Gator piss: what do you think of it?

L

Leon Husock

Joined
Jul 17, 2019
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I've been a little cautious because I don't know what's in it and I'm generally a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" type of guy. People who've used it, what are your experiences?
 
Original formula is probably Ferric Chloride

Stainless is probably Hydrochloric acid

Simple buy if you're awful at measuring or pouring liquids, but premium price and shipping for a mostly water product.
 
It results in a much darker etch than FC, but directions must be followed. Cleaning the blade with brake clean not alcohol, neutralize then spray with wd-40 or similar and let sit minimum 6 hrs before touching. GP has a life span also.
 
12345678910 said:
Original formula is probably Ferric Chloride

Stainless is probably Hydrochloric acid

Simple buy if you're awful at measuring or pouring liquids, but premium price and shipping for a mostly water product.
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Wait, is it really just pre-mixed FC? That seems like a bit of a con. I assumed there was at least something else in there.
 
My understanding is the Original is FC, Stainless is dilute muriatic acid, and the Max is something of a mix of the two that carbonizes the oils in the brake cleaner and WD40.
 
There is a link at the bottom of the product website with the full SDS. There are a couple of other chemicals in there as well. Percentages of each is the secret and is not listed on the SDS. HTH
 
SharpBits said:
There is a link at the bottom of the product website with the full SDS. There are a couple of other chemicals in there as well. Percentages of each is the secret and is not listed on the SDS. HTH
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Looks like it actually does say it on the SDS after all (or at least it says the maximum amount, >8% hydrochloric, >5% ferric chloride, >1% iron dichloride). It also says the shelf life is 6 months, which is wild to me considering I've been using the same PVC tube of ferric for a couple years now with no loss in efficacy. But it's good to know that they're not just selling pre-mixed ferric.

Anyway, has anyone actually used it and do you have strong feelings about whether it's any good?
 
I've been attempting to use it for hamons with absolutely terrible results. Works fine for darkening mono carbon steels but I don't think it's any better than ferric chloride. Seems to work slower than ferric. I'd rather just use ferric and then darken it further with instant coffee.

I am planning on going back to ferric chloride. I only just learned in this thread about the shelf life though, so maybe that's why I've been having troubles with it.
 
Good to know. I've heard people describe the slower etch as a plus, that ferric leaves the surface a little rougher post-etch because it's more corrosive. I don't know how much truth there is to that.
 
I like the original, haven't tried the others yet. I have FeCl and Gator Piss. Gator Piss leaves a nicer surface than FeCl does, so there is something to the ratio or other additions. My FeCl is a dark rusty color, not the see thru mountain dew color of GP. I can do Damascus kitchen knives in GP and get a better, darker finish quicker with a smoother surface than my results with FeCl, but my FeCl is pretty old, too.

It gives good contrast quickly and I don't need to do a coffee soak, either.

I had to blacken a 52100 blade and FeCl did much better, but it took about 3 hours total in FeCl, checking 30 minute cycles and brushing loose oxides off to get a finish I liked.
 
Sounds like a pretty ringing endorsement to me! I think I'll check it out. For what it's worth, if I'm doing a full black-out finish I like to just straight-up parkerize the blade. You get a nice rust resistance and the finish is super durable.
 
Leon Husock said:
Sounds like a pretty ringing endorsement to me! I think I'll check it out. For what it's worth, if I'm doing a full black-out finish I like to just straight-up parkerize the blade. You get a nice rust resistance and the finish is super durable.
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I recently had a couple of blades parked. I'm digging it so far. I like it better than the caswell black oxide finish that I've been using.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
I think the marketing is infantile and inappropriate.
I know it's not gonna offend any of you tough knife makers, but they could have come up with a better, more effective name.
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Yep, I want a quality product with known ingredients. When it comes to FC I buy concentrate and keep a few different dilutions for different purposes. I used to mix my own from the powder, but a gallon of concentrate is cheap and convenient.
 
It seems better than the black oxide, but kydex is hard on finishes.

It gets little scuffs but they basically go away if you wipe it with an oily cloth. I haven't really beat on one yet though.
 
I parked a chef's knife in June and I've been using it hard ever since (leaving bits of onion stuck to it, scrubbing with the rough side of a sponge) and it's holding up quite well. The coating has worn off/thin in a couple places near the edge but there's no rust or patina or anything. I've probably re-oiled it a couple times but not super often.
 
Jesse Latham said:
It results in a much darker etch than FC, but directions must be followed. Cleaning the blade with brake clean not alcohol, neutralize then spray with wd-40 or similar and let sit minimum 6 hrs before touching. GP has a life span also.
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Is this food safe? Personally, I wouldn't use this on kitchen knives....
 
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