Thread: Mirror finish

i like to use the phrase "bright and shiny" instead of mirror because mirror is perfection and perfection is boring, give me patina, pits and stains on an old blade and I'm pretty happy... i like to see the original grind marks if the maker left them but that is just preference.

in hand sanding i like to change directions more than just when i change grits. try 45 degree changes every so often i think it makes the task of making a shiny finish easier. YMMV

This is after 1500

Tyler, and any others that are trying a hand at restorations,,,

A good hint here:

Before you guys start sanding or buffing a Hollow grind blade you need to take a second and strum the blade (flick your thumb edge gently across the edge at the heel) it is going to make a nice singing sound if you do it right..

Get a good handle on that sound do it a few times, then as you start taking metal off, take a pause as you go farther and farther, and strum the blade again, if it at any time it starts to lose the tune and begins to sound flat STOP !!! You better really think now because you are starting to lose the blade, that is a warning as to how far you can go... Remember how I posted the finish is up to the owner and the razor??? well with Hollow's that is the razor's way of telling you how far you can go....

I actually just flicked the razors edge from toe to heal and it still sings like areatha Franklin I hope I spelled that right

Originally Posted by Jimbo7

+1

You can also see it in the rounding of what were once sharp-ish lines, like the edges formed between areas of grinding. Shoulders become less defined and edges get blurred. Just looks cheap, in my opinion.

Yes, but other than using just polish and a cloth you will have some rounding and degradation of features, and since polish removes a little metal too eventually that will destroy the details as well, but your fingers are probably going to be very sore long before that.