Different finishes for stainless?? Can you etch/patina it?

G

GrizzlyBear

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I ran across a thread a while back of someone showing a knife they made and they had put an antiqued finish onto their stainless blade.

Are there any tried and true methods for doing different finishes for stainless other than mirror, hand rubbed, and media blasted?
 
Though I am no means an expert on finishes or chemistry, I'm not sure you can etch stainless. Not using common methods like with ferric chloride at least. I am aware that it is possible though but only with the aid of industrial chemicals (some of which are highly toxic and I doubt you would find in your local radio shack). However, I did find that some people recommended a mixture of HCl and H2SO4 though I am not sure of the proportions.
 
I did some searching and there's a vid on youtube of a girl using Sulfamic cleaner acid mixed in a paste with hot water to patina a stainless blade. She used a very cheap knife though and I'm wondering if the same method would work on stainless like Aus-8.

The results she got were rather neat, I'd be interested in seeing what some of the more experienced makers had to say on this.
 
I customer of mine in the UK has successfully etched RWL34 with ferric chloride. It gets a frosty look as opposed to the flat gray of carbon steel.
 
BChou-E29 said:
Though I am no means an expert on finishes or chemistry, I'm not sure you can etch stainless. Not using common methods like with ferric chloride at least. I am aware that it is possible though but only with the aid of industrial chemicals (some of which are highly toxic and I doubt you would find in your local radio shack). However, I did find that some people recommended a mixture of HCl and H2SO4 though I am not sure of the proportions.
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Similar rules apply with stainless steels as carbon steels, if they have no nickel at all(which most stainless steels used for knives don't) then they will etch with ferric chloride. They will etch slower and if they do have nickel especially over 8% then they will not etch with ferric chloride. They might etch with other acids, best way to find out is to get a copy of the MSDS for that steel.
Thanks,
Del
 
According to the steel guide on AG Russel's site, AUS-8 has .49% Nickel. So, that being said, ferric chloride should etch it ok, just might take longer than steel with no nickel?
 
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