Thread: Little scratches

Hi!

Anybody got any ideas on how to remove very fine scratches from the face of a blade? What buffer would you recommend? The blade is a carbon steel Dovo 5/8", almost new, the only marks are fine scratches from honing the wrong way on a Coticule, which go from the bevel perpendicullar to the spine.
Any help would pe appreciated,

Thanks,
Alex

I would send it in to a known honemeister like Max..he may find more than what you think you may have..he did with my 1st razor..good luck!

pcdad

A fine grit metal polish (MAAS, etc), and hand rubbing it in with a rag will work. If you use a wheel, you will need to redo the edge bevel. If you don't have experience with the wheel, you may even loose a bit of the edge and need to re-straighten it...

I can't figure out how you got scratches on the hollow part of the grind by honing or stropping. You should keep the blade flat so both the spine and edge only touch the stone. I recommend reading the wiki sections for honing & stropping.

I doubt that Maas will get them out. If they really bother you, then you can do it yourself with progressively finer wet/dry sandpaper. Use a high grit to start, say 800 or 1000 and see if that is sufficient to remove the scratches. If it is, then just progress up with higher grits being sure to remove each prior grit's scratches before moving up to the next grit. If it is not, then start with a lower grit and work up the same way. If you move up to a higher grit before removing the scratches from the previous grit, then you will only be polishing scratches and wasting your time.

As with the buffer, if you hand sand the odds are good that you will have to re-set the bevel and re-hone the razor.

Hi.
I solved the little problem with the scratches. Actually, a very soft abrasing cream that was designed to remove dirt from household appliances covered in stainless steel did the job. Here in Europe I found Mr. Musculo Inox, and after that I used Formula 1 Scratch Out Polishing Wax (which is actually from USA). Both of them were rubbed in with a rag. Mr. Musculo ate through metal pretty fast, and the result was pretty good, the scratches are gone, but so is the "satin" finish that Dovos come with from the factory. Now the blade has a near mirror finish and actually looks better.
Thank you for your helpful input.

Alex

good job...very nice work

Is hand sanding still the preferred method? I have never heard of the products mentioned by the OP.

There are numerous threads here, including those in the Wiki, that reference using wet-dry sandpaper and/or ultra-fine steel wool. Without buying buffers, Dremels, or grinders; and lacking the desire to engage restoration; what are the recommended tools?

Originally Posted by TZee

Is hand sanding still the preferred method? I have never heard of the products mentioned by the OP.

There are numerous threads here, including those in the Wiki, that reference using wet-dry sandpaper and/or ultra-fine steel wool. Without buying buffers, Dremels, or grinders; and lacking the desire to engage restoration; what are the recommended tools?

TZee, it's always a good idea to think first about using hand tools. That sets in place the principles of getting a good finish without the risk of making a mistake because a tool was not under your control. A rotary tool like a Dremel etc. can grab the work and make a worse mistake quicker than you can stop them. Once you have some practice or you are moving on to having to get a lot more work done like a batch of razors, then a power tool may make more sense. By then, you'll have learned how to move metal and will be more careful with the power tool.

You may need a hard backing surface to get some cutting done to make deeper scratches go away. These hard surfaces can be shaped to fit the contours of the razor. For finishing, a surface with a little give to it can help blend the scratches from finer and finer grits and improve the look.

Randy and I are planning another Frozen Toe Minnesota Meet after the first of the year. Please consider attending...there will be a lot of answers to all your questions.