Satin finish knife blade how to?

[jaxenro]

I have an old Bowie knife kit blade I bought somewhere about 10 years back I am finally getting around to finishing. I was playing with it over the weekend and realized that the reason I never finished it is the highly polished (mirror polished) finish on the blade looks too "chrome like" and shiny.

I want to bring the shine down to a satin finish but not completely sure how to, what grits to use, etc. I do remember it is carbon steel, not stainless. I am not looking to "age" the blade, just tone it down a bit.

 

[Titus]

Dont go futher than a 600grit. :wink:

 

[Elnathan]

Just go get some wet-and-dry sandpaper from the auto parts store. Try 800 grit on it, and work your way coarser and coarser until you get what you want...the reverse of polishing. Unlike polishing, you don't have to get the marks from the previous grit out, so it should go pretty fast. Use a file to back the paper, or, as I often do, fold the paper several tines to get a semi-stiff piece. Refold when the paper wears out.

 

[LRB]

:shocked2: :shocked2:

 

[tx-hunter]

thrust it tip first into some loose soil or sand all the way to the guard. Plunge it up and down a few dozen times. it will come out satin. :thumbsup:

 

[laffingman67]

:rotf: I think I actually may know what he is refering too. He is going up thru the grits to take the imperfections out, then just backin off the shine with the heavier grits. I think that's what he means. :hmm:

I rarely finish my stuff past 600. I don't know if that would be a satin finish or if it is still too shiny. Hey, if all else fails give a light bead blasting, That will make a satin finish.

 

[Elnathan]

It is already shiny, presumably with the imperfections already polished out. The question was how to dull it back down. Since I didn't know how dull or bright he wanted it, and he didn't appear to either, I sugested staring with a finer grit and working with progressively coarser grits until he likes the finish. That would be much easier than starting coarse, deciding he wants it a bit more polished, and having to repolish it somewhat.

 

[jaxenro]

You pretty much nailed it with that. The current finish just looks too artificial for my taste. I want it to look hand polished, not that someone held it to a buffing wheel for an hour. I'm gonna start with 800 and drop down to 600 if need be. I am doing the reverse with the brass guard, in that I am now up to 400 and will keep going up as needed to matvh.

 

[Charles D. Prokopp]

With the blades I forge, I have to polish them up to mirror-finish, then back down to a satin finish. Blck-backed wet-and-dry sandpaper works well. What I prefer is to use the synthetic sanding pads used in woodwork. I impregnate them with polishing compound and go to town. It doesn't take long to modify the mirror finish to a nice satiny look.

 

[Twice boom]

Japanese Water stones is what I use after the final draw filing..

 

[nuttbush]

I have used the Green and Red Scotchbrite pads with success in taming down shiny metal parts. While I had my Oldest Stainless Ruger Vaquero apart, I used a Green Pad on it then went over the parts with a fine wire wheel on my bench grinder. It came out better than I expected.
I would try which ever method you choose on a scrap or cheaper piece to see if you will like it. Good Luck.
Alamosa