Gun blue question

[DougB2]

I've used gun blue, specifically Birchwood Casey Super Blue, on a couple of knives but they haven't spent a lot of time outside or in wet places yet. Will gun blue protect against rust on the treated areas?

Thanks!

 

[AVigil]

It will help, but it is just like a gun. You need to keep it clean and oiled just like a firearm.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Many "cold bluing" products actually PROMOTE rust!
If you want to protect the blade, Parkerizing or hard chrome plating is very good-as is paint (until the paint chips or wears off.)

 

[DougB2]

Thanks for the info! Gun blue, at least the cold variety, seems like it would wear off easily, as even a slight touch from fine sandpaper leaves a scratch. I just used it on a Condor throwing axe that I stripped, and I'm pretty sure it would require a touch up after some chopping. I want to try working with Duracoat next.

 

[knifemaking01]

if your bluing is coming off that easily then your not bluing it correctly, ive reblued rifles before with the home bluing kit and there as durable as they come.... But in saying that if your surface is not pefect you will not get good results, if 1 finger print gets on the blade before you blue it kiss a good bluing job goodbye. If you want it blued correctly though and that will last, spend the money and take it too a gunsmith, my local gunsmith charged me $140 to completely reblue a brno .22 (this is australia btw) and he sandblasted it, then blued it all everything down to each screw and the bolt and magazine, all done in a matt finish. At the time i mentioned bluing some knives down the track and he was all for it, said roughly 20-30 a knife, a bargain if you ask me as the bluing job a good gunsmith does is second to non, so when i am confient in knife making a batch is going to be sent to him.

I guess what im trying to say is yes, if done correctly yourself a bluing should not wear off, but its not worth it, go find a good old fashion gunsmith, in america there would have to be alot, and ask him to blue your blade, i can promise it would be the best amount of money you have ever spent, and ask for it in a matte finish

btw my gunsmith assured me that with his bluing, it barely needs to be oiled, i have oiled my gun once so far in the 4 months ive had it and it still looks as good as when i first got it, so a good bluing job should also not need huge amount of maintenance

 

[2manyknives]

I've always found that browning solution as used on muzzleloading barrels is easier to apply, provides a more consistent coating and is better at preventing further corrosion than cold blue mixes.

 

[Dixieblade57]

All blueing/browning is actually a rusting process or to put it in simple terms it is an etching of the metal! Blueing does H E L P to deter rust but without proper maintenance it won't stop it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_(steel)
Here is a muzzle loader that is suppose to be a copy of a St. Lewis Hawken, (it is not a 100% accurate to the real Hawken rifle). It has had a browning process done on it with Birchwood Casey Plumb brown. This was done by a hot process or applied after the metal was heated.

Here is a close up of the barrel.

Browning is a done either by a chemical or can be done by indirect moisture/humidy. There are a couple of chemicals for inducing the browning, one uses heat to accomplish the browning and the other is done cold. Once the piece is rusted brown the heavy ugly stuff is removed by a process called carding. The major stuff is removed by polishing and the minor stuff become a light coat of rust or brown.
Bowning is pretty much like Blueing in that there is a cold process and a hot process for Blueing.

Both processes require the metal to be clean before starting to get good even results!

 

[DougB2]

Thanks for the additional info. As far as I know, I cleaned the surface very well before applying the blue. Once I get the axe outside and chop with it, I'll find out just how well I did it.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Cold blues are not durable, compared to rust bluing or hot bluing.
Hot bluing is a rather involved process, and neither of these methods wear well enough for use on a knife blade in my opinion.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Cold/hot bluing is not meant for surfaces that see abrasion/wear. Frankly, I have yet to see a coating that lasts for knife use, period. Dura/cera coats look like poo after a while and there is nothing you can do with them for a fix. I choose bluing for the patina and character it imparts over repeated applications. When the surface starts looking ugly, I run some steel wool over it, warm it in a pot of boiled water and reapply the blue. It's not an even coat by any stretch of the word... but I love the look.

 

[DougB2]

These pix are my axe before using it for any chopping. I'm a bit short on wood for chopping right now but I want to post some pix when I do find some branches that need to be cut up. THen I'll see how well this bluing job holds up.

 

[DougB2]

I'm not as concerned with looks as I am with performance and how well a coating protects the steel. The black finish on my Camillus Becker CQC7 has been pretty well abused but I dig the performance of the blade. If Duracoat holds up half as well, I'll be happy.