How To Forced Patina. Patina or Rust?

W

wiston

Joined
Jun 1, 2019
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Hi everyone, I am quite new to forcing a patina on my carbon steel knife.
Earlier today I clean my knife with dish washer, wipe dry and submerge it in apple cider vinegar for an hour.
This is the result that I got, I am not really sure whether is this rust or patina. Can anyone teach me please?
https://imgur.com/a/6ncM2dG
 
Tried the second time, the result is the same. I notice that once I lift the knife off vinegar, the rust starts to form. When I rinse it under water, it forms even more. Am I doing it right?
 
Thats strange... no idea why thats happening.

My proces which workes for me so far:

Wash any oil and grease of with water and soap. Than clean with acetone. Let it dry and you should have a clean blade with no oil or grease.

Hang it in vinegar. I use vinegar whats used for cleaning. I think it might be more agressive. Normally i have a grey color in 1 hour an a nice dark black on the steel in 2 hours.
My advice, use an other vinegar.

Good luck!
 
I use regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Sometimes use greens and wrap in a paper towel to give it a design. I’m not sure why you are rusting. This blade was done after 30 minutes being wrapped in a paper towel with white vinegar and greens. Just washed the blade with dish soap then wrapped in greens and paper towels.







 
Too much water in your cider vinegar. Take the Joseph H.'s advice: strong alcohol vinegar, 12 or 14% volts. Heating the vinegar speeds up the process but isn't necessary. Rinse carefully, wipe, dry.
One more thing, no need to patina the joint, grease it.

Edit: i forgot, no need to clean the rust, vinegar will do it.

Dan.
 
Last edited:
Bigburly912 said:
I use regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Sometimes use greens and wrap in a paper towel to give it a design. I’m not sure why you are rusting. This blade was done after 30 minutes being wrapped in a paper towel with white vinegar and greens. Just washed the blade with dish soap then wrapped in greens and paper towels.







Click to expand...
What do you mean when you say "greens"?
 
I think you should also make a Baking Soda paste and wipe your blade down with that in order to stop the acid reaction of the vinegar.
 
wiston said:
Tried the second time, the result is the same. I notice that once I lift the knife off vinegar, the rust starts to form. When I rinse it under water, it forms even more. Am I doing it right?
Click to expand...

The red rust forms where the iron, vinegar and water meet the oxygen from the air. It's bound to happen at least a little bit when forcing a patina. After using the vinegar and rinsing in water, use some baking soda to lightly scrub the rust off. It'll also neutralize any acid left from the vinegar, in doing so. Some of the darker patina might also come off, in scrubbing with the baking soda. But the more tightly-bound oxide (patina) should remain, leaving the blade somewhat greyer than it was originally.
 
Hot white vinegar will produce a nice, even patina in 30 seconds to a minute. I've never experienced rust forming in that amount of time. Perhaps your longer soaking time is allowing rust to form? Also, maybe the apple cider vinegar contains something that is more conducive to rust formation? I suggest trying white vinegar, and try heating it if you still don't like the results.
 
Just cut a lemon or lime and don't wash it for 10-15 minutes. Do it 4-5 times and you will have a patina.--KV
 
Artificial patina is not as good as natural,few carbon opinels with natural patina that i have do not have problem with rust ,just wipe them off after washing.
 
No one has asked the obvious question- is your blade stainless?
It sure looks like it from the rust after patination.
If so, you really can't apply a good patina-and you don't need to.
 
Stainless... that would make me feel like a fool.:D
Can stainless rust if submerged for just one hour? That sounds fast...
 
Well...
W wiston
If you used an other kind of vinegar, mustard or anything acidic and it does not show any kind of patina.
You most likely have a stainless blade.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
No one has asked the obvious question- is your blade stainless?
It sure looks like it from the rust after patination.
If so, you really can't apply a good patina-and you don't need to.
Click to expand...
I just did a panting on my Becker bk-18, rinsed it off, dried it and it started to rust, and it's not stainless.
 
Bigburly912 said:
I use regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Sometimes use greens and wrap in a paper towel to give it a design. I’m not sure why you are rusting. This blade was done after 30 minutes being wrapped in a paper towel with white vinegar and greens. Just washed the blade with dish soap then wrapped in greens and paper towels.







Click to expand...
I just did a Becker knife, rinsed it of dried it off and it started to rust, any ideas to correct? Thought about a fine steel wool, or baking soda scrub, the in the vinegar again.
 
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