How do you finish your blades?

ScarFoot

ScarFoot

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
Messages
807
Sorry if this has been asked before. I tried the search function but didn’t quite find what I’m looking for.
I just started making knives this year and the bug has bitten me pretty hard to say the least. A big hurdle I’m working through is what to do with the blades when I’m ready to call them done. I’ve been experimenting with forced patinas and hamon/differential heat treating lines on multiple steels but the finish ends up being hit or miss. Sometimes they turn out and sometimes they get that orange peel look. I’ve had good luck with the knives I’ve put a patina on resisting corrosion so far but now people are starting to want them and I drive myself half crazy over minute details so I want the finish to look nice.
So, my question is, do y’all force patinas, coat with oil or wax, sand it down and call it good, etc? I know it seems simple but I’m stuck here… How do you finish them???
Below are before and after shots of a little skinner I made and processed a deer with a few weeks ago. I used it for the entire process and just wiped it off when I got done. I haven’t oiled it yet and it certainly looks used but there isn’t any rust on it. It wasn’t pretty to start with but at least it only got uglier in a good way..
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I've found with simple carbon steels the finish you initially put on it is basically to get a picture of it.....it's going to change regardless of what you do for a finish.

I just hand sand to a 600 grit finish for the most part...anymore than that seems like a waste of time to me. Less than 600 seems to hold moisture or something else in the grit scratches and they seem to rust a little easier. Of course I have no facts to back this up, it's just how it seems to me. I think 600-800 leaves a nice satin finish. Mirror polished looks cheap to me, almost like a fake chrome finish....just don't like it.

Then a thin coat of oil until I get take a picture.....after that, it begins its ever changing process to look how it wants to look that day. That's one of my favorite things about simple carbon steels, sometimes one meal will make it take on a little different look.
 
Traditionally, fine cutlery is mirror polished.
What the end user does with it is their business.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Traditionally, fine cutlery is mirror polished.
What the end user does with it is their business.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure what I’m turning out so far would be considered fine cutlery but I’m definitely working on my sanding/polishing routine. Right now I’m taking the stuff to P2500 (I think that’s roughly 1200 grit or finer) before I dip them. I don’t know that I need to go that far for most of the finishes I’m looking for but I’m really trying to get a good sanding technique worked out. Also playing with dipping them in different solutions just to see what happens.
I’m more looking for what to do to protect or treat the finish once I’m done working on it. I like the patina look on carbon steel but I also like what appears to be about a 400 grit finish on knives I see in knife shops. Most of them are generally stainless or or at least more stain/corrosion resistant steels. My Shun kitchen cutlery came highly polished and has held up well for the 9 years I’ve owned it but it’s stainless and doesn’t get terribly mistreated.
I have a few people wanting my knives for Christmas but I don’t want them to rust or pit while they’re “under the tree”. Basic maintenance won’t be an issue after that.
 
I often use a scotchbrite belt and ferric chloride etch carbon blades and soak in mineral oil for a bit, then wipe off and let dry. It gives it darkened finish. People can use the scotchbrite pads to remove the patina/etching or clean up the blade as needed easily, so it's easy for them to keep it looking nice if they don't like the darker look. Most hardware stores sell the maroon and green non woven pads and you can get finer pads online. My using knives usually get a belt finish on them or a 400-600 grit handrub if they want. With a leather platen, I can get a pretty nice looking belt finish!
 
Some of my takeaways from past discussions:

Generally, use a food-safe finish just in case. Avoid 3-in-1 oil or similar that may have health consequences if ingested (or at minimum impart a bad taste).
Some fancy finishes are just coconut oil with fragrances.
Coconut oil, mineral oil, or similar can be used. Prefer those unlikely to go rancid quickly.
Everything will wear off in time. If the blade is actually used, they will wear off pretty quick.

For non-stainless steels, I usually end by hand sanding to 600 and applying mineral oil. Done. For the Christmas tree scenario, I think this is fine. It will protect against atmospheric conditions, fingerprints during the 'showoff' period, and similar.
For hamons, I think Ryan W creates a great result, so I trust that : http://ryanwknives.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-personal-hamon-process.html . However, these steps have less food-safe ingredients. Modify to your liking.

I will also use renaissance wax on knife components, like bolsters, handles, etc if they benefit from protection. Eg silver, nickel silver, brass.
 
Taz said:
With a leather platen, I can get a pretty nice looking belt finish!
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Leather platen you say. tell me more. Did you just put leather on a flat platen?
Wouldn't that wash out the upper bevel lines?
 
Yes! Double sided carpet tape on a steel platen face. I use rare earth magnets attached to a normal platen and then have various platen faces I can change out quickly. I have a mild steel for hogging/squaring up tang shoulders, 36" radius platen (with leather on it), S2-32 hardness felt, F3 hardness felt, leather and pyroceream glass. When the leather or felt gets worn, I remove, clean the old adhesive off the metal and apply new pieces. The felt platens are used for convex grinds. The S2-32 is very firm and has little give, the F3 is my preferred for convex grinds instead of buying a rotary platen.
 
I really appreciate all of the feedback being provided. I’ve found a ton of threads on hamons and things such as that but not specifically how you leave them when everything is finished. This has already gotten the wheels turning.
As far as food safe finish, is there more of a concern of oil/wax/solvent left on the blade and handle or some chemical compound created during etching/oxide formation or both? Or is it an issue of ferric chloride versus vinegar or some other etching solution? I sand, polish, buff and solvent clean after I etch and always wash thoroughly before use with soap and water if the blade is oiled or whatever between uses. But, they’ve only been personal use up to this point.
 
I am confident I am wrong here ;).

My concern is about the finish (oil/wax/solvent) remaining on the blade and transferring to the cut substance. Primarily to avoid a bad tasting onion, or a slime on some bread.
I am not concerned about fully neutralized etchant, nor an oil that has been removed with soap+water.

High carbon blades will transfer material to the cut substance (iron alloys, various oxides). I am not concerned about these either.
 
FunkCoaster said:
I am confident I am wrong here ;).

My concern is about the finish (oil/wax/solvent) remaining on the blade and transferring to the cut substance. Primarily to avoid a bad tasting onion, or a slime on some bread.
I am not concerned about fully neutralized etchant, nor an oil that has been removed with soap+water.

High carbon blades will transfer material to the cut substance (iron alloys, various oxides). I am not concerned about these either.
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I’ve heard certain epoxy is rated as food grade also but I’m not sure how significant that is. I assumed the concern was about oil or whatever on the blades. Buffing compound would certainly fall into that category. Some of it tends to be pretty sticky unless acetone or some other solvent is used.
 
I use 1095 steel, I do the first bevel. so far I've sand blasted the knives after heat treated and they're nice and clean. then I acid etch them using muriatic and hydrogen peroxide . it turns them black and it has some kind of protection. I do the scales and then when ready to finish the last grind to sharpen . right now theres a few that aren't finished, the only rust type looking comes on the steel that is fresh ground . I can post a pic if you want
doc
 
I don't know why folks always worry about this.
After receiving any culinary knife, pot, spoon, fork, or dishes you should wash them well. This removes any trace of protective coating or oils.
Once washed you can use them as needed with no worry about contamination from polishing or finishing.
 
I tried to put everyone’s advice to work today. I finished these two this afternoon minus sharpening. I did my best not to drive myself completely insane hand sanding them and just took whatever the steel gave me(after several hours of hand sanding lol). Overall I’m pretty pleased. The top one is my first out of 80CrV2 and the bottom one is 1075. Both are differentially heat treated. The 1075 got a little funky looking but I like it.
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it looks pretty thin? did you start with .125 thick steel. if so did you bevel grind it that way and if so how thick is the top edge.
very nice!!
 
docmott said:
it looks pretty thin? did you start with .125 thick steel. if so did you bevel grind it that way and if so how thick is the top edge.
very nice!!
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Right now I’m using 3/16” for everything. The spine is essentially full thickness so it’s actually a little chunky for its size. I’m using a single speed 2x42 grinder so I’ve found it a little more forgiving to work with thicker material. I’m also flat grinding everything and using an adjustable bevel guide since it’s about all I can do with any control on my current equipment. Once I establish a good flat, I grind by hand to get everything lined up(or ruin it). I sharpen everything on my edge pro apex since the grinder is way too fast and gets them way too hot with anything finer than 120 grit. I hope to get a better grinder with a VFD in the spring.
It took a pretty good edge. I cut a bunch of cardboard with it before I went past my 400 grit stone and it was still shaving. I stopped when the old bounty thicker picker upper wan’t slowing it down.19AE3518-E7B9-449F-9BE0-F70E0F0D92A3.jpeg
 
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If you're wanting a finish that won't change a ton after the customer gets it, with a carbon steel blade. I think doing a stonewash is a good option.

You can bring it up to whatever desired base polish you want to go up to. Etch in ferric chloride. Remove the extra oxides (ive been using trizact 3000 grit sandpaper for that, but steel wool is fine) and possibly do a couple extra dips if you want a darker finish. Repeating each time. Neutralize with a base. Then throw the blade in some kind of container with either rocks, or some kind of ceramic tumbling medium, and shake it up (provided you don't have a rotary, or vibratory tumbler). Stop after about 30 seconds, and check the blade. Repeat until youve got the look you want.
 
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