Favorite patina recipes

[guitardemon]

I tried doing a search, but using Google to search the site doesn't always work too well (I really need to upgrade my membership...) I'm looking for patina recipes that leave a cool stylized look on a knife blade. I have used hot vinegar in the past, and it worked great. But this time I want something that is a little less uniform all the way around. Something with swirls in it would be cool.

 

[TekSec]

Yellow mustard. Squeeze it on any pattern you like, let it sit, rinse in neutralizer.

 

[silver_pilate]

I used Boar's Head horseradish mustard on this blade. Basically squirted a pile of mustard on a plate, and using a finger tip, I would dab into the mustard, dab onto the blade, mustard, blade, etc. Make little overlapping dots of the mustard and cover the entire blade. I hung it up on a wire for 8 hours, and afterwards, rinsed it clean. Scrub it down with 00 steel wool and windex, apply some oil, and you're good to go.

--nathan

 

[MikeJackmin]

I have read that leaving the blade inside a large onion will cause it to pick up a pattern from the internal rings, but I have never tried it.

I suppose if I were to do it, I'd halve the onion, lay the blade on one cut surface, and then position the second cut surface on top of that.

Another approach (which again, I have not tried) is to use a bit of wax like a crayon to make a pattern on the blade before the usual hot vinegar treatment. Then strip the wax and vinegar it again, leaving light and dark grays behind.

I suppose you could paint a nice pattern with cold gun blue, too.

 

[J.S. Carter]

Another approach (which again, I have not tried) is to use a bit of wax like a crayon to make a pattern on the blade before the usual hot vinegar treatment.

I have tried this, only I substituted the crayon for a black fine point sharpie pen. It left my drawing embossed on the blade. I use a bath of lemon juice concentrate and white vinegar at room temp.

 

[koyote]

1: tabasco - dab it on, nice and thick, but uneven. Uneven is pretty key. it'll dry out, at which point if you want to you can add more (or vinegar, but tabasco is "sticky")

2: mustard- regular yellow works fine, splotch it all over, but a bit loosely. Then you can add tabasco later for deeper blacks- after the mustard is good and dry and you have a pattern of dots or swirls.

3: double boiler and beeswax, dip the blade, then scrape patterns and soak in vinegar. MAKE SURE the WHOLE thing is covered in wax because the gassing of the vinegar will start rust bluing bare metal above the liquid.

3 can become a way to etch stuff into blades. I'm not really good at it yet, and have been a bit busy to get really good, but I can put a decent maker's mark on sometimes.....

method 2:

http://www.koyotemakesstuff.com/knives/man-necker2.jpg

method 1:

lightly done
http://www.koyotemakesstuff.com/knives/petty-2.jpg
and done over a polished forge finish:
http://www.koyotemakesstuff.com/knives/burntosage1-061908.jpg

 

[Steven Penner]

Mustard, horseradish, Tabasco.....they all have vinegar in them.

I'm wondering does anyone mix dry mustard with water and get any patina ???

If vinegar is the active ingredient, you should be able to mix up a cheap paste with flour and vinegar ???

 

[B.V.]

I think the finish looks great in those photos and I have decided to try it myself. One question though, is this finish just for looks or does it protect the steel form rust etc.. as well? Either way I'll give it a whirl.....just wonderin'.

Brad

 

[Raymond Richard]

I use the finish more for looks. I was asked how I did my patinas on Fogg's forum, here's a link to that if you interested: http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=10995

 

[B.V.]

Very nice! How is your blade finished (bead blasted, hand sanded or polished,etc...) prior the final finish application?

 

[birdog4]

rhubarb juice

 

[sinawalli]

I have had good luck with equal parts Dave's Insanity Sause, mustard, and Javex bleach!

 

[happycat]

I was at the county fair last weekend and used my latest knife to spread horse raddish on my sandwich. It left a pretty neat ecthedpattern after only a minute or two. I spent the next 15 or so playing with it while I ate. What's cool is the hoorse radish stays pretty much where you put it so you can control your design. If you want to do tiger stripes or what not.
It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, but I'll be trying that again next time I want a patina.
Ed