Hi there! I noticed on my chief that there was a small scratch right near the silicone groove. It is where the string often rubs up against, and I’m worried that it will eventually cause string wear. It seems to be unaffected at the moment, and this may sound absurd, but is it possible for the string rubbing up against the scratch to eventually make it worse and affect string wear? Thank you for your time!
To test: play over carpet, watch string closely. 
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Is it sharp? File it down. If not, don’t worry about it.
Strings break sometimes, yoyos hit the floor, life goes on.
This is a serious problem. I had it once and my Kevlar string even got rubbed down. You can’t sand it down, without destroying the bearing seat, however. I can fix it tho. Just send it to my address and I’ll fix it for you. I’ll PM you my address. Just be warned, if the repair doesn’t go right, I’ll keep it and send you $20 for your trouble.
Don’t be obnoxious. Anyway, if it truly worries you, just rub the area with denim or a scotch brite pad, like, the kind that is on your sponge when you wash your dishes.
First off; saying you have a scratch is one thing. The actual degree of concern, depends more on the degree of the scratch.
String rubbing against a scratch will not make the scratch worse. That is simply not possible. Hard material wears soft material. Not the other way around.
If… ‘If’ you have a scratch deep enough to actually wear/cut a string; then you don’t technically have a scratch. You have a gouge. How you address the problem depends on what the problem is.
If you don’t actually have the knowledge to recognize the problem; guessing at the solution does not in the realm of probability render positive result in rectifying your malady.
Can you post up a close up image of the ‘scratch’?
Think of it this way… You can’t really call a Doctor and say, ‘Hey Doc; I don’t feel well. What’s wrong with me’?
IE >> I have a scratch on my Yoyo, near the response groove. <etc.
Angle of scratch? Length of scratch? Depth of scratch? Is the scratch only in the color(ano) of the Yoyo? Or can you see the raw aluminum at the bottom of the scratch?
Have you taken the Yoyo apart and rubbed the scratched half against your Levi’s? (Cotton Levi’s like 501’s). Put on some Levi’s. Get the ‘sad’ half of the Yoyo. Sit down in a chair. Whatever hand you have the Yoyo in; bend that leg so the pant leg is tight on the top of the leg. Grasp the Yoyo kinda like a door knob and rub the scratched area against the pant leg. Like you’re trying to polish an apple. < That is called ‘direct pressure friction’. A Yoyo string(depending on material make-up; can eventually wear down the very edges of superficial scratches. But the string is not effective in accelerating, softening the scratch because it it is only grazing the surface of the Yoyo. It is not scraping against the Yoyo halves with any real force.
If it is just a scratch; I think you have No problem… The problem is mainly in your mind. But if what you call a scratch is actually a gouge with sharp edges; than you could have a condition that needs outside help. And by that, I don’t mean Fire Penguin. If you think for a second that he is serious; than you have 2 problems.
PS… If you don’t wear Levi’s; you can also smooth out shallow scratches by carefully buffing the Yoyo half against an ironing board cover. <remember, just the affected half(no axle or bearing on the half)(unless you intend on buying somebody a New ironing board cover).
There is no such thing as too much information. So post up a pic if you can do ‘Macro’.
(Note) Since I have been in the Auto Collision Trade for 45 years and been modding yoyos since 1998; I would not hesitate to say if ‘anybody’ knows what a scratch is; or how to deal with scratches; it would be me, lol. I deal with scratch eradication on a daily basis.
PS… I just noticed that while I was typing my response; Yoyospirit had already posted up a response. Yoyospirit is also a Master of Scratch Eradication. He has deep knowledge of dealing with Yoyo surface imperfections. His Yoyo polishing is Supernatural. I think the guy could literally polish a bowl or oatmeal!
He, like me; has been at this ‘Yoyo thing’ for quite some time.
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Thank you all for the help! It is a small scratch around 1 mm long, and when I rub my finger over it it is possible to feel. With more play it is now appearing to be fine. I’ll try all of the tests and suggestions that you all have given 