What can be Mirror Polished?

bucksway

bucksway

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
5,475
I've always been a big fan of mirror polished blades from the first BCCI member Buck in 2007..The Elk 111.I even like them for ordinary users and for food use as I feel you can really get the blade clean and see clearly if it's not. My favorite Customs seem to have it too. In fact I had the only partial chip flint mirror polished bladed 112 WBC Custom at one time. I know 420 is fairly easy to MP but I DON'T KNOW about all the other steels Buck makes 112's out of. Can S30V or S35VN be done even not easily? I remember a non 112 Buck with D-2 being done..but only one. I assume 440 and possibly 425 because I have seen early Custom shop 112's MP..
So if those of you in the know could share tips and tricks plus does and don'ts to mirror polish Bucks different steels it would be a big help to me as I plan different Customs for next year and beyond! Thanks so much guys..
 
bucksway said:
I've always been a big fan of mirror polished blades from the first BCCI member Buck in 2007..The Elk 111.I even like them for ordinary users and for food use as I feel you can really get the blade clean and see clearly if it's not. My favorite Customs seem to have it too. In fact I had the only partial chip flint mirror polished bladed 112 WBC Custom at one time. I know 420 is fairly easy to MP but I DON'T KNOW about all the other steels Buck makes 112's out of. Can S30V or S35VN be done even not easily? I remember a non 112 Buck with D-2 being done..but only one. I assume 440 and possibly 425 because I have seen early Custom shop 112's MP..
So if those of you in the know could share tips and tricks plus does and don'ts to mirror polish Bucks different steels it would be a big help to me as I plan different Customs for next year and beyond! Thanks so much guys..
Click to expand...
id think almost any steel could be mirror polished. I say this as ive seen about every steel out there someone has polished the edge to a near mirror.......but steels with high wear resistance think s30v as an example........would be very hard and take a very long time. think labor costs and belt costs would hinder or forbid it as why ya dont see it offered by the factory. that's my thoughts on it anyways.
 
There's a post I read awhile back that Jeff Hubbard made....

J Hubbard said:
420HC takes a mirror polish very well. other steels tend to get those waves and striations. I'd say the OP knife was done before assembly due to the roll over where the blade meets the guard. Any idea what type of steel?
We polish on a buffing machine which mimics hand polish.
Click to expand...
 
For a one of one Custom you can do a lot things that would not be practical for a production knife. I've always wondered what would happen if you tried to polish Damascus.
 
bucksway said:
For a one of one Custom you can do a lot things that would not be practical for a production knife. I've always wondered what would happen if you tried to polish Damascus.
Click to expand...
i got a vantage in damasteel that is mirror polished. its hard to photograph and show the mirror. its a different setup being powdered steel damascus though.

seems on "standard" damascus they use an acid of some sort to get the colors of the steels to show through. got no idear if you can mirror and then get the shades to come through without etching the mirror finish? im no expert on these steels though so I may be way off on this.....
 
Any steel can be mirror polished on diamonds or CBN. I've done mirror finishes on Maxamet, K390, M390/20cv, S30v, S35vn, etc. Getting the mirror isn't the hard part with wear resistant steels. The hard part is establishing the edge bevel and apexing it. Once you've done that it's not much harder to polish them up than other steels.
 
3D Anvil I think you are referring to a mirror polished edge..which is very cool looking..but I'm asking about the blade itself. Over the years I have heard snippets about polishing different steels for example S30V was impossible. I'm really trying to find out what is practical for a Custom maker to do. 8 hours on one blade might work but I can't afford that much time. I wish I could mirror polished a edge and I really admire those who can.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top