Do you guys force a patina ??

T

Twinsdad

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Jul 13, 2015
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i just received my pm2 with 52100 and forced a patina not sure how I like it. Do you guys do that to the steels that will take it or let it happen on its own?
 
I have forced it on HAP40 and M4. The sort of common consensus is that a patina provides some rust resistance so that's why I've forced it.

Made a sandwich with onions, tomato, and mustard for the HAP40 and for M4 did hot vinegar.
 
I forced a "base layer" on my 52100 millie. I love the way it looks. What are you unsure of on your PM2? Did it not come out the way you wanted it to?
 
The more I look at it I like it. I really didn't know what to expect. I cut a orange in half and squeezed the juice in a container and soaked it for about a hour then touched it up on fine and uf on sharpmaker and stropped it a bit.
 
I think the thing about forcing a patina is there is a bit of an art to it. Some people can do it have an attractive pattern show and for others you get a result that just looks like an old tool that' s been in the box for decades.

How long, what you use, what the base steel is, and all the rest make this an art more than a science.
 
I’m letting mine happen naturally from time. The M4 I have isn’t nearly as prone to corrosion as 52100 though. So starting a patina has an advantage their. I believe there is a member here, @The Mastiff, who has incredible knowledge of steel. I read he prefers to keep his clean of patina by using a wax or something similar. I may be interested in this approach as well.
 
For an even patina, prepping the blade is the most important part! Make sure you clean ALL OILS off the blade with a solvent (I use isopropyl alcohol), and don't touch it with your bare hands after cleaning it (adding oils back).
 
I think we need pictures if the sun comes out I will try to shoot side by side.


 
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Here's my millie

pAFE2uB.png
 
I’ve never done it with a spyderco, but I’ve forced or at least...strongly recommended a patina on a fixed blade and plenty of traditional knives.

Sometimes a forced patina leaves a lot of contract or weird patterns, which I typically don’t like. I’ve found that hot apple cider vinegar applied somewhat evenly with a cotton ball gives a really nice, dark, grey patina that looks a little more natural and adds some great rust resistance.

Aside from that I’ll make a point of slicing and eating a ton of apples, making a ton of margaritas, etc so that a patina forms asap. I don’t know if this is forcing, necessarily. It’s more like putting your knife in frequent situations that result in a solid base.
 
Went outside for some better lighting. I also noticed the steel has a kind of burning stink to it once it dried out. Now it smells like a gun lol
 

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Generally, if I’m going to EDC it, then yes. I usually just do a light patina with plain yellow mustard dabbed on randomly. I’ve yet to have any rust problems doing it this way. But I do live in a pretty dry climate.

8D0A52AA-49E1-4AFB-A805-C8C3FE26A9F0.jpeg E43E7237-EFB0-4423-81C3-382ADE4135EE.jpeg
 
VermontEdge said:
Aside from that I’ll make a point of slicing and eating a ton of apples, making a ton of margaritas, etc so that a patina forms asap. I don’t know if this is forcing, necessarily. It’s more like putting your knife in frequent situations that result in a solid base.
Click to expand...

This is what I did to my Opinel. Apples and steak :D
 
My PM2 52100 patinas just by looking at it. But seriously, if I cut a piece of food stuff and don't wipe it right away, it will leave a mark. So I just started to leave it on for few minutes just to accelerate the process.

On the other hand, my M4 Mantra and Maxamet PM2 are very difficult to patina. Especially the M4. I actually tried to force it and barely got any indication of discoloration. I see other M4s with lot more patina then I can get. Is it possible there is some variance in the steel?
 
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