Aged finish

Ivan Campos

Ivan Campos

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 4, 1999
Messages
2,485
Does anybody have tips on aging handle materials and sheaths?
Thanks

Ivan Campos
 
On one of the other sites they were talking about this. Oak sawdust wet down with tea, urine(various), dobs of mud and ferric chloride, leave on for 24 hrs. wash off and move mud aroud to different places apply ferric chloride again neutralize in baking soda,vegetables with acids in them. Check out www.swordforums.com under bladesmith cafe for more.
 
Whoops ,the ferric chloride is for the metal stuff. the others may work on the metal as well, please try these on scraps first, experiment, I like fiebings antique leather stain, dob on another color than antique for a more mottled color, very careful use of a propane torch on leather will give different results.
 
Hi all!
I all depends on the materials and the effects you want to get, especially if you are talking about handles.
For wood handle material you may try a propane torch/steel wool treatment or a coffee/mud mixture. Both are difficult because the heat of the propane torch may shrink the wood and the water in the coffee/mud may swell it.
For antler it is a lot easier as you can work with potassium hypermanganese (i hope the spelling is ok, i am german) which will give the white areas a deep brown colour. It is a dark purple coloured grainy powder you can get in drugstores, which is used for mouth disinfection. Just make a 5 % solution and dip the handle in. The solution has a purple colour, but don't worry, the antlers get the same dark brown colour as your skin when you touch it. Let soak for 5 minutes and dry.
For leather i take a thick brown leather stain, which i apply, let dry and remove with alcohol. Gives a very mottled surface.
In general, if i want the antique look, i prefer using antique materials like very old antler or cracked ivory. Silver fittings blackened with egg white or ferric cloride to go with.

Have fun!

Achim

 
Thank you guys for the tips. I´ll try the potassium hypermanganese.
Best regards

Ivan Campos
 
I just found some finishing kits called "old growth solution" in my latest catalog from woodcraft. They come with a 2 part solution to use and instructions on how to do it.They say you can make woods look either old or weathered.I haven't tried them or seen anything they've been used on so I don't know how well they work.Good luck.
 
TEST First! Try easy off oven cleaner on leather! This will give a cracked finish like an old bomber jacket! Fun Stuff!

Doug
 
I have tried the hypermanganese yesterday and it works great, except that the stag tends to absorb too much of it, swelling a lot, and when it leaves the stag, it seems that it schrinks a lot, too. There was a medium sized crack in the handle at the start of the experience. When the stag was inside the liquid, it almost disppeared. After I took it off and let it dry, it looked like the Grand Canyon! Bot the color was more than adequate, anyway.

Ivan Campos

P.S.: hey , Matt! wich woodcraft catalog are you mentioning. Is it on the web?
 
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