Rock/brass Tumbler for "Frosted" look on folder blade?

[Dan Metsker]

Has anyone considered using say a brass tumbler for giving that blade and/or backstrap a special finish? As I say this a thought comes to mind that the crisp edge of the knife profile and that of the backstrap could be rounded--(thinking out of the box)--Dan

[Ray Rogers]

Someone has, quite a few someones actually. A year or two back there was a pretty good thread on the subject of tumblers and vibrating brass cleaners and what medium to use in them to create an interesting finish for knife parts. If you can find it with the Search key you might want to post the link here in case anyone has something new to add .

I'd say whether the crisp edges get rounded or not will depend a lot on the media you put in the tumbler and how long you leave the parts in there....

[Dan Metsker]

this is the best I could find:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/sh...=brass+tumbler

[Ray Rogers]

That's a bit shorter than the one I thought I remembered but, even so, it provided a basic answer to your question. Geno said pretty much what I said above about media and time but added that experimentation was the key. He also pointed out that the resulting finishes are more likely to be used on a tactical which is important to note. Anyway, if you have the equipment already it would sure be worth a try and I'd like to hear about your results.....

[Kevin Wilkins]

Thumler's Ultra Vibe Model 45 is about the smallest machine I know of that works for hardene steel. I have one and am very happy with it. You'll need the media etc for it too which I think MSC sells. Ceramic cylinders work well. Machine is $380 from Buffalo Arms. You'll need abou $500 to get up and running.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,4772.html