Darkening Nail Nick

[Mike Fennessy]

Now that I've switched to stainless for my folders, the nail nick isn't dark like when I would oil quench O1. I'm not having great luck turning it a more or less permanent black. Does anyone have any tips?

 

[Craigb]

Take it out of the foil wrap, so air gets to it while it is still red hot, before plate quench. If you have some that are hardened already use your etcher to darken the nick before you finish grinding.

I have done a couple that way using a wire with alligator clips on each end. Clip one end to the metal under the pad and use a Q-tip dipped in electrolyte in the other one to darken the nick.


Craig

 

[kc custom]

Most of the time a darkened nail nick means it was cut before heat treat, and usually on a mill,
with fast (frozen plate) quenching on ss it often stays as white as when it went into the foil.
This is so ingrained in people that they will attempt to grind in the nail nick and then darken it.
I like a clean cut nail nick wether its cut before heat treat or after and don't have a problem with
a clean cut silver nail nick. Long pulls do look better black so slower quench or as was mentioned
let air into it while hot.
Ken.

 

[Mike Fennessy]

Thanks for the help. I've got two that are about to go into the oven right now (both long pulls). I think I'll do one each way. :thumbup:

 

[Mike Fennessy]

Well, turns out I'm not near fast enough to get it out of the packet in time for that It did make some pretty amazing colors when I tried. I hope that doesn't ruin the heat treat. I wonder if thats from too much oxygen in the packet? I've only done one ss (440c) knife before this. The nail pull isn't as dark as it looks in the pic unfortunately. For now I'm gonna focus on getting it safely out of the oven and between the plates. I'll revisit this technique later

The one I didn't try to get out of the packet had a little color too, including most of them in the nail pull. Interesting.

 

[kc custom]

I'm not sure its from too much oxygen, the colors all the way to black seem to be from a slower
quench- ie non frozen plates will seem to color more than frozen, so quench speed. I think both
of those blades are good in fact theres a ton of makers doing it where they always turn black.
Ken.

 

[Tait]

I get colors a lot like that even leaving them in the packets.

Most people kind of like them, so you might try leaving the color in the nail nick and see how it works out.

 

[J. Oeser]

You could also try a little ferric on a q-tip. I personally like dark nicks and pulls.