then work your way up to finer grits then eventually polish or stop when feel it looks good again. The only catch with these is you probably will have to resharpen it when your done if your like me and are clumsy with your hands. I'd mess up the edge most likely.
This is just how I would go about it. I'm sure there are better ways and hopefully someone else chimes in and helps you further.
Just reinforcing what's been said.
This is s30v taken to 1000 grit-- coarse enuf for "dazzle":
This is D2 taken to 3000, followed by a full Flitz polish:
You can stop anywhere in between.
I do my coarse work at 320, then run progressively finer from there-- but you never want to start any coarser than you have to. If your scratches approximate 600, start there. Sandpaper available to 3000, where I gen'ly take blade faces I'm working on (3000 will pass for a full polish till examined closely). Full polishing takes MUCH add'l time when done by hand, and there are other issues w/ polishing that can cause problems of their own.
This is s30v taken to 1000 grit-- coarse enuf for "dazzle":
This is D2 taken to 3000, followed by a full Flitz polish:
You can stop anywhere in between.
I do my coarse work at 320, then run progressively finer from there-- but you never want to start any coarser than you have to. If your scratches approximate 600, start there. Sandpaper available to 3000, where I gen'ly take blade faces I'm working on (3000 will pass for a full polish till examined closely). Full polishing takes MUCH add'l time when done by hand, and there are other issues w/ polishing that can cause problems of their own.