Chrome Plating?

R

RichardF

Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Messages
24
Is it possible to buy a 1095 steel knife and then send it out to one of the commercial hard chrome plating companies if one wants a reliable finish for a non stainless blade, or is there more to the process which prevents one from doing this?
 
Interesting idea. This is what Tripp (a well-known firearms re-finisher) states* regarding hard chroming:

With any electroplating process there can be a condition called hydrogen embrittlement. During the plating process some of the plating current goes to form hydrogen gas at the surface of the metal. Some of this hydrogen can be occluded in the basis metal which can cause residual stress in the surface and cause cracking problems later.

The dynamics of this situation are determined by the type of basis metal, the hardness of the basis metal, and the thickness of the chromium deposit. Firearm components are sometimes medium carbon steels (4130, 4140) or mild steels. These materials at the Rc 38-42 range or lower tend to self-relieve after hard chrome plating in the .0005 thickness range. The field performance of thousands and thousands of hard chrome slides also confirms this.

Obviously, knife blades are quite a bit harder than the parts that are typically hard chromed on a firearm. From reading this information, my concern would be how the process would affect the blade's edge holding and toughness.

* http://www.trippresearch.com/tech/hardchrome/hardchrome.htm
 
Most of the companies I've looked into have a process that completely eliminates the hydrogen imbrittlement, however they're also not usually interested in chroming something the size of one knife either, I've been told I'd have to have at least 100 of them for them to consider it. Also chroming is not cheap, although I like the look of it on the few knives I've see like that.
 
I know some makers like Mad Dog plate their knives, so I was kind of wondering if it would be possible to say...buy an Ontario Rat7 or whatever in 1095 and then send it off to a company that does something like the Metalife Chromium SS process to get the benefits of that steel with a long term protective finish. I never seem to see anyone mention this (though I'm fairly new to the board), so I was wondering if their was any metallurgical reason for why it shouldn't be done. Thanks for your responses.

Also, yes, I don't see anyone offering the service for sale, but many places will plate firearms, so I though maybe a knife could be added to a firearm order for a bit more money.
 
what are you going to do when the chrome starts to peel? sharpening the knife will get it started. i seen a knife that was chrome plated and thats what happened to it.
 
There's a difference between bumper chrome and hard chrome.

They hard chrome the inside of firearm barrels. That's how durable it is.
 
Just buy some tuff cloth. You can't possibly ruin the blade with it and it works magic in the area of rust protection.
 
Cliff Stamp is not a metallurgist but I am ! Yes there are two types of chrome hard and soft [decorative ] The soft is a multi layer plating -copper, nickel and chrome. Hydrogen embrittlement is not a problem as long as you bake out the hydrogen after plating.A proper plating job doesn't peel !!!..My very first kitchen knives , which I still have from the '60s but no longer use ,are chrome plated 1095. However while they always look nice the chrome doesn't cover the cutting edge [it would come off when sharpening anyway]...Over the years metallurgists got tired of rusting kitchen knives so they invented stainless steel ! While the early ones were poor some newer ones of VG-10, 154CM and others are excellent !In commercial use some codes require things like stainless steel and plastic handles . Or you could use 1095 and let it develop a patina .That's what we sensible people did .Just keep it clean and dry.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

moving-van.jpg
 
Mad Dog hard chromes over his 01 steel. There is no nickel between the knife steel and the chrome so it is not shiney. It is very tough and, with no nickel layer, doesn't peel. His knives have withstood some very harsh conditions, including seawater. I purchased on of his knives and gave it to a Special Forces Captain I know, who took it to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Chrome isn't especially shiney (like an old car bumper), it's the nickel plate underneath that gives it those mirror-like qualities. I don't believe the chrome plating on the bores of military rifles has the nickel either.
 
Mete is right. Over the years, all sorts of chrome plating has been tried with marginal success. The problem was that you'd still get get rusting at the edge, and in any accidental scratches the blade may develop over the years.
 
You have heard from a metallurgist, now how about a plater?
Whether a part is shiny or not has nothing to do with nickel-it has to do with the surface finish of the part before plating. Shiny part-shiny plating.
Knife blades have been chromed (and nickeled) for years. Case brand knives were often plated with chrome.
I can plate blades with electroless nickel, if anyone is interested. I don't bead/sandblast, so if you want a rough finish have the blade blasted first. I can do satin finish or bright polish. It should hold up well.
 
Gerber chromed the old (70's) M2 knives they made - best knives they ever made, and they still go for some bucks when you can find them. I've never seen the chrome chip off these, and in my experience the toughest coating I've ever seen.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top