What should I use to smooth the sharp brass edge on a bolster?

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SkinnyElectrician

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Helle Jagermester has an oval shaped brass bolster. The shoulder/corner edge of the bolster is quite sharp, and I’d like to smooth it out so I can place my thumb over or on it. What should I use to smooth the brass so it doesn’t rough up the brass too much, but that will still effectively remove the sharp edge? I was thinking just using Emery board on it, but if there’s a better medium that’s inexpensive and more appropriate, please advise. Thanks!
 
A six inch file should work nicely. You can follow with sandpaper if you want more shine. Working up through the grits till you get what you like.

O.B.
 
If this is the knife, I would put masking tape on the blade and use a fine diamond needle file.
Jegermester_510d12c1-0ebf-4c91-933d-3c0183185d39_1800x1800.jpg
 
Yup, that’s the knife. The edge of that brass bolster needs to be smoothed out.

Really like the knife, BTW. I’ll check around for a smaller-sized file to hit that edge.
 
It's usually not necessary to use something aggressively abrasive on brass to smooth out rough or burred edges. Brass is soft and burrs can usually be burnished away with anything harder, like smooth/polished steel (spine of another knife blade, shank of a screwdriver, etc.). But you can also use something mildly abrasive, like the edge of a fine ceramic hone. I've also done these sort of things with a green Scotch-Brite pad, of the type found in the household cleaning supplies section at the grocery store. Takes almost nothing to eliminate the sharpest portions of edges on brass, so it feels smooth against the skin and no longer presents a cut hazard.
 
I would just use that sandpaper on my fingers to build up some calluses.

But if I was trying to remove a sharp corner on metal I would use a deburring tool.
 
It's brass, so you might not even need an abrasive. It's possible that you could simply pound it into the shape that you want.
 
Some of the finer emery boards could be OK too. The pink ones in particular are a fine aluminum oxide abrasive - they can even be used in a stropping technique to touch up edges on knives. I've tried that out of curiosity, and it works.

Some old school emery boards in silica/garnet abrasive are very coarse though. They'd do the job, but would leave the softer brass pretty roughed up. I always prefer to start with a minimalist approach as with a burnishing method, which essentially rubs the metal to reshape it by plastic deformation, but doesn't remove much, if any metal.
 
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I’d use a dremel with a coarse, then fine sanding drum, followed by sandpaper. Have it done with precision in no time.
 
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I would recommend using a Dremel with a small buffing wheel with some white or green rouge applied to the wheel and this will remove the edge and shouldn't leave behind any scratches ~ Sorry David, just seen your post after posting this ~
 
No worries. Different approaches but similar. I’d use my approach to create a rounded edge. I think your suggestion will modify the geometry more subtly but definitely take the crispness off the edge.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Some of the finer emery boards could be OK too. The pink ones in particular are a fine aluminum oxide abrasive - they can even be used in a stropping technique to touch up edges on knives. I've tried that out of curiosity, and it works.

Some old school emery boards in silica/garnet abrasive are very coarse though. They'd do the job, but would leave the softer brass pretty roughed up. I always prefer to start with a minimalist approach as with a burnishing method, which essentially rubs the metal to reshape it by plastic deformation, but doesn't remove much, if any metal.
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I would try This first.

Tape the blade good, to resist scratching it or cutting yourself.

Try burnishing the edge, Then lightly sanding any hotspots.

Shouldn't take much, should be easy
 
Brass is so soft and easy to work with, no need for diamond abrasives 😂.
A file will work but make sure it’s a finer file, an older worn file would be ideal if on hand.

My approach would be some 600 grit wet/dry sand paper on my fingertip, then buff back to a shine with some polish of nearly any sort.

A Dremel would also work, but be careful and turn the speed down if not accustomed to using power rotary tools, they can get away from you or slip and scratch what you didn’t intend to scratch, also with brass use very light pressure if going the power tool route or you will take off too much. Pressure is even more important than speed when it comes to rotary tools like dremels.

The emery board sounds like a great option, so would a scotch brite pad torn or cut into a small shape and buffed with fingertip.

Just go slow and steady, if it’s taking too long go to a courser abrasive, don’t be in a rush and use too much pressure.
 
TheOne45 said:
Honestly; if you ask such question then it's probably better to just leave the knife as it is.
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Everyone has to start somewhere, this is a great place to start and he had the self control to ask for advice first, this is a mindset needed to excel at a task. It’s better if we offer the assistance asked for rather than shun his question.
I know I wasn’t born knowing everything, that took at least until jr high 😂.
 
I agree fully with the emery board advice. stay away from spinning power tools (bumps up the "element of risk" by magnitudes) or hard steel objects.
Easy to do with an emery board - maybe 2, of different degrees of grit. As has been suggested tape the blade to protect you and it. File down from the handle to the blade - short strokes around and around the bolster - don't concentrate on one area, do it as a process - until you are satisfied.

Don't be intimidated - easy enough to do - slow and steady and you will be happy for the effort.
 
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