Embrace the gray. Post your patina!

schmittie

schmittie

Gold Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
2,963
I realize there are mixed opinions on the subject of patina's on tool steel. Some love them, even force them. Others meticulously care for each knife and hate the idea of anything but a mirror polish on their blades.

To be honest, I've fallen between the two sides. I can't say I've been quick to stain a knife on purpose, but I don't polish them regularly either. Whatever happens, happens.....to a point.

Here is a brief story of my favorite Fiddleback to date. I don't carry it every day, but it's my most often carried Fiddleback. An 1/8" O1 Patch in Shadetree coffee bag burlap. This knife hasn't done it all, but she had done plenty.

She has:

Cut my wife's ID bracelet off her wrist on her final day of chemotherapy (look how new and shiny that blade is!)-



Been there to cut salami and spread cheese on crackers at a local winery-



Even skinned and deboned a deer this past season. There is one on the bottom right and one on the top left of this pic (it was one of these two does. Sorry, no "in progress" pics)-





All of this work took the shine off the blade and left it with an odd tarnish. Kinda streaky and dark towards the tip.



So, for once, I've decided to step out of my comfort zone and force a patina.

There are lots of ways to do it. I actually tried several.

1- soak paper towels in vinegar (I had red wine vinegar on hand) and leave for a time.



Results were- Eh. Ok I guess. But not what I wanted.

Round 2- mustard



Again. Results were- Eh. Boring really. These two methods left it spotty, streaky and uninteresting.




Looking around the kitchen we had some apple juice cocktail of sorts. How about a soak?



Again = not the results I wanted. I was hoping for a result that would bring a more even, uniform dull gray. Not streaky, spotty and odd. After all, it would do that with time anyway.

Then I remembered reading that many have had good success with a plain old warm white vinegar soak. (No pics. Looks the same as above)

Why didn't I do this first?? It was just what I hoped for! A flat gray.



After stropping the edge back-




Long story short- I'm happy and got what I wanted. This knife and I will be together for a long time. After step 1 above, she will hold a special and sentimental spot in our home. And she is a great little workhorse.

If you have a Fiddleback with a forced or natural patina, post it up!! :)
 
Last edited:
Nice Brian! That'll do it. I've used hot apple cider vinegar for the same effect.
 
Here is my Patch. It is 1/8" O1 with a tapered tang. This knife has a sandblasted natural canvas micarta handle. The patina on it is 100% natural. I use it often in the kitchen and it cuts up a lot of fruit.
I bought this knife used. Here is what it looked like when I received it.


And here is what it looks like now

 
Love this. I had tried to force a patina on one of my blades with cut onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and lemons. It looked pretty cool - a splotchy look much like you'll find on the thread on the actual Fiddleback home website on forcing a patina. But I quickly changed my mind and polished the blade back up. I much prefer this uniform dull gray.

I'll see if I can hunt down any pics I might still have.

Thanks for the info and sharing the experience. I particularly loved step one - cutting off the hospital bracelet. That's fantastic.

Tony
 
My Patch used to have a nice patina until I had to send it off for some repairs. I had cleaned many deer with it this year. I'll post a picture of my Runt later on which I haven't had very long and is starting to have some good grey to it.
 
t1xGYl4.jpg
 
Thank you, sir. That knife has some stories to tell, but most of them aren't mine. I had it on loan from a friend and restored the edge, but I couldn't help but take a few closeups as well before it went home.
 
I let a natural patina develop on all my carbon knives. And I really don't carry SS. I think the patina tells a story and makes the knife look like it is a real tool with real memories associated with it. I don't usually do a forced patina anymore. Sometimes I cut up an apple with the knife if I want something quick. Leave the knife wet with apple juice while you eat the apple. Voila.
 
Nice post Brian! Great story to go with that patch also. I'll post a current pic of my Woodsman later, it is the only one that I have that has a patina now and wasn't a forced one. It has been all natural from use in the woods and in the kitchen. The others I have in A2 do not patina quite as easily as the O-1 does


Fiddleback said:
I let a natural patina develop on all my carbon knives. And I really don't carry SS. I think the patina tells a story and makes the knife look like it is a real tool with real memories associated with it. I don't usually do a forced patina anymore. Sometimes I cut up an apple with the knife if I want something quick. Leave the knife wet with apple juice while you eat the apple. Voila.
Click to expand...

The carbon has more character and the stainless is definitely boring by comparison, but when it comes to coastal applications I like the boring aspect of it :)
 
I call this my "Amoeba Patina."

A combination of forced and natural methods. I've since polished the blade to remove the patina because it was getting pretty dark and because of situations like this:
So, we often have friends over for dinner, sporting events, etc. I personally like to cook and entertain and often have a large butcher block out on the counter loaded with some fruit (lemons, limes, oranges, pineapple, etc.) to accompany drinks. I'll cut some before hand, but always leave a knife out on the block for anyone to go at it. Most of the time, I have the Ladyfinger on the board. During this past Super Bowl, a friend of ours needed a lime for her drink. I just happen to be looking in that direction and I had to smirk. I watched the confused/uneasy look on her face when she picked up the knife, looked at it and set it back down. She then proceeded to look around in our kitchen drawers for another knife. I walked over to her, laughed and said "You know, not all knives are stainless." She said yes, but I don't want that stuff rubbing off onto my fruit. Being married, I know that sometimes it is just not worth the effort of an explanation. Not to mention, my wife was hovering and once again reminded me "Really hun. It's about time to clean that thing." :rolleyes:
So, long story short, when I began to polish the blade, I was able to remove 99% of the patina on the first go around. What I noticed was a "Ghosting" of the original forced pattern that stayed on the blade. I stopped there because I actually think it looks pretty good :cool:

I tend to clean/polish most of my blades after use. There are just a few Fiddlebacks I let form a good patina. This Ladyfinger, an HB, and an old Bushfinger that I thought I'd never muck up, but for that knife, I think it was really begging to get some of its original character back.

DSC00526-vi.jpg


IMG_1490-vi.jpg


"Ghosting" and a close up of the hammered flats on 01. Pretty cool.

IMG_0898-vi.jpg
 
Kal-El said:
I call this my "Amoeba Patina."

A combination of forced and natural methods. I've since polished the blade to remove the patina because it was getting pretty dark and because of situations like this:

...... During this past Super Bowl, a friend of ours needed a lime for her drink. I just happen to be looking in that direction and I had to smirk. I watched the confused/uneasy look on her face when she picked up the knife, looked at it and set it back down. She then proceeded to look around in our kitchen drawers for another knife. I walked over to her, laughed and said "You know, not all knives are stainless." She said yes, but I don't want that stuff rubbing off onto my fruit. ....
Click to expand...

LMAO that is hilarious!! I like the Amoeba patina! And I'm glad to hear it's getting all mucked up again! :)
 
Awesome looking patinas guys. I'll post some later. My bushfinger and patch knife have some pretty good ones!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top