How long in the vinegar?

[C_Tanner]

Going a new direction with the patina on try#2. Took off the handles and the BK9 is soaking in a pan of white vinegar. How long to get that nice even blue patina?

 

[foxx]

It's not the soaking that will get a patina. It's a combination of acid and "air". A thick layer of mustard won't do the same as a thin layer.
Wrapping a cloth around the blade, soaking that in the acid works better than dunking the blade.
Dunking the blade in white vinegar will make the metal look grey, not blue. At least from my experience.
Also, clean the whole thing with rubbing alchol first. Anywhere from 20 min, to overnight will get a patina. Overnight will "etch" into the blade, and hour is adequate. Potatoes, apples, strawberries, and mangos can get that blue color. Cut some hot steak, the beef fat will give some blue as well.

 

[Tasselhoff]

Wait. Go step by step here. If I want the blue color do I use vnegar at all or just use the mango juice ona rag over night?

 

[FAL'ER]

It's not the soaking that will get a patina. It's a combination of acid and "air". A thick layer of mustard won't do the same as a thin layer.
Wrapping a cloth around the blade, soaking that in the acid works better than dunking the blade.

Yes, this. Also multiple applications of the vinegar rag will get you to black and be thick enough to retard red rust. In the mean time put mineral oil on it to keep red rust away. Just remember to take off the oil before vinegar immersion.

I guess it all depends on wether you're looking for "the patina look" or a real all natural rust resistant coating.

 

[TAGannon]

My experience is limes make it a very dark gray. Raw steak will turn it blue. Looks very cool that way.

 

[C_Tanner]

It's darkening up pretty good. Alternating between vinegar, lemon juice, and slicing potatoes. Right now the BK11 is sheathed in a potato.

 

[foxx]

It's darkening up pretty good. Alternating between vinegar, lemon juice, and slicing potatoes. Right now the BK11 is sheathed in a potato.

Edible sheaths, now that's an idea! Good reason to buy some fruit roll-ups!

Glad to hear it's working. I did a few different sessions with a Bark River Golok. Vinegar/cloth for 30 min, washed that off, cut myself, added the blood, which changed the color. Then I washed that off, did a thin mustard coat for 30 min, washed that off, and went and cut some plant matter.
The juice from the Elephant ear(big leaves in Florida?), turned black on parts of the blade. Then soaked the whole blade in mineral oil.
The whole process was an experiment. What I have is a dark grey background, with a black pattern overtop of that. The whole thing feels very smooth. It's as if the steel opened up and made a new coating on itself. Seems quite rust resistant at this point. Sorry, I don't have pics.
Other lighter patina I've done, don't have that coating, they have a patina look, it's just thin.

 

[C_Tanner]

I just stopped it. No patina like you usually see in the pics around here, but it went from my freshly scrubbed metal to a more aged gray. Very happy with it right now.

 

[Flying Guillotine]

I'm been screwing around with a patina on my BK11 all day in between prepping for my ochem lab. Did some mustard, but it was too thick. Hit it with the white vinegar and that added some deep gray coloration, but there was a tiny amount of visible surface rust, too so I wiped that down and cut thin slivers of tangerine which is now layered over the blade and being pressed into it with a largish pasta spoon.
It's gaining a gnarly mottled dark pattern, looking really interesting.

Post some pics of yours if you can.

Say, so you think balsamic vinegar would have different characteristics than the white vinegar?

 

[foxx]

I haven't tried any colored vinegars. PH matters, but whether the color would stain, I don't know.
Top three on the left all have some patinas, as well as the bottom right BHK.

The bottom Bravo 1, was semi-forced with mustard, plants were cut after I washed off the mustard, then I added mineral oil. The shine on the edge is from stropping.

 

[Flexxx]

Use some horshradish or grapefruit, IMO they look the best....


Better yet don't even put a patina on the blade, just keep a eye on the blade.
Its not just going to rust and fall apart in front of your eyes....

 

[C_Tanner]

End result. Looks much better than before without any patterns that look like spilled juice under your refrigerator...