Forcing a patina

I've lately used vinegar on carbon steel blades. It's 5% acetic acid (a very weak acid) has turned blades a nice deep black in an hour, and without imparting any taste to the blade or visibly roughing the surface. It appears to work like gun-blue.

I found if I dried my carbon blades right after use, I didn't get too much blade discoloration. But I always got black spots and sometimes bigger blackened areas. Making the whole blade black solves this problem, and "tactical" is in these days.
 
I have two Queen Knives in D2. I've found with some kitchen use and pocket carry, they take a nice Patina.
 
Thanks guys. You were right of course, A2 steel does take a nice patina.
 

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When forcing a patina, you will get the most uniform darkening if you degrease the blade completely/thoroughly. If you want a pattern dab and dot the blade with different mustards and vinegars, you can achieve some interesting patterns, some almost damascus like.
 
It's easy guys. Just start drinking a lot of Corona. Cut the limes with the knife you want to patina. Don't wipe the blade til you finish the first beer. Then wipe it and cut another slice for the next beer. Repeat. I got some nice color on my RAT Cutlery Izula prototype this way. It's 1095 not D2, so ymmv.
 
soccergod04 said:
It's easy guys. Just start drinking a lot of Corona. Cut the limes with the knife you want to patina. Don't wipe the blade til you finish the first beer. Then wipe it and cut another slice for the next beer. Repeat. I got some nice color on my RAT Cutlery Izula prototype this way. It's 1095 not D2, so ymmv.
Click to expand...

PICS!!!! Please!?!?!?!:D
 
That's a brilliant, painless way to patina a blade, and obviously it becomes more painless the more times you repeat the procedure. I think I'll try it on my D2 Queen Hunter.

soccergod04 said:
It's easy guys. Just start drinking a lot of Corona. Cut the limes with the knife you want to patina. Don't wipe the blade til you finish the first beer. Then wipe it and cut another slice for the next beer. Repeat. I got some nice color on my RAT Cutlery Izula prototype this way. It's 1095 not D2, so ymmv.
Click to expand...
 
I believe there was a thread in the Spyderco forums where someone put a patina on his D2 paramilitary. Looked pretty good.
 
Ok, here's some pics of the Corona lime patina on my Izula prototype.

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I find that a forced vinegar patina lasts longer if you do it in several. Soak in vinegar for 15 minutes, dry, then resoak until you get the desired color.
 
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