Fixing or Improving scuffs & scratches on Ti Chaparral

[JMM]

Hey everyone, I have a question that I'm hoping I can tap on some of the collective wisdom here... I have several Chaparral models that I love, but not any of the Titanium varieties, and I have a chance to get one for a great price in relatively good condition, it's really seen almost zero actual use, but it looks like it spent some time in some jean pockets with some loose change if you know what I mean. Is there any way to fix or at least improve how the scratches & scuffs look, I have flitz and bar-keepers friend, but I wanted to ask before I commit to buying it. Thanks as always for your input.

Cheers,

John

[TenGrainBread]

Is it the stepped ti version? There is a blue anodized version of that and a non-anodized (or possibly clear anodized) silver version.

If it's the blue version and there is a scratch in the anodizing, there's nothing you can do besides removing the remaining anodizing and leaving as is or re-anodizing. Removing anodizing can be done with household products such as oven cleaner. Homemade anodizing is also possible if you are electrically inclined and know your way around a benchtop power source. However, you will not be able to replicate the original anodizing pattern unless you machine the alternating steps after anodizing the entire scale. That's how the factory ano pattern is achieved. It requires a CNC mill.

The actual stepped pattern itself is machined into the scale, so polishing a scratch in the metal out would be tedious but possible. You would use increasingly smaller grits of sandpaper and wet-sand until the finish is even again, followed by a polishing compound depending on how shiny you want it to be. Might be hard to sand given the machined pattern. If the pattern is machined very shallow, you run the risk of destroying the pattern's clarity.

My actual opinion is that the knife will get scratches during use, so unless you plan to never use the knife, I would just leave it as is. That's the reality of a metal-scaled knife that isn't just a safe queen.

[JMM]

Is it the stepped ti version? There is a blue anodized version of that and a silver version. If there is a scratch in the anodizing, there's nothing you can do besides removing the remaining anodizing and leaving as is or re-anodizing. Removing anodizing can be done with household products such as oven cleaner. Homemade anodizing is also possible if you are electrically inclined and know your way around a benchtop power source. However, you will not be able to replicate the original anodizing pattern unless you machine the alternating steps after anodizing the entire scale. That's how the ano pattern is achieved.

The actual stepped pattern itself is machined into the scale, so polishing a scratch out would be tedious but possible. You would use increasingly smaller grits of sandpaper and wet-sand until the finish is even again, followed by a polishing compound depending on how shiny you want it to be. Might be hard to sand given the machined pattern.

My actual opinion is that the knife will get scratches during use, so unless you plan to never use the knife, I would just leave it as is.

Including this would have probably helped . . . :D

[Pancake]

Disclaimer: I have never held a titanium Chaparral.
Bad thing about CNC milled finish is that you can't really repair it at home.
You could sand the areas down, but you will strip the pattern and I have a feeling that sanding some areas could be very difficult, because the plate of the surface might collide with another surface.
I don't know.
Maybe you could sandblasted? If you know someone that could do it, maybe that could be an option. Again, the pattern will be most likely lost, but you would have nice even finish on whole handle.

[Bolster]

Thinking outside the box, one possibility is to stonewash the scales to get a very even scratch/ding pattern. Could completely erase the machined pattern as well.