Polishing advice request

skeeter1 · January 26, 2007, 05:42 PM

I have an old (~40 years) folding Gerber hunting knife that I finally found in a box with my camping equipment. After 20 years in the basement, the brass-and-teak bolsters have quite a bit of verdigris on the brass.

I have a Dremel tool with some felt wheels and some Simichrome polish. Would that work to clean it up?

I'm asking for advice because it was a gift from my late father and I don't want to mess it up.

Thank you for any advice.

badbob · January 26, 2007, 06:03 PM

skeeter 1,
I've used semichrome on several Buck and Case folders and it worked well with just hand application. The dremmel might be faster but it might also be too aggressive for your application, IMHO. Try using it by hand first on the side next to the blade. Good luck.

badbob

Edward429451 · January 26, 2007, 06:29 PM

I had ok results with simichrome and a felt wheel with my dremel, on the lowest possible speed. OTOH, I wasn't doing a sentimental object either so testing it on something else might be a good idea.

skeeter1 · January 27, 2007, 03:52 PM

I tried polishing it by hand, but it was a little too far gone for that. So, I went with the Dremel on the lowest speed and just a smidgen of Simichrome. It came out fairly well for a 40-year old knife. That knife has field-dressed many a game, and was even used to chop firewood when backpacking.

That Gerber is a darned nice knife. Needless to say, it will NOT be going back into the basement. It will be going up into the safe where the dessicants live.

Thanks again

--skeeter1

January 26, 2007, 05:42 PM	#1
skeeter1 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2006 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 3,403	Polishing advice request I have an old (~40 years) folding Gerber hunting knife that I finally found in a box with my camping equipment. After 20 years in the basement, the brass-and-teak bolsters have quite a bit of verdigris on the brass. I have a Dremel tool with some felt wheels and some Simichrome polish. Would that work to clean it up? I'm asking for advice because it was a gift from my late father and I don't want to mess it up. Thank you for any advice.

January 26, 2007, 06:03 PM	#2
badbob Junior member Join Date: August 17, 2006 Posts: 999	skeeter 1, I've used semichrome on several Buck and Case folders and it worked well with just hand application. The dremmel might be faster but it might also be too aggressive for your application, IMHO. Try using it by hand first on the side next to the blade. Good luck. badbob

January 26, 2007, 06:29 PM	#3
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I had ok results with simichrome and a felt wheel with my dremel, on the lowest possible speed. OTOH, I wasn't doing a sentimental object either so testing it on something else might be a good idea.