Acid Etching Stainless?

Cliff Carter Knives

Cliff Carter Knives

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
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Hi Team, hope you’re all having a great day!

I sometimes get asked by customers to make stainless knives with an acid etched stonewash. I default to leaving stainless with a satin finish, but I’m curious if any of you have recipes for a good etch. I know it can be done as I’ve seen it, but I’m having no luck.

I’ve tried to etch magnacut, AEBL, and some lc200n, and even after significant time, I get nothing from an etch perspective, just some mild pitting here and there (steel is still bright). Using a mix of ferric and distilled water, probably 1:2.

Any tips or tricks would be appreciated, thank you!
 
I tried JAX Iron, Steel and Nickel blackener on a piece of AEB-L maybe a couple of years ago and it did darken it. Not near as much as non stainless steel, but maybe it would have done more if I had left it longer or repeated the application. The piece was not heat treated, not sure if that makes a difference.
 
Cliff
you want Selenic acid.. i bought a "Nickle Black" from a jewelry supplier some years ago and it turned stainless black in seconds..
it stunk like crazy..i looked at the label and if i remember correctly it was Selenic acid..
i think the brass &aluminum black "Birchwood Casey" sells is a watered down version of it..
 
I dipped a cpm 154 knife in new ferric chloride / water 50/50 for 3 minutes and got a medium grey. I did a stonewash and it looked pretty good.
I finished the knife, looks ok but the acid stone wash is not very durable. My next attempt will be 3 or 4 , 4 minute dips with 0000 steel wool in between.
The knife was finished to 400 grit prior to dip.
 
Thank you all for the tips! Maybe I’ll get a new ferric batch and try again. Will also look into selenic acid and I have some hydro I can try. I’ll get that steel dark one way or another lol
 
I etch Damasteel in muriatic acid, and those are both stainless steels. I haven't tried a monosteel, but I think it would work the same.

I heat up a 1:1 water:muriatic acid mix to 130-140 deg F and let it sit for a few cycles of 3-5 mins at a time until it reaches the desired etch. Then I usually continue to darken the dark areas with a coffee etch, but you'll have to experiment with what you need for the stonewashing. I don't think the coffee would help any for that.
 
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I do 100% ferric, or dilute with a less potent acid (white vinegar). I've done CPM 154, S35VN, MagnaCut, LC200N and Nitro V, and have had good success. I usually do two 10-20 minute soaks with a thorough cleaning in between. I've always had good results.

I always thoroughly degrease with acetone before etching and it seems to make a big difference.
 
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