Force Patina on an Izula?

[HoosierQ]

So I am really digging the Izula...knife and price.

Given that little knife, I'd likely stip off the powder coat and go bare metal and force a patina. I have seen some absolutley beautiful patina's on Izulas in the picture thread.

So I have a carbon steel Mora. Great knife and a good platform for testing. I concocted a mixture of yellow mustard and some jalepeno sauce and slathered it on. The results, while intriguing, are not there yet. I did get some nice colors and some blackening but it was not even or professional. Obviously practice makes perfect.

I noticed a couple things...the effect was more pronounced where the mixture was thin or even missing...as if the juice rather than the slurry was doing the job. I also noted that the first time is the right time...I applied a second coat and the effect was lessened...obviously by the chemical changes of the first application.

So the question then is, what have you all used/done to produce some of those great looking natural patinas that I have seen on so many Izulas? Apply Thin or Thick? Mustard? Vinegar? Wine? Grape Juice? Tabasco? Mix 'em all together?

 

[jnanson]

Thin as air needs to get to the blade to start the Patina. If you want a black patina use "liver of sulfur" any place that sells jewelery supplies will have it.

 

[Col. Cornelius]

Howdy,

I used a thick layer of yellow mustard, and let it sit for about 4 hours.

The results looks similar to case hardening.

 

[ikilledkenny]

i used vinegar

 

[Coyote3855]

Haven't put a patina on an Izula. Have had good luck soaking a paper towel in vinegar and wrapping the towel around the blade of other carbon knives. Had one, a Brown Mule Sodbuster, that ended up looking like Damascus. Doesn't take long, an hour or so. If you don't like the results, you can polish it off and try again.