Polish questions

[JD Spydo]

I have a chore on my hands that I am not too certain as to how to go about it. I have a Titanium handled C-46 Bob Lum Spyderco Tanto folder. When I got it out this afternoon I noticed that there are some handling marks on it. I do believe that there is probably a "polish" out there that will take out these marks without de-valuing the knife. I want to do a top notch job on it in case I may want to sell or trade the knife down the road sometime. Albeit with my appeal for all the Spyderco Bob Lums it will probably be in my collection for years to come.

I have tried a little of the non abrasive FLITZ polish and it helped a little but it did not have the zap to get the marks out completely. I guess maybe Titanium has some special properties in which it will maybe require a different type of polish. I wonder maybe what the factory uses for the final step in the manufacturing process. Ok I know some of you out there have dealt with this before. Maybe a buffer with Jeweler's rouge may be the trick. I hope there is just a polish specifically formulated for Titanium and other non-ferrous metals. JD :spyder: O

[The Deacon]

Simichrome might work. Never tried it on Ti, but have used it on chrome, aluminum, brass, and bronze with excellent results.

[Yojimbo]

you could use cleaner for vitroceramic cooking plates. These are designed to get backed on crud off the glass and not damage it. They are great for polishing steel, but i have no idea if it will work on titanium.

[JD Spydo]

you could use cleaner for vitroceramic cooking plates. These are designed to get backed on crud off the glass and not damage it. They are great for polishing steel, but i have no idea if it will work on titanium.

Yojimbo I think you have a great insight to this. I bet you are on to something. Do you know of any name brands. Do local "ACE" or "TRUE VALUE" hardware stores carry such an item? IF not then where do you suggest that I go about obtaining some of this stuff to try?

I am also wondering if any of the Automotive Polishes for extremely fine jobs would be going down the right road. You know sometimes these products have other purposes that they are not initially designed for ( Like Hawkbill knives maybe :D ?).

I got a couple of FLITZ Polishing cloths at the BLADE show this year and man do they do a good job. I wonder if I was to load one of them with jeweler's rouge if that might do a professional job. I don't know that's why I am asking you guys/gals. JD :spyder: O

[spyderknut]

I don't think Yojimbo has local Ace or True Hardware. :D

[JD Spydo]

You guys/gals are really disappointing me. You mean to tell me that no one here has ever had the job of doing a thorough polishing job on a Titanium knife handle or anything made of finished Titanium alloy. :confused:

Could somebody at least give me some names of commercial metal polishes that maybe I might be unaware of. I know the big ones like Flitz, Simichrome, Metal GLo, ect. I was hoping maybe that there might be a new brand or maybe there might be a metal polish out there that might be formulated for NON FERROUS metals such as TITANIUM? Come on guys/gals don't let me down like this. This is not characteristic of this fine Forum :spyder:

[The Deacon]

[quote="JD Spydo"]You guys/gals are really disappointing me. You mean to tell me that no one here has ever had the job of doing a thorough polishing job on a Titanium knife handle or anything made of finished Titanium alloy. :confused:

Could somebody at least give me some names of commercial metal polishes that maybe I might be unaware of. I know the big ones like Flitz, Simichrome, Metal GLo, ect. I was hoping maybe that there might be a new brand or maybe there might be a metal polish out there that might be formulated for NON FERROUS metals such as TITANIUM? Come on guys/gals don't let me down like this. This is not characteristic of this fine Forum ]Well am thankful I am not Japanese, or I might feel compelled to disembowel myself from the shame of not having broad knowledge of metal polishes. :rolleyes: :D Sad fact is, I got a tube of Simichrome when I bought my first new car, a '63 VW convertible. Works well enough on the metals I have used it on that I've never had the need to look for anytbing better in over 40 years. And, as far as I can remember right now, my C46 is the only Titanium handled knife I own. To me, it looks like it is coated in some way (anodized perhaps?) so I would be afraid to polish it with anything for fear of damaging the finish.

[Yojimbo]

i don't know if the brandnames i use would by coïncidence be the same in the US but it's worth a try.
I use HG products http://www.hginternational.com/other/
They have different polishes to clean jewellery

greetz

[Yojimbo]

Or try these ones
http://www.franeloptical.com/content.php?s=66

http://www.pinnaclesupplies.com/polish1.htm

hope this will help you my short tempered friend :D

[JD Spydo]

Deacon I have used SimiChrome on various metal surfaces. I have had reasonably good luck with it as well. I think your are right about a possible anodized finish on the C-46 Bob Lum Titanium. However most of my experience with anodized finishes is that sometimes they are even more wear and scratch resistant that the metal itself. For instance an old Standby EDC I have had for 7 years now is a Benchmade Model 640s. It is T-6061 aircraft grade aluminum alloy. It took about 2 years of carring it every day before I noticed any wear on the anodizing. I am going to try to polish it.. Thanks again as usual for your valuable input Deacon. And there is no need to be a Kamikaze at this point :D We will get it figured out I am sure :spyder:

[JD Spydo]

Hey Yojimbo thanks a million for your input. I will definitely check out the websites you sent me. I have heard of that HG stuff before but now I forget where it was I heard about it. I will try all 3 of them tomorrow when they are all open for business. Deacon raises a good point about anodizing. I am hoping to do an excalibur job on it so it will be tradable or collectible. The marks just look like they got there from maybe being shuffled around in a display case. I hope the marks are no more than superficial. I still can't believe that we don't have some "in house" polishing experts with all of the knife collectors we have amongst us. I am afraid to use a buffer thinking it would do something to destroy the value of the knife.

Oh well I guess I can always add it to my EDC arsenal :D

[J Smith]

I have used Flitz with good results on a Lum Ti.I have also used it on a Sebenza.The problem with useing something stronger will be abraseivness,if not very carefull you will get a very bright finnish.I would try multible attemps with the Flitz.Bar Keepers freind may also work well,it is nonabrasive.
If it comes down to it you can have it beadblasted.

[JD Spydo]

Hello Jeff: I am just getting over the "Rant" thread :D :D :D . Just kidding :D Jeff I do use Bar Keeper's Friend quite a bit on different things here around the house. It truly is a superb non abrasive cleaner/cleanser. I find that Bar Keeper's Friend to be great cleaning on the stones in my 204 Sharpmaker sharpening kit as well as other whetstones. I have 2 other Non abrasive polishes that I will try as well. I just know down in my gut that this knife can be brought back around. I got this knife NIB for about $100 even so I can afford to play with it consider what all the other Ti Lums have been bringing here of late. Consider your advice taken well.

But don't be shy Forumites I am still always open to other ideas. JD :spyder: O

[Stuart Ackerman]

Autosol polish works well, but deep scratches will need wet and dry paper work.
Or if you have a buffer, and are very careful, use a fine white soap designed for stainless steel. Buff lightly, and cool the Ti in water if it gets hot, which it does rather rapidly :mad:

[severedthumbs]

I would use some fine scotchbrite.

[Stuart Ackerman]

I would use some fine scotchbrite.

That would be better than wet and dry paper, as it would work more gently :)
After that, 600 or 1200 grit finish would buff well :)