Knives are one of the most common tools that are used in the kitchen due to their high usage and application. It has been years since knives are invented and categorized as serving utensils used for cutting, slicing, and chopping vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other food chunks. Due to its high usability, we cannot avoid our knives to have some scratches and scrapes. That is why, in this blog, we will be the ones to guide you on how to polished a scratched knife blade.
How to Polished a Scratched Knife Blade
Polishing tools like knives is quite hard if you don’t know the proper method or technique. There is a lot of method for polishing or removing scratches from a knife blade. The polishing process might depend on the present condition of the blade. To guide you throughout this process, here are five easy steps you can follow to know how to polished a scratched knife blade.
Steps in How to Polished a Scratched Knife Blade:
Step 1: First thing you have to do is clean the knife using a scrubber that is not too hard or too soft. Scrub the knife for at least 1 minute. Then cleanse it with water afterward. Cleaning the knife will make the scratches more visible to your eye, so you can identify which part will you work on.
Step 2: Using a whetstone, rub the knife edges and parts of the blade where there are more visible scratches. Check if there are changes in the blade surface. Recheck if the scratches are gone or not. Be careful not to rub the knife too powerful, especially if the edge or the tip of the knife is quite thin and might result in a bent tip.
Step 3: If there are still some scratches visible, you can apply a polishing paste over the surface of the blade. Using a cotton bud, dip it in the polishing paste, then apply it to the scratched part of the blade. You can double the application to make sure that no part has been missed out or if there’s still a need for more polishing.
Step 4: To really smoothen the knife blade, use a Dremel. It will remove any leftover scratches on the blade. Move the Dremel in a circular motion. Through this process, every bit of the blade will be polished. But before you do this step, make sure to wear safety gloves as you might hurt yourself during the process since the Dremel makes the knife hot. Apply this method and wait for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Lastly, rinse the knife properly with water. Use a dry towel to dry the knife. Make sure that it is totally dry. After that, use a gun oil and wipe it over the knife. Don’t use any lubricant for your knife. You may use gun oil, firearms and weapons oil, protectant, extreme force weapon lube, and mossy oak gun oil. The application should be done properly. You may leave It for 3 to 4 hours before washing it with water, and using it again.
Alternative Methods on How to Polished a Scratched Knife Blade
In this part, you can follow other methods of polishing knife blade scratches depending on their current condition.
Using a Buffing Wheel and Polishing Compound
If the knife blade has a few scratches on the surface, you can use the buffing wheel and polishing compound to remove visible scratches. This only works if there are minimal scratches on the blade surface.
Using Steel Wool
Another way how to polished a scratched knife blade is through steel wool. If there are deeper scratches and scrapes that can’t be removed using a buffing wheel, use steel wool instead. In this method, you have to use a couple of sheets to hold the knife against the blade at 45 degrees angle. You may move it back and forth across the blade in a small circular direction. This method is highly recommended for knife blades that are extremely dull or greatly damaged.
Apply Sharpening Stone
For those knife blades with dull edges, sharpening stone is usually used to polish the edges or buff out scratches. Similar to steel wool, you have to use move the blade across the stone at 45 degrees angle and in a circular motion. The good thing here is, that you won’t need any sheets to hold against the knife because you can use your hands which gives you the feel of the polishing method and provide a stronger grip. This method can be done to knives that are extremely worn out or scratched, with dull or damaged surfaces.
Use of Rotary Sander
How to polish a scratched knife blade using a rotary sander? With fine-grit sandpaper, carefully cover the sanding head while holding the blade against it at 45 degrees angle. You may adjust the speed, pressure, and angle of the rotary sander until you achieved your desired condition. You may apply this method for knife blades that are severely damaged with deep scratches and dull surfaces. This is not recommended for lightly scratched blades.
Air Sander Method
This is an alternative method to be used on how to polished a scratched knife blade, especially if you don’t have a rotary sander with you. Air sander is a high-speed tool that uses compressed air where it moves the abrasive sanding pad over the surface of the metal blade. This is similarly used to the rotary sander and is highly recommended for severely damaged, deeply scratched, dull blades.
Sand Paper Application
Lastly, if you have sandpapers on your toolbox, you can use them to polish knife blade scratches. This is often used for seriously damaged and extremely dulled blades. Some preferred to use it because they have better control of the process. Some find it much more effective than steel wool or sharpening stone. Likewise, you may apply sandpaper to your knife blades by maintaining a 45-degree angle while moving over the surface of the blade in a circular motion. Do this until the major scratches have been removed completely.
Now that you know the process of how to polished a scratched knife blade with all the amazing steps and polishing methods above. But that is not the only thing you have to learn. Learning the polishing techniques is one thing, but how can you maintain its polished state? What can you do to prevent further scratches or damage to your knife blade? First, you have to know why and how you get knife blade scratches. After that, read on the following preventions you can practice to avoid such bad circumstances.
Why Does the Knife Blade Get Scratches?
Just like any other cutting tool, there will come a time when the tool might wear out due to the scrapes and scratches it gets. This is why before knowing how to polished a scratched knife blade, you also have to know how to avoid getting knife scratches so you won’t get tired of doing the polishing process repeatedly.
Here’s a list of things you do that causes scratches on your knives.
Incorrect Usage
We all know that knives are for cutting, and that is correct. But if done roughly, there is a possibility of getting some scratches on the blade. Practice your cutting skill in a more subtle way. As long as the blade of the knife is still sharp, there is no need to exert too much pressure when cutting. Another incorrect usage is when you use your knife for other purposes aside from cutting. For example, you use knives for opening a bottle or a can. That shouldn’t be done since that is not the main purpose of the tool.
Rubbing the Knife in Inappropriate places
Sometimes we forget how to rub or clean our knives properly. Another cause of scratches in a knife is the practice of rubbing it on unsuitable surfaces like cutting boards. We don’t usually know it but rubbing the knife on a cutting board will cause the knives to get some scrapes, especially when the cutting board is made of a plastic material. Another bad practice in cleaning knives is when we use a steel scrubber to wipe off the stains on the blade surface. This will certainly scratch the surface of the blade.
Storing Problems
It is not enough that you know the whole process of how to polished a scratch knife blade, but knowing how to store it will be an essential task as well. This is a common practice used in most homes. We sometimes forgot that storing is an important thing we have to consider to keep our kitchen wares and utensils away from any possible damage. For instance, don’t put the forks, spoons, and knives in one storage or shelf. If you do that, there’s a possibility that the utensils might scratch one another.
How to Prevent the Knife from Getting Scratches?
- To avoid getting scratches on your knife blade, you can put a knife sticker on each side of the blade. These stickers are harmless and they are designed to cover the blades of the knives, so they won’t get scratched. Make sure to cover only the side of the blade and not its edge so you can still use the knife for cutting.
- If you are fond of rubbing your knife on surfaces, try to use a wooden cutting board when you want to rub it. This will prevent the blades from getting scratched. Still, this is not highly recommended. If you want to clean your knife, use a proper foam cleanser.
- Lastly, it is always better to keep things in order. The same goes for our kitchen utensils. Separate the knives, forks, and spoons in different storage. You can keep your knives in a clean and dry drawer.
Polishing is an excellent work application for creating excellent surfaces and edge finishes. Although there is still a lot to learn and discover on how to polished a scratched knife blade, we hope this blog will guide you in your everyday abrasive experience. Check out our abrasive products for polishing purposes at agrindtool.com. If you want to know more about grinding wheels, check out this link! More exciting blogs await you!