can a stock be partially refinished?

or at least, patched, feathered out a little bit.

I have a stock that got a couple love marks on the side that bug me a little. CZ rifle with an OEM finish. I do not want to strip and refinish because the checkering is sharp, I can only mess that up from here.

I don't mind if it's not a perfect finish-repair, I just want the marks off, maybe so you can't see it from 3 feet away.

Is that possible?

Anything is possible. I wouldn't think of offering advice without at least a couple of good clear pics and a better description of the damage though. Do you know what the OEM finish is? Oil, varnish, lacquer, conversion varnish, etc. ?

I'm with you re: little oopsies bugging me no end.

Oil is the most forgiving of such repairs.

The answer is "usually", but you've got to figure out what the original finish is and then match it. Dull or shiny?

I'm with Der G. A partial refin of a stock CAN be as much of a pain as redoing the whole thing. It just depends on what damages you're wanting to improve. One tidbit that might serve you well, is to make SURE you polish out the final finish very smooth, so you don't have what looks like a "puddle" effect where the new finish was applied. Polishing feathers out that effect, and can be done by hand or with soft and carefully used powered polishers. With soft finishes on wood, the minimal "force" used is almost always the best, and will make all your efforts pay off the best, too. FWIW?

I would do the whole thing. Clean out checkering with paint remover and a toothbrush, then LEAVE IT ALONE, mask it off so you don't touch it. Leave checkering until last and then stain with what the stock has, let dry and brush in several coats of finish, Brush with a clean toothbrush so you do not build up and in the grooves. Wipe excess.