Thread: Will the Scratches Ever Come Out?

Originally Posted by BingoBango

I've been hand sanding a bunch of razors, and I can't seem to get the low grit scratches out. The progression I'm working with is 120, 220, 400, 600 - the only grits I can find in the hardware stores in my area. When I go from 120 to 220, I keep on going until the scratches seem to go away, but when I go up to the next level, it's almost as if I'm revealing the scratches from the first level.

Is there a solution for this? I have been going in perpendicular directions on each grit, hoping it will remove the scratches faster and be more obvious when I make progress. I know I'll need to get 1K or higher to get rid of the 600 grit scratches, so I'm not worried about that for now. I need to make a trip to an Autozone...

Well hand sanding is far-and-away the most tedious task in restoration because it's so repetitive. The scratches will go away eventually and unfortunately the only solutions are either patience, or perhaps reading up on buffers with compounds.

I haven't had any really major pitting problems so my razors have all started at 400-grit. I do 400, 800, 1k, 1500, 2k and then polish. I can only speak for the, say, 2-dozen razors I've sanded but the 400-grit was enough to take care of minor pitting and rust. Just takes a little longer initially but the scratch marks aren't as deep.