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Gun Kote?
- Thread starter Andre V
- Start date
Haven't tried Gun Kote yet, but I've been messing around with cold blueing lately. I soak the blade in a Ferric Chloride solution for about 15-20 to etch the surface to a flat matte. Then I'll clean it with acetone and apply the gun blue to darken it. I've tried 3 or 4 cold blues so far, and the best is Oxpho Blue, from Brownells. The other blues tend to surface-rust very quickly...not a big deal, but kind of a pain. The Oxpho hasn't done that at all.
The resulting finish is a very dark antireflective matte black, with very faint color swirls that you'd associate with bluing. To make the finish darker, I hit it lightly with 00 steel wool and reapply the blue a couple of times. Finally, rub on a light layer of gun or preservative oil.
What I like about this method is that it's tool-free, heat free, relatively non-toxic, and comparatively cheap. I can let the blade etch while I work on something else. Another advantage is that scratches in the finish can be easily reblued in about 10 seconds such that they virtually disappear.
The resulting finish is a very dark antireflective matte black, with very faint color swirls that you'd associate with bluing. To make the finish darker, I hit it lightly with 00 steel wool and reapply the blue a couple of times. Finally, rub on a light layer of gun or preservative oil.
What I like about this method is that it's tool-free, heat free, relatively non-toxic, and comparatively cheap. I can let the blade etch while I work on something else. Another advantage is that scratches in the finish can be easily reblued in about 10 seconds such that they virtually disappear.
I soak the blade in a Ferric Chloride solution for about 15-20 to etch the surface to a flat matte.
Would that be 15-20 minutes or seconds? Having not worked with ferric chloride yet I wouldn't know. Also is it full strength, or cut with water? If so what is your ratio?
Thanks for your reply psriley.
Back to the Gun Kote question. Sorry about the side question. I think Chris Reeve uses Gun Kote on his fixed blades. I have one of his knives and the finish is very durable. It will eventually wear in spots, and scratch if you really work at it or are abusive to it. I used the Chris Reeve knife hard in the field and the finish did its job. I think the key is following the manufacturer's recommendations for surface prep. Depending on your handle design and materials you use you may be able to blast the blade and re-coat it after years of wear if you wish.
I think it is a good way to protect high carbon tool steels from corrosion. I would use it if I had a blast cabinet to prep. the surface. Maybe some day.
Back to the Gun Kote question. Sorry about the side question. I think Chris Reeve uses Gun Kote on his fixed blades. I have one of his knives and the finish is very durable. It will eventually wear in spots, and scratch if you really work at it or are abusive to it. I used the Chris Reeve knife hard in the field and the finish did its job. I think the key is following the manufacturer's recommendations for surface prep. Depending on your handle design and materials you use you may be able to blast the blade and re-coat it after years of wear if you wish.
I think it is a good way to protect high carbon tool steels from corrosion. I would use it if I had a blast cabinet to prep. the surface. Maybe some day.
Thanks for your reply psriley.
Back to the Gun Kote question. Sorry about the side question. I think Chris Reeve uses Gun Kote on his fixed blades. I have one of his knives and the finish is very durable. It will eventually wear in spots, and scratch if you really work at it or are abusive to it. I used the Chris Reeve knife hard in the field and the finish did its job. I think the key is following the manufacturer's recommendations for surface prep. Depending on your handle design and materials you use you may be able to blast the blade and re-coat it after years of wear if you wish.
I think it is a good way to protect high carbon tool steels from corrosion. I would use it if I had a blast cabinet to prep. the surface. Maybe some day.
Yep, I've got a Chris Reeve survival knife, a couple of benchmades, and a couple of Emersons with similar coatings, and they do wear pretty well. I'm just looking for a good, durable finish that requires little tooling or equipment, such that a potential owner of one of my knives could touch up the blade themselves. Pretty much the same concept as someone touching up the bluing on a firearm, I guess. I have a Parkerizing kit that I'm going to try out next.
Cheers,
psr