Forced Patina

I promised this picture some three months ago. Oh well... Brownell's bluing. A quick swipe and water and oil. Less than 1 minute.
 

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I just did my first forced patina the other day
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I've had this knife for about 5 months and its been working perfectly as my people friendly work knife. The only problem is, parts of the cutting edge and the spot on the spine where my thumb rests seem to rust regardless of how much I clean and oil the blade after work. I read a little about blades eventually gaining a patina that improves corrosion resistance but was wondering if I could help that process along. Are there any techniques or tricks to force a patina?
And if so, will it be as effective as a natural one?
 
Hi,

An apple a day will keep the doctor err... rust away. Just take an apple for lunch each day and peel and chop it with your knife. Eat your apple first thing and don't clean it until after you are done with your meal. In a few weeks your natural patina should be setting in nicely.

or

You could just soak it in some white vinegar for 30-60 min. and clean well afterwards.

I hope this helps,
Paul
 
Here's a recent thread that deals with forcing a patina http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=709035&highlight=patina. I have a couple of Case CV knives that I put a "starter" patina on using vinegar. Both knives are worker knives that I frequently carry and are subjected to a lot of sweat, water, etc. Living in Florida I sweat a lot (today it's supposed 95) and the patina really prevents them from rusting. One knife just went through the washer / dryer and there is no sign of rust. Vinegar works really fast (30 minutes) so keep an eye on it. I just filled a small cup and put the blade in it up to the tang. Be careful because if you leave it in too long it will turn very dark.

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Threads merged to avoid this becoming the patina sub-forum...
(The "Maintenance" sub-forum has much more on this topic.)
 
black mamba said:
Ask, and you shall receive!

FarmerSkinner.jpg
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Just now saw this BEAUTY!. What fantastic skinning tools these are!. I have been using mine lately in the rain a lot of the time so often that the the sheath's belt loop is falling apart and I'll be having to repair it soon this week if I want to keep it secure. :( :rolleyes:

Thanks for the pic, Jeff. :thumbup:


Anthony
 
I've tried the forced patina thing in the past, only to realize that I'm not fond of the look of a patina on a knife with shiny new scales and bolsters. I enjoy the look of a nice earned patina on an older knife(with a bit of wear on the handle) but to me it looks odd on a newer knife.
 
a2d2 said:
I've tried the forced patina thing in the past, only to realize that I'm not fond of the look of a patina on a knife with shiny new scales and bolsters. I enjoy the look of a nice earned patina on an older knife(with a bit of wear on the handle) but to me it looks odd on a newer knife.
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I'm with you here..

I liken a good patina on a knife that I just acquired with hi-carbon steel, like a growing friendship with folks I just met.. Patina must be earned little by little, bit by bit, and the true colors of the patina will shine through -- as will true trust and respect with folks .. And with knives, just like with people, some make the cut, and then again -- some don't.


Anthony
 
With some blades it doesn't really matter if it patinas or not. With swords, I'll do my best to keep them shiny. With stuff like utility blades and other tools, I prefer a natural patina that comes from use.
 
not-too-sharp said:
... parts of the cutting edge and the spot on the spine where my thumb rests seem to rust regardless of how much I clean and oil the blade after work. I read a little about blades eventually gaining a patina that improves corrosion resistance but was wondering if I could help that process along. Are there any techniques or tricks to force a patina?
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I'd say stop cleaning and oiling the knife so much. By polishing and oiling the blades all the time, you're not letting a patina develop. Take, say, two or three weeks and just keep a wee drop of oil on the joints (something you should do with any folding knife), but lay off the washing-and-oiling routine.

Unless they're going into storage for awhile, I never keep a sheen of oil on my carbon blades. If they get gunk on them or are sticky from cutting an apple, I'll run some warm water over them in the sink (just on the blade, not down in the joints), then wipe 'em clean with a rag or t-shirt or bit of toilet paper. Spit works well too. :o That's it. I think the need to keep oil on carbon steel is way over-stated. Just keep the blades dry.

not-too-sharp said:
... if so, will it be as effective as a natural one?
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I do put a "pre-patina" of sorts on most of my carbon steel knives as a way to ward off rust, something that my grandad -- who spent his entire adult life as a glass man in Miami, Fla., and then retired to Okeechobee -- did as well. However, I don't believe it to be as effective as a natural one.

However, that's really a false question. A knife will only develop a true natural patina after lots of time and use. Just by way of example, let's say 3 years. If you have two brothers and give 'em each the same model of carbon steel pocketknife but one is "pre patinaed," assuming they use and maintain the knives in the same way for 3 years, at that point, I'd bet dollars to donuts you couldn't tell which was the pre patinaed knife. Both knives will have that nice "earned" patina look.

-- Mark
 
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mnblade said:
A knife will only develop a true natural patina after lots of time and use. Just by way of example, let's say 3 years. If you have two brothers and give 'em each the same model of carbon steel pocketknife but one is "pre patinaed," assuming they use and maintain the knives in the same way for 3 years, at that point, I'd bet dollars to donuts you couldn't tell which was the pre patinaed knife. Both knives will have that nice "earned" patina look.
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Exactly! That's why I can't understand all the fuss about forced versus earned patinas.
 
All the grocery stores have been carrying mangos in abundance lately, and my daughter and I both like them. So I've been peeling and slicing a lot of mangos with my Case Peanut. Pen blade for peeling, clip blade for slicing. It's putting a really nice patina on the knife. After each mango session, I do rinse with hot water, wipe dry, and then put on some Rem Oil.

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Looking good! My wife loves mangoes. She loves mango ice cream too which can be difficult to find. Nice photo by the way. You can see the rainbow of colors in the blades.
 
Mangos are my favorite fruit by far. I love fresh mangos, dried mangos, mango ice cream, mango juice, you name it.

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That Mango look is funky, makes it almost like rainbow Damascus.

Mango doesn't appear up here in Scandinavia until later in the autumn, but I know what fruit I'll be whittling!
 
I'm dragging this thread back up to show off the patina that's been forming on this sodbuster jr. since I got it a few weeks back. I haven't done anything special to it, just used it in my day-to-day routine (which, thanks to having three little kids, does tend to involve cutting up a lot of fruit and so forth). The only maintenance regimen is washing the blade with soap and warm water when it gets sticky, and occasionally dropping a wee bit of oil on the joint. That's is.

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Thanks again for the great knife, coyote711!

-- Mark
 
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