Bead blasting tool steel

[sinawalli]

I use tool steel to make my knives. If I were to bead blast a finish on D2, or 01, would that cause it to be even more prone to corrosion, due to pitting? Has anyone tried this? Thank you.

 

[Dan Gray]

I use tool steel to make my knives. If I were to bead blast a finish on D2, or 01, would that cause it to be even more prone to corrosion, due to pitting? Has anyone tried this? Thank you.

you might get by with the D2 with just a bit of oil where it has Cr in it but O1 you'll have more of a problem with it.
unless you graduly build a patina on it.
but you'll still need to oil it or coat it for protection.
the patina protects fairly well..

 

[Gringogunsmith]

I use tool steel to make my knives. If I were to bead blast a finish on D2, or 01, would that cause it to be even more prone to corrosion, due to pitting? Has anyone tried this? Thank you.

If you are bead blasting consider brownells ospho blue ( cold treatment).
If you want silver and dull, polish the blade thouroughly and acid etch to dull it.

Bead blast, when viewed inder a scope, is VERY aggressive ( man made pitting).
It holds oil or waxes well but, if dry, it holds moisture well too.
Acid etch is much less aggressive.

Now.. I aint no knife builder !
But I've handled a BUNCH of gun steel....

 

[Dan Gray]

Gringo is right with glass
if you use ceramic bead it won't tear up the steel so much as glass will it more or less dents the steel if you are bent on blasting it..
I guess I should have asked what is your motive to blasting it rather than etching it?
though I do like a bead finish over etched other than in Damascus

 

[Mike Hull]

Besides increasing the risk of corrosion, the worst part of bead blasting knife blades that will be used in the field is, they retain bacteria way more than a conventional finish.

If it's a combat knife, it's not necessarry to have a finish like that on it, the knife is in the sheath most of the time anyway. If it has to be used against another human, who cares the finish. The whole subdued thing is kind of a joke among the special operations people anyway.

How did we win, or help win two world wars without tactical blades?!?!?!

If the trooper uses that knife to prepare food and it's full of bacteria trapped in the pits of the sand/bead blast, he's going to be a casualty most likely, just as sure as if he'd been hit with a bullet or shrapnel.

Could be bad news if it's a LRRP, or other recondo type mission far from medical help.

 

[sinawalli]

Thanks! Sounds like the etch is a better way to go. Now I have antiqued blades in the past using lemon juice, javex bleach, and mustard. Is this the same as etching? I have had good results with it. also used Dave's Insanity Sauce, and that REALLY works. I have used cold blue on 01, and it worked great, but didn't work well at all with the D2, was really splochy!