How to strip finish from Bettinardi

[kerkie8]

I want to strip the glacier black finish off my Bettinardi BB1 carbon steel putter and let it rust. How do I do it? Will soaking it in acetone remove the finish itself, or just the paint?

[MattM97]

Probably have good luck doing a vinegar soak with that finish.

 

 

[farundrpar]

Let us know if you do this route - would love to see how it turns out and if a good method. 

[DGR81]

Just wondering did you manage to remove glaier black finish?

And how did you do it? Thanks

[josey]

Most likely a black oxide finish.  If you can have the head media blasted it will remove it and leave a beautify finish to rust. 

[kb7]

I used a small abrasive wheel to remove the finish on a 2020 BB8W to apply a plum brown finish and it worked out well. It has browned up substantially since this picture. I’ll snap another shot later today and upload. 

 

Edit:
These pictures were just taken today. It’s been approximately 3.5 months since I finished the putter and took the above picture. It has filled in nicely and has a great rusty look to it. I left some of the original black finish in spots to add to the whole dirty rusty look. The face milling is intact and seems to be unaffected. The wheels I used were essentially scotchbrite material so they didn’t mess things up. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by kb7
Pictures

[DGR81]

@kb7 how do you deal with the mill face? Abrasive wheel removed any material or just the finish? Thanks 

[DGR81]

Look nice!

[DGR81]

More pics will be much appreciated 

[kb7]

5 hours ago, DGR81 said:

@kb7 how do you deal with the mill face? Abrasive wheel removed any material or just the finish? Thanks 

I just used the abrasive wheels across the entire putter. I edited my post above to include more pictures and some detail. Feel free to message me if you need more information. 

[DGR81]

Thank you to kb7, I have done my BB8W. 

[Notorious22]

On 7/26/2022 at 6:41 PM, DGR81 said:

Thank you to kb7, I have done my BB8W. 

This is Gorgeous

[BombsIntoTheWoods]

looks like a limited drop release, very nice finish!

[Hennessey93]

I know I’m late to the party here but hopefully yall are still around. Did you have to apply a finish to get that plum brown look or was that the look after just stripping the black finish off the old one. Looking to do the same to my 2018 bb1. Thanks. 

[iteachgolf]

13 hours ago, Hennessey93 said:

I know I’m late to the party here but hopefully yall are still around. Did you have to apply a finish to get that plum brown look or was that the look after just stripping the black finish off the old one. Looking to do the same to my 2018 bb1. Thanks. 

That is 100% an applied brown oxide finish

[iteachgolf]

I wouldn’t take sandpaper to a putter you love.  Plum brown will only work on raw carbon steel putters.  The finish is a PVD coating and if you feel you must go down this road at least get someone to bead blast the finish off. Attempting to strip it chemically can lead to pitting and permanent damage

[kb7]

On 4/24/2025 at 3:55 AM, Hennessey93 said:

I know I’m late to the party here but hopefully yall are still around. Did you have to apply a finish to get that plum brown look or was that the look after just stripping the black finish off the old one. Looking to do the same to my 2018 bb1. Thanks. 

 

I'm still around lurking. I used Track's Tried and True Browning Reagent on the BB8W I posted. I would post update pictures on the finish, but it has since moved on to another home.

[ZacPig]

On 4/29/2025 at 5:31 AM, kb7 said:

 

I'm still around lurking. I used Track's Tried and True Browning Reagent on the BB8W I posted. I would post update pictures on the finish, but it has since moved on to another home.

 

Been a while since this was posted but worth a shot. Would you say bead blasting is necessary? I was going to do what you did in the putter  but planned on using citri-strip. Saw a comment above saying that’s not the best idea

[oneaugusta]

Citri-strip won't remove pvd.  It's either sand by hand or bead blast.  Someone mentioned above not to sand your prize putter, not sure where they came up with that.  I've been hand sanding high end putters for a decade.  If you want a matte finish bead blast if you want a satin or shiny some sanding and polishing would be involved.  

When I say hand sand I mean exactly that which is time consuming and meticulous work.   

Here's a before and after restoration.

[ZacPig]

10 hours ago, oneaugusta said:

Citri-strip won't remove pvd.  It's either sand by hand or bead blast.  Someone mentioned above not to sand your prize putter, not sure where they came up with that.  I've been hand sanding high end putters for a decade.  If you want a matte finish bead blast if you want a satin or shiny some sanding and polishing would be involved.  

When I say hand sand I mean exactly that which is time consuming and meticulous work.   

Here's a before and after restoration.

Incredible….

 

Can’t find any place to bead blast..they said they will throw it in the chemical stripper and that should do the job. Thoughts ? 

[oneaugusta]

Not really an expert on chemicals so unsure what affect it would have on carbon steel.  I've refinished several pvd putters and have always hand sanded off the finish but chemical strip would be quicker and easier as long as it didn't pit the steel.

[MidwestHacker]

JASCO epoxy/paint remover will strip PVD coatings and it didnt pit the carbon steel on the putter I used it on. YMMV but it worked great for me to preserve putter weight and remove the coating even in deep milling. 

 

Edit: Its nasty stuff, use it outdoors or in a very well ventilated area and protect your skin and eyes from it should you choose to use it. 

Edited July 15 by MidwestHacker