CLR, Vinegar, Mustard, etc...

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klattman

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May 5, 2004
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I have a very nicely polished carbon CV blade that I would like to artificially patinize (not a word - I know).

Which method is the most fool proof for a grey/dark and even patina?
(Please describe the method)

Readily available is good, and by foolproof I mean I cannot easily grow red rust by mistake with said method, I don't want to have to re-buff...and I want to protect against rust, not induce it.

Thanks a bunch!
 
I have noticed that just slicing fruits like oranges and veges like tomatoes gets it a pretty good start at 'aging' gracefully if that is what you are trying to do.

You might also consider one of the old timer methods of getting it wet, leaving it sit for 24 hours and then wiping off the corrosion that starts. I did this with my personal and used one of the multi purpose erasers sold by Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Part # UC135 $3.49 plus tax and shipping.

Once you do this you won't have to worry about seeing finger prints on the blade anymore. It made my Schrade Stockman go from a new out of the box look to a pocketworn look like I'd carried it for years.
 
To put a good protective patina on my Opinels I've used mustard. Use warm soap and water to make sure the blade is real clean, and then dry. Used plain old yellow mustard, let it sit on for a while then wash of and repeat the proccess a couple of times.

Or you can stick it in a potato overnight.

Either works well.
 
Just slicing fruits and veggies work pretty well. I also left it in some grapefruit juice and it got a brown patina.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I don't want to start a new one.
My o1 blades turn some of my food greyish colour, is this safe? Thanks.
 
I tried the potato method, but I never got a nice even color.

I like to stand my knives up in a shot glass full of plain old white vinegar. I did this with an Opinel No. 7 and a Case CV Mini Trapper. The result was a deep even gray color. The patina seems to protect the blades very well.

Has anybody ever tried to cold blue a knife blade? I don't have any cold blue here, or I would give it a try.
 
Might want to do a search in the Himalayan Imports forum for "vinegar etch" or "mustard patina" ... lots of info there.
Best patina I ever had was from scrubbing a kukri with a scotch brite pad, then rubbing it with a cut lime. Let it sit for an hour, washed it off, repeated the process. Gave it a nice mottled blue with a lot of nice hues, like a puddle on asphalt. It's been in the wooden sheath in the trunk of my car through a humid rainy summer and there's zero rust.
 
For an even patina I pour a glass full of pure Lemon juice, make sure the blade is clean and dry, then let the steel stand in the juice until the shade you like appears. A half hour may give a nice light smoke grey color, an hour a darker shade, ect... My experience has been that this will give an even color, sort of like blueing on a firearm. Note, the blade must be clean. A spot of oil will cause the patina to be uneven or wavy. After the juice bath, of course you have to clean again and apply a rust preventive, oil, wax, whatever you normally do.
 
BOILER said:
I tried the potato method, but I never got a nice even color.

I like to stand my knives up in a shot glass full of plain old white vinegar. I did this with an Opinel No. 7 and a Case CV Mini Trapper. The result was a deep even gray color. The patina seems to protect the blades very well.

Has anybody ever tried to cold blue a knife blade? I don't have any cold blue here, or I would give it a try.
Click to expand...

I tried the standing in vinegar method. I let sit for 20 minutes and got a nice light grey color. BUT, I also see small dark grey specks, they don't seem to be red rust, but they are very small. IS this bad or is it normal?.. it's a case CV and it was spectacularly cleaned before trying this.

I am thinking of repeating the process to get darker, but I am concerned about the dots.. will they become pits? Are they 'bad' oxidation?

(I tried the same method on a 1095 old timer blade and it got VERY dark and very even)
 
Yes to the question of gun blue. years ago I used some Formula 44-40 cold blue on a carbon knife blade and it worked great. Just be sure to really degrease it well.
 
klattman said:
...nice light grey color. BUT, I also see small dark grey specks, they don't seem to be red rust, but they are very small. IS this bad or is it normal?..
I am thinking of repeating the process to get darker, but I am concerned about the dots.. will they become pits? Are they 'bad' oxidation?

(I tried the same method on a 1095 old timer blade and it got VERY dark and very even)
Click to expand...

Are the dark grey dots pits or just discoloration? I want to go ahead and make it darker, but I don't want to pit the blade!!?

Any ideas?
 
I decided to try something very readily available.

So I brewed some strong coffee, poured it into a styrofoam cup and stabbed the blade thru a small piece of cardboard, which can lay across the top and suspend the blade in the coffee.

The result after 2 hours was a beautiful, dark smooth patina. Just what I was after. I'm so surprised that this turned out so nice.

The vinegar didn't do much after 20 minutes, and was speckled, but the coffee turned my chrome vanadium (case) blade dark and evenly in that time, and I left it for 2 hours for good measure.

It's worth a try, I started with HOT coffee, maybe that speeds up the process?

Anyway, thought you should know...
 
I revived this thread so I could hear from the experts. I have a D-2 knife that is starting to show some stains from the persperation of my hands, etc. Can I put a patina on D-2? What works on a D-2 blade to give a grey patina?
 
fasteddie said:
I revived this thread so I could hear from the experts. I have a D-2 knife that is starting to show some stains from the persperation of my hands, etc. Can I put a patina on D-2? What works on a D-2 blade to give a grey patina?
Click to expand...

I have a D2 stockman that started to show very small pits from sweat. I tried coffee (which works amazingly on Chrome Vanadium and 1095 steel), and straight vinegar to no effect whatsoever.

CLR and Ferric Chloride are probably much stronger, so they may be worth a try. On the other hand, my searches have revealed that D2 likes to pit rather than patina.

I have given up on 'patinizing' my stockman, and I seldom carry it now since my sweat appears to be destructive. I can carry my patina'd 1095 and Case ChromeVanadium blades no problem.

Has anyone tried Ferric Chloride or CLR on D2? Can D2 take a patina at all???

P.S. You might also try to post in the Himalayan Imports Forum. Those folks know about patina! (link back to here so we all see the answer thanks)
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=739
 
I would love to see some pics of blades that have been false-patina'd through the aformentioned methods. Before I do this to my blades. Anyone have any pics?
:)
 
agony said:
I would love to see some pics of blades that have been false-patina'd through the aformentioned methods. Before I do this to my blades. Anyone have any pics?
:)
Click to expand...

I don't have a digital cam. I can tell you that the cofee made it very even and I think the secret is to get all oil and fingerprints off the blade first. First dish soap then rinse then windex and rinse and dry without touching the blade.

I suggest you go to a store and pick up the cheapest one-bladed old timer in 1095 steel that you can get (maybe 10 bucks?) to practice on. I practiced on an OT mightymite before patinizing my Case Russlock.

Anyone else? Pics please!!
 
Nice thread.
On my Opinels I have used Tomato sauce to get a good even patina.
An experiment with garlic pickle "burnt" the blade where the garlic lumps touched (what it does to ones insides...)
I want to somehow get more of the blue patina. Strikes me this is one for a chemist with an interest in metal (an obsesion with sharp things as well would help). Any one out there?
 
CRH said:
Yes, I'd like to see some pics also if anyone could be so kind.
Click to expand...

Here are some I've done with vinegar:

An old German knife.
026804.jpg


Khukuri (notice the area near the bolster I didn't clean well enough).
ponqv


My rendition of a rifleman's knife.
ponsy


A boot knife I made and polished out some after the vinegar.
poo04


Regards,
Greg

By the way: Roosko has some blades (O1) that he etched in Ferric Chloride posted in the the Knifemakers gallery.

Here are some pics from an old thread of a mustard patina that TOB9595 did on a knife:
Pic. 1
Pic. 2
Pic. 3
 
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