So...You're admiring your new $20 Cold Steel Bowie Machete. It *is* a very impressive knife, and a heck of a bargain. But when you take the big label off the blade, it leaves an ugly glue residue behind. No problemo, Berryman B-12 is the best glue remover on the planet. Oops... As it turns out, it's also very good at removing the purdy black stuff the blade is coated with. No biggie, this is a working knife, and something now tells me that a few months hard labor, and there won't be much purdy black stuff left. But if you want your bowie to stay purdy longer, don't get any ideas about Berryman.

JLF

all things I have used to remove labels...

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Wonderful stuff. Available at any auto parts store.

Like I said, a $20 working knife. After decades of use, and a few ugly lessons, I'm very carefull about what to use Berryman B-12 on. I just assummed the black stuff was some kind of modern day whoopie coating, impervious to everything. I guess not, for $20.

JLF

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A little tougher, more like bar-b-que and stove paint. Small tree limb whacking, digging in the dirt, cutting bones during critter dressing and such, it ain't going to last. I may strip it down and cold blue it. My ancient old Case Sodbuster has been doing kitchen duty for 20 years, and still looks good in it's cold blue.

JLF

and I used a little Hoppes No 9 no get the glue off w/o hurting the 'finish'. I gave another CS Bowie Machete to the youngest son (who is 26!!) and he was eyeballing that label... anxious to see his plan of attack now LOL.

I figgered on cold bluing mine too, when the time comes.

Goo-gone, I've used it to take old and new glue goo off things with no ill effects yet. Not saying in couldn't happen cause I haven't used it on "everything". But in the many years I have used it, it has not harmed any finishes.

It`s about time for a picture of this knife!!!! ,, so I can make sure I buy the right one.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

but then I know a lot of people that remove the stuff with hardware store paint remover. And yes it will wear off pretty quickly if you cut rough materials with it. Also the fancy coating that Benchmade uses comes off pretty easily, but the coating that Spyderco uses is pretty durable.

It is popular among knife enthusiasts to buy that type of knife, and the similar Beckers, remove the coating, and then customize the blades themselves. Some people like to put various patinas and patina patterns on the blades, others use fine sandpaper to put a satin finish on them.

This is a photo of my Becker with the coating removed, before I darkened it with cold bluing:

Here is a photo of my Cold Steel GI Tanto with its coating removed. The previous owner did the removal on this one and did a little bit of sanding: