jumping on the patina band wagon

[alude904]

well I decided to follow the rest of the crowd. why? because it's the cool thing to do. Well, it does look cool doesn't it? So I decided to try this on my bk11 and it turned out pretty good. I just stripped it with paint stripper, dipped it in white vinegar for about 2 hours, then left the mustard design for about 7 hours overnight only because I was tired and went to bed. For the most part it turned out exactly as I was hoping but I did have a problem with rust. I'm not sure how to keep it from rusting during the process or get the rust off after the process is done without removing the patina. Well, here she is.

 

[echo-7]

Nice job...

 

[Cryptyc]

That looks really cool! Good job.

My understanding, which could be completely wrong, is that you can lightly scrub any surface type rust off while leaving the patina intact. If you need to remove some of the actual metal surface then yes, you will most likely lose some of the patina.

 

[NathanJ]

Nice work, maybe try a very fine steel wool to remove rust, then give it a good oiling. I use mineral oil.

 

[FalconerPhoto]

All my mustard patinas came right off after oiling the blade and gently rubbing with 000 steel wool. I soak in vinegar only after I've applied the design. I use Sciracha sauce and let it dry on the blade in whatever pattern I want. Bubble wrap makes for a great random pattern. While soaking in vinegar I agitate the knife to knock of the air bubbles. (I got the idea from Gavco I think). I have also stripped one and wrapped it in a paper towel soaked with vinegar. The knife was then neck carried daily for over a year between my girlfriends ample bossom. The resulting patina was both ugly and damn near impossible to remove without power tools. It does however protect the blade. I recently did a bubble wrap pattern to add some character to it. I also cleaned the blade with alcohol right before starting. I think this really makes a big difference.