How is this done?

I don't think they're Pakistani imports, Pad. I believe they're made in either Wisconsin or Minnesota. I bought a couple about 16-18 years ago at a large rendevous in WI.

There was also a guy (Ken Guth) from Chicago 25 years ago who did a finish like that by splattering flux on when it was sub-red hot. Let it dry from the heat and then bring the temp up to austenitizing. The fluxed portions don't oxidize as much, giving the textured appearance. He called it his "toadskin finish", IIRC. :)
 
finish out the blade.... rub it down in cold blue then drop it in bleach and let it sit for about 10 minutes.... then scrub lightly with 0000 steel wool or some 1000 grit paper to knock off the rust.
it will look like the blade is ruined when it comes out of the bleach, about
1/16" of rust all over it, but it scrapes right off.

you might need to do it a few times to get it all even looking.

i made a kerambit with this type of finish.... let me see if i can find the pics
 

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Looks to me like a stock removal blade that was heat treated and then cleaned up a little. Very little magic used to produce it.
 
Looks like they left the blade in a muratic acid etch to long. I did this once to find out what would happen. It didn't look as good but the deep layers were the same.
 
These are American made. I recently examined one broken in half, and the grain at the spine was so coarse, it look like sand grit. As it got near the edge, it was much finer however. I guess a decent knife for the price. The owner broke it using it as screw driver on a large screw.
 
That pattern looks identical to a blade heated cherryred/orange hot until it has a nice flake built up on both sides and then quenched in oil, after it's cool you hand sand it depending on how much steel you want showing through the forgeblack. I found the prettiest pattern is from canola oil. I leave that finish on most of my knives, it helps with the rust factor when you're using high carbon steel like chainsaw bars (my personal preference)
 
id agree with mike spangler, this ive seen it done alot and know a guy who uses this method. i think his name is lt. wright
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
finish out the blade.... rub it down in cold blue then drop it in bleach and let it sit for about 10 minutes.... then scrub lightly with 0000 steel wool or some 1000 grit paper to knock off the rust.
it will look like the blade is ruined when it comes out of the bleach, about
1/16" of rust all over it, but it scrapes right off.

you might need to do it a few times to get it all even looking.

i made a kerambit with this type of finish.... let me see if i can find the pics
Click to expand...

Oh Snap! I gotta try that. It's as close to a damascus look as I'm liable to get anytime soon. Very cool Mike, Thanks!

Dave
 
These knives are made by "River Trader". I believe they are made in Oregon. Steel is 1095 at 56 RC, .062" thick. Handles are Maple.
 
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