Stripping DLC off the blade

[Evil D]

Go to an auto parts store and buy a can of Permatex Gasket Remover. It's located by the gasket sealants. It's used to remove RTV gaskets but i've used it to remove factory automotive wheel powder coat, which is some seriously tough coating. It's not corrosive enough to harm metal (i've used it on aluminum) so it should be fine for a blade. It might and might not work but it's worth a try for a $4 can. If that doesn't work, then aircraft grade paint stripper probably won't work either because i've found the gasket remover to work better on powder coat...i guess you can try either one and see what happens. The paint stripper can be bought at any hardware store, or the same auto parts store you get the gasket remover from.

[gull wing]

Had a CS knife and removed the coat with 400 then 600 Wet R Dry sandpaper, looked pretty good.

[Michael Janich]

DLC is an IonBond coating, which means that it's molecularly bonded to the surface of the steel. It's not like powder coat, which chemically adheres to the surface. As such, I don't know of anything that can "strip" it like stripping paint. The "DL" stands for "diamond-like" because it's hard--actually harder than the blade itself. To remove it, you need to use an abrasive that grinds the coating away and takes you back to bare metal. I would recommend the same steps as finishing a folder blade by hand:

First, dull the edge completely so you don't cut yourself.
Glue a sheet of 180 or 220 grit wet-dry sandpaper to a piece of glass of other completely flat surface (I like scrap pieces of countertop with a Formica top because you can work near the edge more safely than glass). Holding the blade by the bevels, sand the ricasso and tang, replacing the sandpaper as it gets worn.
Flip the blade around and do the same thing for the bevels.
The toughest part will be the shoulder of the grind. You'll have to wrap the sandpaper over the edge of your support and move the blade perpendicular to its length.
Once the coating is gone, sand the blade with finer grits until you achieve the desired finish.

The major down side to this approach, besides the fact that it's a laborious process, is that you will invariably take a few thousandths of an inch off the blade during the process. Since the Para Military has a shouldered bushing that is meticulously machined to provide optimal clearance based on the finished thickness of the blade, you will very likely end up with lateral play because you thinned the blade. You will also void your Spyderco warranty in the process.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Art_vandeley]

DLC is an IonBond coating, which means that it's molecularly bonded to the surface of the steel. It's not like powder coat, which chemically adheres to the surface. As such, I don't know of anything that can "strip" it like stripping paint. The "DL" stands for "diamond-like" because it's hard--actually harder than the blade itself. To remove it, you need to use an abrasive that grinds the coating away and takes you back to bare metal. I would recommend the same steps as finishing a folder blade by hand:

First, dull the edge completely so you don't cut yourself.
Glue a sheet of 180 or 220 grit wet-dry sandpaper to a piece of glass of other completely flat surface (I like scrap pieces of countertop with a Formica top because you can work near the edge more safely than glass). Holding the blade by the bevels, sand the ricasso and tang, replacing the sandpaper as it gets worn.
Flip the blade around and do the same thing for the bevels.
The toughest part will be the shoulder of the grind. You'll have to wrap the sandpaper over the edge of your support and move the blade perpendicular to its length.
Once the coating is gone, sand the blade with finer grits until you achieve the desired finish.

The major down side to this approach, besides the fact that it's a laborious process, is that you will invariably take a few thousandths of an inch off the blade during the process. Since the Para Military has a shouldered bushing that is meticulously machined to provide optimal clearance based on the finished thickness of the blade, you will very likely end up with lateral play because you thinned the blade. You will also void your Spyderco warranty in the process.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

Thank you so much for this detailed instruction Michael. That sounds like the perfect project for a rainy day. Maybe in the future I will attempt it.

[datoudaw]

DLC is an IonBond coating, which means that it's molecularly bonded to the surface of the steel. It's not like powder coat, which chemically adheres to the surface. As such, I don't know of anything that can "strip" it like stripping paint. The "DL" stands for "diamond-like" because it's hard--actually harder than the blade itself. To remove it, you need to use an abrasive that grinds the coating away and takes you back to bare metal. I would recommend the same steps as finishing a folder blade by hand:

First, dull the edge completely so you don't cut yourself.
Glue a sheet of 180 or 220 grit wet-dry sandpaper to a piece of glass of other completely flat surface (I like scrap pieces of countertop with a Formica top because you can work near the edge more safely than glass). Holding the blade by the bevels, sand the ricasso and tang, replacing the sandpaper as it gets worn.
Flip the blade around and do the same thing for the bevels.
The toughest part will be the shoulder of the grind. You'll have to wrap the sandpaper over the edge of your support and move the blade perpendicular to its length.
Once the coating is gone, sand the blade with finer grits until you achieve the desired finish.

The major down side to this approach, besides the fact that it's a laborious process, is that you will invariably take a few thousandths of an inch off the blade during the process. Since the Para Military has a shouldered bushing that is meticulously machined to provide optimal clearance based on the finished thickness of the blade, you will very likely end up with lateral play because you thinned the blade. You will also void your Spyderco warranty in the process.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

Muriatic acid from Home Depot will do. But do not soak in too long. DLC can be re-coated. If you want to sand it, I think you can start sanding the coating at 400 grit or higher. No need to start at 180 or 220. The coating is no more than 4 micron thick. I have done it several times. It worked for me. ( I am not saying Mr. Mike Janich is wrong. I have a different way of handling it. )