Another vinegar soak

[Maximumbob54]

Saw where someone here had soaked a blade in vinegar to achieve something that looked a bit like black oxide coating. Decided to give it a try. Maybe don't do what I did and forget about it until the next day...

Rough Ryder large stockman in T10. Black stuff had to be oiled and wiped the excess off for a bit before it would stop leaving black marks on everything. Once it stopped rubbing off I wiped it clean with a cloth and proceeded to carry it for a couple of months now. Didn't use it much since this was more of a corrosion test for carrying a carbon steel blade in a pocket and ignoring it to see if it would rust. You can see a hint of brown from the glaring LED in the light box but it's hard to make out looking at it in normal lighting. To be clear, this knife hasn't been wiped with oil in months while riding around buried in a pocket in South Georgia humidity. I think this is close enough to call it a success. I may go ahead and try this on a CS sodbuster next.

 

[Cementite]

Looks good, thanks for posting. What kind of vinegar? Clear? Cider? Regular strength?

Also curious about how you prepped the metal first. If I were to try it, I think I would probably wash it in hot water with Dawn detergent, then spray with brake cleaner, then blow it off with compressed air and repeat the brake cleaner / blow off routine a few times to completely degrease it...

 

[Maximumbob54]

Looks good, thanks for posting. What kind of vinegar? Clear? Cider? Regular strength?

Also curious about how you prepped the metal first. If I were to try it, I think I would probably wash it in hot water with Dawn detergent, then spray with brake cleaner, then blow it off with compressed air and repeat the brake cleaner / blow off routine a few times to completely degrease it...

Great Value white distilled vinegar. I used some Dawn on a tooth brush and rinsed in hot water from a kettle. Then I dunked it in a Gladware full of the vinegar and covered it to stop the stink. Then I forgot I was doing all that until the next day.

I forgot to add it ate the edges up pretty bad I assume since I left it so long. I may buy a few more cheap RR's to try and see what various timed attempts achieve.

 

[BJE]

Looks good

 

[Guy McVer]

Mustard is fun to play with if you want to give it a pattern. The patina will form mostly on the edges of where you put the mustard. This lets you do some pretty creative stuff with it.

You can use other condiments too. I think I read once about how someone got good results with that brand of sriracha sauce with a rooster on the bottle. But mustard is cheap and effective and it works fast. Depending on where you shop, you can get a bottle of it for less than 2 bucks.

Then of course there are people who like to just stick the blade in a piece of fruit or something and leave it there for a more natural look.