Dark stains on Shrade Old-Timer blades

C

cardimon

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Sep 20, 2000
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I have a Shrade Old-Timer I bought over 10 years ago at a flea-market. I love that knife. The body is 3.25 inches and the main blade (there are three in all) is 2.5 inches. I have tried to maintain it as much as possible, but there are black stains on every blade. I can't remove them. Are those stains harming the blades?
 
Not at all -- this seems like a valid topic for General, as well.

The Schrade Old Timers I've owned have been rust-o-matics. Something about the steel Schrade uses just seems especially susceptible to oxidation. Don't know about the black stains, but I suspect it's the usual carbon steel oxidation patina...

-Razor

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AKTI #A000845
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Razoredj:
Don't know about the black stains, but I suspect it's the usual carbon steel oxidation patina...

-Razor
</font>
Click to expand...

So it that a good thing or a bad thing? Should I try scrubbing them off with metal polish?

 
They probably are patina - natural rust/tarnish to the carbon steel that comes with use. To some (very small) degree, they are actually help protecting the steel, much like gun browning.

But they are likely a result of corrosion and there is really nothing is preventing further rust or pitting.

You can sand them off, but then you need to keep them polished to keep it from coming back.

Best of to keep the knife dry and apply a light coat of oil to the blades.

Mike

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I have an Old Timer, from 25 years ago, with black blades. Completely black with a smooth coating of oxides. It seems to be very stable and not prone to rusting / pitting / scaling. The first time a saw one with "silver" looking blades, I was shocked. Mine had always been black; ever since I stole it from my Dad's sock drawer and claimed it as my own.

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Jay
 
anytime you cut something acidic, strawberries, lemons, etc. a carbon steel blade will color. It can be polished off, but my grandfathers stockman has had black blades for at l;east half a century. Still cuts fine. They never rust either...

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Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.
W. Somerset Maugham
 
I've got an old Schrade Stockman whose blades looked like that.
Scotchbrite pad and a minute or two with some fine sandpaper took 90% of it off.
 
A "rust eraser"(available at SMKW) will remove most of the discoloration, if it bothers you. It's probably not doing the knife any harm, as long as you keep it normally lubed.

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AKTI Member #A000934
"Always just ONE knife short of perfection".
 
I'd leave it on. I have a great old Bowie that is completely black. It's the same stuff as old style rust blueing on guns and the oxidation helps to protect the blade from nasty red rust by holding oil better than bare steel. Besides, it looks cool.
wink.gif

scot
 
If you can sharpen the blade, then don't worry about the blackness.
Actually, I've seen threads on this forum from folks who are trying to blacken their carbon blades as quickly as possible.
I think it adds character to the knife.
My Camillus Yello-Jaket trapper has stainless steel blades but the backsprings are carbon. I think the knife looks even better now that the backsprings are blackened (the black contrasted with the yellow scales is great).
Good Luck,
Allen.
 
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