Removing KU and polishing - Shiro Kamo AS Gyuto SS clad. How to? Or should I let a pro do it?

[Gongoozler]

I have a Shiro Kamo AS SS clad gyuto (pictured). I'm looking to remove the KU and polish the blade (not a mirror finish or anything crazy, just a nice stainless look to the cladding).

However, I have no idea HOW to do something like that and make it look good. The only stones I have are some Shapton Pros (320, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 5000).

I'm thinking I should maybe send it off to Knifewear or District Cutlery or someone to have this done so I don't screw it up?

 

[ethompson]

If you're set on doing this, forget stones and just use sand paper up to 400-1k depending on how fine you want the finish

 

[Gongoozler]

If you're set on doing this, forget stones and just use sand paper up to 400-1k depending on how fine you want the finish

I saw a post recently where someone with the same knife did it and it looked really good. I can't remember if it was here or Reddit though and I can't seem to find it to ask how they did it!


Would you run the sandpaper up and down the blade lengthwise, or vertically up and down the blade?

 

[tostadas]

For full blade polish, I'd also recommend removing the handle so that you can get a consistent polish in the area near it.

The shiro kamo I had was a hollow grind. Polishing on stones is not a straightforward task. The fastest would be sandpaper and maybe some loose grit to even things out. However, it will be noticeably different compared to a full polish.

 

[ethompson]

I saw a post recently where someone with the same knife did it and it looked really good. I can't remember if it was here or Reddit though and I can't seem to find it to ask how they did it!


Would you run the sandpaper up and down the blade lengthwise, or vertically up and down the blade?

Lengthwise and make sure to finish in long consistent strokes. As @tostadas pointed out, removing the handle before starting would be best

 

[Uncle Danny]

You don’t get better advice than this. Came here to say the same thing. Don’t use too much pressure and understand that it takes time. If you panic, post pictures here and ask for help.

 

[kdizzog6]

That thin KU should sand off easy. Its probably really soft steel underneath. Maybe finish on a stone? I agree, with said above, those handles are too pretty to risk damage.

 

[Uncle Danny]

No need for stone finish on sanded “migaki” finish. You only have to do everything over again. You can’t hit the same scratch pattern and progression

 

[Gongoozler]

For full blade polish, I'd also recommend removing the handle so that you can get a consistent polish in the area near it.

The shiro kamo I had was a hollow grind. Polishing on stones is not a straightforward task. The fastest would be sandpaper and maybe some loose grit to even things out. However, it will be noticeably different compared to a full polish.

I've seen your work around the forums. Any chance this is something I could commission you to tackle?

 

[tostadas]

I've seen your work around the forums. Any chance this is something I could commission you to tackle?

I'd recommend reaching out to the professional polishers if that's something you're looking into have done. I think sometimes Jon at JKI accepts some refinishing work.

Word of warning though, a clean finish requires a LOT of time. I'd expect the cost of work for stone finishing to exceed the value of the original knife and likely far more depending on the level of finish you're after.

 

[Gongoozler]

I'd recommend reaching out to the professional polishers if that's something you're looking into have done. I think sometimes Jon at JKI accepts some refinishing work.

Word of warning though, a clean finish requires a LOT of time. I'd expect the cost of work for stone finishing to exceed the value of the original knife and likely far more depending on the level of finish you're after.

That makes sense. I have a Dao Vua laying around in a knife roll, I should learn on that one.

 

[M1k3]

I saw a post recently where someone with the same knife did it and it looked really good. I can't remember if it was here or Reddit though and I can't seem to find it to ask how they did it!


Would you run the sandpaper up and down the blade lengthwise, or vertically up and down the blade?

Switch directions with each grit. Last grit, parallel with the spine.

 

[ian]

The thing to remember is that the blade face is not going to be particularly even under all of the kurouchi. One reason people are suggesting sandpaper is that you can get a reasonable looking finish without having an even surface. If you tried to use stones, you would have to completely even out the blade face in order to have the stone contact in all areas. (You don’t need to completely flatten it out, but it needs to become convex at least, without pockets of concavity.)

Removing the handle will help immensely, since otherwise you’ll have a super hard time polishing near the neck of the knife and you won’t be able to use long strokes as easily. As @M1k3 says, if you are planning to use multiple grits of sandpaper, starting coarser in order to remove the ku more quickly, and finishing higher for a nicer look, it helps to alternate the direction that you are rubbing as you are transitioning between grits, since then you can actually see the previous grit scratches and make sure that they are completely erased before transitioning up to the next grit.

 

[Uncle Danny]

…and if you continually sand in the same direction, you can “cut” groves you won’t be able to sand out later in the progression

 

[ian]

…and if you continually sand ind the same directions, you can “cut” groves you won’t be able to sand out later in the progression

Ah, you’re worried about finger placement, like if your finger or whatever’s on top of the sandpaper is always running back and forth across the blade along the same line, more or less, you’ll maybe create a slight trough in the blade face that the sandpaper will naturally want to follow when you move to upper grits, assuming you aren’t radically changing the direction of the stroke. So you’ll end up with a less even blade face, which may make the finish a bit uneven too. I could maybe imagine this happening, although I can’t really say if I’ve ever witnessed it personally or not.

 

[Uncle Danny]

Could be as simple as a smaller grove that continues to deepen, as the grits hit that same spot over and over again. Pressure and finger placement is of course a factor too. As I stated above. Don’t put too much pressure on the blade.

Maybe go with SIC to begin with? Haven’t tried it on KU though

 

[ian]

Could be as simple as a smaller grove that continues to deepen, as the grits hit that same spot over and over again.

This seems less likely to me. As you get finer in grit, the particles don’t protrude as much so I don’t see how they’re going to make a single scratch deeper. Seeing single scratches later on is more likely about low grit scratches becoming more visible as the finish around them gets finer.

 

[panda]

why even do this unless the ku is too heavily faded..
just saw the handle, nevermind

 

[Uncle Danny]

This seems less likely to me. As you get finer in grit, the particles don’t protrude as much so I don’t see how they’re going to make a single scratch deeper. Seeing single scratches later on is more likely about low grit scratches becoming more visible as the finish around them gets finer.

True but as you go through finer grits. You see the “damage” you left behind on the lower grits but it’s too late and you have to start over.

But I don’t see OP chipping in, so I guess it doesn’t matter