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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Blade Coatings
- Thread starter Uncle Bob
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2001
- Messages
- 343
Uncle Bob,
If its the dark coating you meant then its probably as Bobby B has written. Carbon Steel is chemicaly treated with the appropriate heated gun blue solution formula. In general, bluing color or end result may vary due to the method of application, chemical composition of gun blue formula, even material on which applied on among others. In industry it is primarily used as a quick method of protective anti rust coating, it is not particularly hard wearing. However you may touch-up the blued surface with cold blue solution or gel like paste. This you may find in your regular gun store. Beware that it takes some doing to cold blue an entire blade, experience is necessary if you wish to create a smooth and flawless surface.
But if you meant the gray coating as found on the SEAL Pup, here's what our dear Ronster once said, "The coating is called the "gray powder coating" and is proprietary-based. Regarding touching it up, there is nothing we can do here at the factory and since it is applied through a heat process to the whole blade, I can't think of an adequate "patch." Most I've talked with are not concerned about their "hard work knife" having some of the coating rubbed off."
Krizzard
"...Whoever kills with the sword must be killed by the sword... "
- The New Testament, Revelation 13:10
If its the dark coating you meant then its probably as Bobby B has written. Carbon Steel is chemicaly treated with the appropriate heated gun blue solution formula. In general, bluing color or end result may vary due to the method of application, chemical composition of gun blue formula, even material on which applied on among others. In industry it is primarily used as a quick method of protective anti rust coating, it is not particularly hard wearing. However you may touch-up the blued surface with cold blue solution or gel like paste. This you may find in your regular gun store. Beware that it takes some doing to cold blue an entire blade, experience is necessary if you wish to create a smooth and flawless surface.
But if you meant the gray coating as found on the SEAL Pup, here's what our dear Ronster once said, "The coating is called the "gray powder coating" and is proprietary-based. Regarding touching it up, there is nothing we can do here at the factory and since it is applied through a heat process to the whole blade, I can't think of an adequate "patch." Most I've talked with are not concerned about their "hard work knife" having some of the coating rubbed off."
Krizzard
"...Whoever kills with the sword must be killed by the sword... "
- The New Testament, Revelation 13:10
Bobby B
No more Mr. Knife-guy
- Joined
- May 18, 2001
- Messages
- 3,053
Uncle Bob,
I don't know of any new "gun blued" blades coming out, but SOG does experiment with blade coatings. Personally I like the BC coating done by Bodycote, as I did for my Ti Vision...
Krizzard,
How much "doing" does it take to cold blue a blade? Can it be done in "layers" or successive coatings?
I don't know of any new "gun blued" blades coming out, but SOG does experiment with blade coatings. Personally I like the BC coating done by Bodycote, as I did for my Ti Vision...
Krizzard,
How much "doing" does it take to cold blue a blade? Can it be done in "layers" or successive coatings?
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2001
- Messages
- 343
Bobbt B,
For a factory gun blued knife touch up is a risky business if you want to achieve a pristine look. If its small wearing, off you may quickly run over the affected area no more than 30 seconds with a patch. The best way to achieve evenness would be to remove the entire blued surface and start fresh. Note that the dark deep blue finish requires a hot tank. And bluing specialist often mix their own blue formula differently.
In my humble opinion to get an even finish when cold bluing with a patch, one would have to be able to get the acidic chemical solution to react upon the intended area of application at same time with even consistency. In that if you miss going over certain surface areas you'll find the problem of certain parts appearing to be lighter then the surrounding areas. The more times you run over the solution the more difficult it becomes to control the smoothness of color. Worst if you over do it, you may find the over blued areas becoming patchy and sometimes loose its blued color altogether.
Its different if you have a hot blue tank.You would be able to have better control of even surface application.
Just my two cents worth.
Krizzard, out.
"...Whoever kills with the sword must be killed by the sword... "
- The New Testament, Revelation 13:10
For a factory gun blued knife touch up is a risky business if you want to achieve a pristine look. If its small wearing, off you may quickly run over the affected area no more than 30 seconds with a patch. The best way to achieve evenness would be to remove the entire blued surface and start fresh. Note that the dark deep blue finish requires a hot tank. And bluing specialist often mix their own blue formula differently.
In my humble opinion to get an even finish when cold bluing with a patch, one would have to be able to get the acidic chemical solution to react upon the intended area of application at same time with even consistency. In that if you miss going over certain surface areas you'll find the problem of certain parts appearing to be lighter then the surrounding areas. The more times you run over the solution the more difficult it becomes to control the smoothness of color. Worst if you over do it, you may find the over blued areas becoming patchy and sometimes loose its blued color altogether.
Its different if you have a hot blue tank.You would be able to have better control of even surface application.
Just my two cents worth.
Krizzard, out.
"...Whoever kills with the sword must be killed by the sword... "
- The New Testament, Revelation 13:10