ESEE-4 and some vinegar and mustard and secret ingredient (PICS)

[cutter17]

I just got this knife this past week and have already decided that I really like it, a lot. I been wanting a carbon steel fb to "work on", and this one is perfect. I stripped the black coating with some spray paint stripper that came from Autozone, and this stuff sat on the blade for an hour and the coating just came off in one big piece on both sides. This is some good stuff!

I let it soak in vinegar for a couple hours until it developed a dark gray coating, then I used a q-tip and put a thin coat of mustard on the blade making stripes with it. I let this stay on for another couple hours before washing it off. The stripes were very, very faint, so I brought out the secret ingredient, PCB Etchant. Did the same q-tip thing and followed the mustard stripes. I let it stay on for 10-15 minutes before washing it off using a lot of dishwasher soap to make sure to stop the echtant process.

So here it be, my first stab at forced patina;

 

[jdm61]

Now the bad news. PCB etchant, which is ferric chloride, is what most knifemakers use to etch damascus, so it is far from secret.

 

[cutter17]

That's what made me think I could use it for this. I said secret to get more looks, and so more response's. I just used this stuff to eat a broken tap out of a titanium handle I was putting a clip on. Then I got the bright idea to see how it would etch a steel pocket clip, and left it in for 3-4 hours. Went back to fish it out and there was just a great big blob on the pottom of the bowl!! This stuff is just like Uncle George...eat 'em up, eat 'em up!!

 

[allyourblood]

Then I got the bright idea to see how it would etch a steel pocket clip, and left it in for 3-4 hours. Went back to fish it out and there was just a great big blob on the pottom of the bowl!! This stuff is just like Uncle George...eat 'em up, eat 'em up!!

Where're the pics of that?!