- Joined
- Jul 21, 2009
- Messages
- 1,421
A while back, I got a pink Manix 2 with the intent to turn it into an orange Manix 2. But since the orange Manix 2 sprint came up, I decided to go to a different color. I picked up a pack of dark brown RIT dye and went to work.
I took the knife apart and cleaned up the scales. I dissolved the dye powder in a quart of boiling water, and stirred it until the powder was completely dissolved. I put the scales into the pot with the heat on low. They were in the solution for 45 minutes while everything simmered. I moved the scales around to make sure even coverage and avoid possible hot spots.
I took them out and rinsed everything out under hot water using a sponge. I put the knife back together and the only thing to note in reassembly is the lanyard tube. That was tough to do and I spent a while getting it tight again.
Here's the end result:
The scales are slightly brighter in person and the color is a bit more red-ish than as they appear in the photo.
I learned a few things for the future. The presentation side should face down while in the solution. Some residue spots got stuck on one of the scales and created two small light spots. Fortunately for me, those spots are covered by the pocket clip and are not visible. Next time, I would probably build a rack and drop that down into the solution. Another problem area is the edges of the scales. Depending on how it's finished, the dye does not appear as dark and ended up as a lighter brown.
I'm pretty happy with the results and it will be interesting to see how durable this is with use.
I took the knife apart and cleaned up the scales. I dissolved the dye powder in a quart of boiling water, and stirred it until the powder was completely dissolved. I put the scales into the pot with the heat on low. They were in the solution for 45 minutes while everything simmered. I moved the scales around to make sure even coverage and avoid possible hot spots.
I took them out and rinsed everything out under hot water using a sponge. I put the knife back together and the only thing to note in reassembly is the lanyard tube. That was tough to do and I spent a while getting it tight again.
Here's the end result:
The scales are slightly brighter in person and the color is a bit more red-ish than as they appear in the photo.
I learned a few things for the future. The presentation side should face down while in the solution. Some residue spots got stuck on one of the scales and created two small light spots. Fortunately for me, those spots are covered by the pocket clip and are not visible. Next time, I would probably build a rack and drop that down into the solution. Another problem area is the edges of the scales. Depending on how it's finished, the dye does not appear as dark and ended up as a lighter brown.
I'm pretty happy with the results and it will be interesting to see how durable this is with use.
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