stripped KU finishes

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i recently bought a used takeda and the KU had been removed from i am assuming a vinegar bath. didn't bother asking why but made me curious, what is the reason??
it must have been recent as there was no patina and was very reactive at first. so i did my usual baking soda scrub at end of each day and it has calmed down considerably after a week of heavy use. the patina is not very visible but it is holding/protecting well.

which leads me to the question, has anyone intentionally stripped a KU finish, and then took it through an etching process? my previous experience with ferric chloride etching was greatly reduced reactivity but i didnt like the rough finish it left behind as it caused a lot of drag.
 
Dude! Just color the whole blade with a sharpie! Instant KU finish. I decided to do this to my Raders and they've never looked better.
Seriously though, the only KU I've removed on purpose has been on a Tojiro and it comes off so easily. It's like it's painted on. I couldn't imagine how tough it would be to take off of a Takeda.
Pics.pleez
 
WP_20150324_14_26_29_Pro_zpsnv1swfhq.jpg

WP_20150324_14_30_54_Pro_zps5sbes7b2.jpg
 
No idea why anyone would do this, KU finishes are there as a protective layer. Maybe the Takeda was looking too rough for the previous owner, maybe it got damaged while sharpening...

To answer your question the only reason to remove it would be for personal taste and if I ever did it (but I won't) I would immediately force a patina to preserve the iron cladding.
 
Maybe sand it to an even finish, then let natural patina build?
 
The one I had seemed to have lost about 50% of the kurouchi before I got it...didn't bother me and actually yours looks pretty cool in the pics. I'm w/ Dardeau, sand it down clean and let it go.
 
If you go to a well stocked music shop you will see they sell Dunlop polishing wipes to restore the frets to a mirror finish. They will polish the blades without levelling the finish. They are also available on the bay for $5.
 
I'm actually interested in taking the Kurouchi finish off of one of the cheap Tojiros that I have... And force a Patina. Don't ask why. Just like it ;) - what's the easiest way to get that off?
 
I'm actually interested in taking the Kurouchi finish off of one of the cheap Tojiros that I have... And force a Patina. Don't ask why. Just like it ;) - what's the easiest way to get that off?

Some wet/dry sandpaper will strip it right off. Heck, the finish on the Tojiros might come off with some soapy water!
 
The patina on my moritaka blue 2 petty came of from scrubbing with the hard part of a sponge
 
Moritaka and Tojiro shirogami are the only knives that I have seen where the soft iron cladding was impossible to passivate fully* once the (lacquer and) KU had gone, so beware. This is going back 5/6 years however, so it is possible they are not cladding them with the same **** any more.

*unless you count "orange patina" as some folk like to call it.
 
Out of curiosity, does anyone know if it's possible to get dark, smooth, relatively dragless finish with ferric chloride?
 
I was planning on taking it off my cheap Tojiro ITK and then forcing a hydrogen peroxide +vinegar + salt blue patina on it..., that way the knife will be completely unreactive...
 
I can completely understand why somebody wants to remove KU finish. I do not like it at all. That one Moritaka I bought I sold it without using it much.
Something just does not click with me and KU...
 
I can completely understand why somebody wants to remove KU finish. I do not like it at all. That one Moritaka I bought I sold it without using it much.
Something just does not click with me and KU...

If your one experience with ku is moritaka then I understand you not enjoying ku...you should give a real knife a chance.
 
If your one experience with ku is moritaka then I understand you not enjoying ku...you should give a real knife a chance.

I can fully believe you that other brands are better, but even on pics other ku knives just don't click with me... Perhaps one day I will give it a try again. But there are so many other knives before that...
 
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