Why do so many buff the daylight out of handle materials?

thknives

thknives

KnifeMaker
Joined
Jul 9, 1999
Messages
187
One thing I still don't under stand is why so many makers buff there handle materials to such a high finish. In my opinion it has no benefits on a using knife.
Sure looks good all sparkly, but a nice handrubbed finish will look really good and be usefull at the same.
Maybe a buffed finish is quicker then doing a handrubbed finish. I guess I just answered my own question.

I would like to get some other makers feedback on this.

Thomas

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Haslinger Handcrafted Custom Knives
http://members.home.net/thknives
thknives@home.com
 
Thomas, I tend to agree with you. I make working knives and rarely get a request for a shiny blade or handle. I hand finish all my blades and rarely go beyond 400 grit, usually 320. On handles I will sand to 400 grit and buff just enough to give a smooth satin finish, except for the bolts which get completely polished.

Fox
 
Personaly I do not care for the hard slick gloss of a buffed finish either; blade or handle. But higher priced knives sell in part at least as Luxury goods that appeal because of the intrinsic worth of semi-precious materials,and buffing gives that Jewelry look that average Joe associates with quality. Hand rubbed finishes can be very fine work indeed, but appeal to a more sophisticated and informed buyer. Kinda like the difference between a "classic "rifle with a subdued oil finish stock, and one with a radical stock with lots of white line spacers and a see-your-face-in-it epoxy stock finish.
 
Buffing handles to a high finish? For the same reason we finish a blade past a 60 grit belt. Honestly, for a blade to be functional, 60 grit would work, wouldn't it? Grind it down to a nice bevel, sharpen it, its good to go. I realize that this is "the other end of the spectrum" but think about it.

To put it simply, it is called craftsmanship...

C Wilkins
 
Shoot, I've been doing it wrong all these years...
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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
I think it's all a matter of personal preference. I can't say that buffing is faster for a handle. Buffing usually requires that the materials be sanded to a very fine grit before ever coming near the buffer.

Some materials, like micarta are most often appreciated with a rough, blasted finish.

But I can't imagine using ivory or stag or many of the fine hardwoods without buffing.

Again, I think it's all in the eye of the knife lover at hand.

Nick
 
Right now, I'm making a knife for a client who wants a using knife. The handle is micarta and both functionally and esthetically, Micarta is best with a somewhat rough finish.

My personal preferences are a little different. I want a knife to do two things. First, it has to make the task of field dressing and skinning a little less arduous. Any good knife will meet that objective to some extent.

Just as importantly, I want my huntin' buddy's eyes to pop out when he sees my knife. Showing it off is even more fun than using it! Something exotic and highly finished is appropriate.

Sure if I'm going to drive tent pegs and pound pemmican with the handle of my knife it will be tough and functional - but I don't do that to my knives. I hope my clients don't either.



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Rob Ridley
Ranger Original Handcrafted Knives
 
I like to hand sand down to about 1500 grit. That way the buffing only takes a few minutes. If there is a chance the buffing rouge will discolor the handle I dont buff at all. Most of my sanding is done when Jay Leno is on. Bruce
 
I usually sand down to 1200 to get a nice smooth surface and then buff the handle a little.I like wood when it has a satin finish. Just my opinion.
 
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Just for the record, I never buff wood unless it is stabilized. Raw wood I finish with Teak, Danish or Tung Oil, depending on the wood, and usually take a week or so to get the finish dead smooth and hand rubbed.

I do buff stag, ivory, bone, etc. since that tends to enhance the character of the material. It has nothing to do with speed, it has to do with eye appeal, which is what sells knives.

At a show, the first thing that draws a customer to a knife is its general outline, then comes the detail, fit and finish (with more being better), then the feel and balance, and finally the value. If you skip a step there, the knife just won't sell. If the customer doesn't like how you did one of those things there are other makers around who do it differently. He'll buy one of theirs. The key is doing a good job of making what most prospective customers like in a knife, within the constraints of your abilities. If you can't or are not inclined to do something one way, do a good job of making it another way. In that way, all knives become a reflection of their makers, and everyone is a little different. They all sell to someone eventually. My thoughts...



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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
i do it so i can find my knife when its dark/ how long is eventually?????

[This message has been edited by tom mayo (edited 06-15-2000).]
 
Oustanding post Jerry!
I buff most of my handles, even the ones that end up being bead blasted so I'll know the final finish is going to look good. I hate buffing, but it's a part of the craft I have to put up with.

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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
When I'm dead they'll probably sell faster. After I've had a knife through a couple shows, it usually ends up in a charity auction or raffle. Some are retired to the Elephants' Graveyard. That's an area on the wall of the shop where the "didn't quite measure up" knives end up.

Every six months or so a customer/friend stops by and collects them (there's always 2 or 3) to give to needy kids. I'm not sure who enjoys that more, the kids or my friend. I've also given a few away at shows to kids who look like they aren't likely to ever own a custom knife but are there to dream about them. It's worth more than money to see the looks on some of their faces when I hand them the knife. I sometimes get a speck of dust in my eye when I see the joy that brings.



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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
Jerry was right... "eventually" depends on price. A few years ago I bought some guy's early effort at a flea market table for $12, complete with sheath. It was an ugly thing and the raw materials obviously cost more than the knife. I hope the maker is doing better now.

biggrin.gif
 
Tom's knives are noticably better now. That one's probably a couple years old. He's improved a lot since he started reading BladeForums.
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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
I think different materials look good different ways. I made four knives last week. The handle materials are black linen Micarta, black paper Micarta, koa, and green pakkawood. Here's what I did because I think they each look best like this:
1) Black linen Micarta: finished to 600 grit sandpaper, then maroon, gray, and finally white Scotchbrite pads.
2) Black paper Micarta: 800 grit finish, then the same Scotchbrite treatment. Concentrated more on the white pad to give it a nice satin finish.
3) Pakkawood: finished to 600, then the Scotchbrite pads and it looked like crap, so I rigged up my buffing wheel and polished it to a mirror finish and it looks fantastic now. That stuff shines up VERY easily. It looks like a million bucks this way!
4) Koa: finished to 600, then oiled it with tung oil for a few days. Grain looks good, but even with white Scotchbrite pad it has a really dull luster, so I used several coats of Johnson's wax to give it a shine and it looks great now!

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well, eventually can be a very long time, if I have a knife for very long, I make sure to trade it for a gun.....quite a few years back a very famous folder maker was here for a show...He had a most wonderful bowie knife on his table, very nicely engraved...and this guy sells it to a Japanese collector.. $7500 smackers......mostly $500 bills...I kept watching him count it over and over and over.....and finally I got so curious I asked someone who knew more than I did...he had been carrying that knife to shows for 7 years.....finally it moved.....eventually.

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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
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