Help with polishing stainless cladding

[labor of love]

I recently acquired this Sakai Sakura (Takayuki) in ginsanko. My photos aren’t great but it has a pretty cool finish.
Anyways...it could be thinner towards the tip area. Thinning is no problem for me. But I’ve always had a hard time polish stainless cladding. For cheaper stuff I just do a quick auto sandpaper job+ maybe micro mesh. But this might take more know how. I’ve been able to polish soft iron nicely it’s just a stainless cladding issue. Any tips for stone progressions, or any other advice on how I can return this knife to looking somewhat decent after I thin?

 

[bahamaroot]

Send it to Jon.

 

[labor of love]

That’s plan b. I think I got this.

 

[refcast]

The Knives and Stones description says this was finished on natural stones, so I guess to replicate that we would be using a soft, maybe somewhat on the coarser side, finishing stone. The softness should prevent the mirror-streaking that often happens with harder stones.

 

[Nemo]

Are the wide bevels flat or convex?

 

[Foltest]

Try etching it in ferric chloride

 

[labor of love]

C

Are the wide bevels flat or convex?

convex

 

[hennyville]

my fingerstones from Ohira uchigumori works very well with AS hagane/inox clad Kanehiro.

 

[Knife2meatu]

@labor of love Did you ever soak that Arashiyama? I don't know that it would be appropriate to the situation, even after the obligatory preceding stones; but I feel like this sort thing is a likely application. Besides, I'm just curious about the Arashiyama...

 

[labor of love]

Oh yeah I can tell you all about arashiyama if ya want me too. PM me.

 

[Seqmt]

Fingerstones all the way!

 

[mikaelsan]

Nothings impossible, but stainless cladding is no fun to work with. my ss clad polish blue core to give an example of what can be done. I think I went 1200 Grit paper -> king 6k (I think)-> soft-ish unknown cheap honyama, I think I worked on it with a finger stone I took out of the stone. Something soft should be able to do the job. Its sad to let it go for this reason, but I do understand it at this price point.

 

[SilverSwarfer]

Fingerstones all the way!

Any easy recommendations- source & type?

 

[Matus]

I would use some soft synthetic stones and then soft-ish fingerstones.

@SilverSwarfer - the best is to ask guys like Maxim or Watanabe about koppa or simply broken pieces from large stones and make the fingerstones yourself. You can find a ready to use online, the price is going to be pretty high.

 

[foody518]

The issue I'm finding with my Tanaka Ginsan Nashiji (stainless cladding, stainless core), is that both cladding and core seem to polish similarly...not sure how to replicate the factory contrast.
Maybe it's time for me to get into etching just to generate some contrast
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AFGpbYrCE6Q25wEf8
Even on fairly fine stones, the core isn't coming out all that bright. Not sure if this is a common thing with stainless core wide bevel knives

 

[labor of love]

I believe you just polish from the lamination line down to the edge using a 5-6k. Finger placement being important as to not hit the cladding much.

 

[foody518]

Yeah, it's got to be that the exposed core steel is somewhat on a different facet than the cladding, concentrated finger pressure, and synthetics are generally giving a brighter result than technically finer naturals.
Still feel that I would need to go a separate pass on the cladding with just some medium-ish grit synthetic/abrasive/powder/fingerstones to restore a fuller or darker look to that area

 

[inferno]

View attachment 50134 View attachment 50135 I recently acquired this Sakai Sakura (Takayuki) in ginsanko. My photos aren’t great but it has a pretty cool finish.
Anyways...it could be thinner towards the tip area. Thinning is no problem for me. But I’ve always had a hard time polish stainless cladding. For cheaper stuff I just do a quick auto sandpaper job+ maybe micro mesh. But this might take more know how. I’ve been able to polish soft iron nicely it’s just a stainless cladding issue. Any tips for stone progressions, or any other advice on how I can return this knife to looking somewhat decent after I thin?

I have stones up to 12k shapton pro and even then 12k pro is not as true mirror imo. a coticule will give you a haze finish. an 8k pro will be hazy/shiny. an 800-1k will give some contrast. I think the naniwa pro/chosera is good for this and also the glass500 or so.

also the 12 stone is very demanding of frequent cleaning and watering to not trap particles that will drag lines in the finish. like every 10 seconds or so so it takes time.

I'd say your best bet is wrapping a piece of leather around a piece of wood and using green chromium oxide paste (razor paste) and polish, after like a 3-6k stone or so. (whatever you have). that will make a true mirror.