More blued INFI (5 years later +3)

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Jul 1, 2006
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I decided I didn't much care for the rust finish on my 2008 Special Edition blades. They were never used and put away lightly oiled, but still managed to rust a lot, especially the corrugations. I had tried sanding the decarb off on the Jack Hammer, but apparently I didn't go deep enough.

Then I saw Coupchoux's thread on bluing with Hoppes Gun Blue Kit 1700, and thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take "before" pictures, but I do have some "after" shots.

The pictures aren't great, but this is how they came out:

2006_12040002.jpg


I'm not sure why they look rusty in some of these pictures; they don't appear rusty in real life. Not anymore, anyway. It must be a trick of th light.

2006_12040006.jpg


The bluing didn't stick much to the parts where the INFI dimples were ground off, but it did stick a bit in places to the convex edge on the Jack Hammer, though.

2006_12040005.jpg


They've got a sort of well-used look to them, even though they've never been used.

2006_12040003.jpg
 
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Your right they do look well used, but i think that adds character to them when they look worn and used. :thumbup:
 
I can't say I'm too impressed with the durability of the finish from the Hoppes bluing, at least on INFI. I guess you can't just oil them up let them sit in a closet for five years.
Here's what they look like now:



I'm going to try again with Brownell's Oxpho-Blue.
Check back in five years if you're interested in how it holds up.


Note: These knives had the original competition finish. This finish didn't have the decarb removed, and was extremely prone to rusting. A while back, this is was replaced with a new competition finish that still had the INFI dimples, but apparently with the decarb removed. I have a TGLB with this finish, and it doesn't rust. Unfortunately, Busse no longer offers that as an option. I couldn't even get it as a special order on my Butaniku. The new and improved competition finish now seems to have been superseded by the "BIG Satin" finish (Busse Industrial Grade Satin Finish), as seen in the Thanksgiving Ganzaaaaa 2014.
 
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Wow that Jack hammer looks awesome, I forgot how cool those were.
 
After removing the rust (and some more of the decarb) with a Scotch-Brite stripping brush and then a going-over with a Scotch-Brite surface conditioning disc, they looked like this:




INFI really doesn't take to bluing very well, and the Jackhammer seemed to be particularly resistant. After two applications, they liked like this:




I'd read somewhere that Oxpho-Blue works better if the metal's hot, so I started heating the blades with a heat gun before each application, and burnishing with #0 steel wool after. After seven or eight applications, I decided to call it quits for the evening. Now they look like this:


 
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After about half a dozen more applications of Oxpho-Blue they still look about the same as last night. I got a fairly even finish on the Hell Razor, but the Jackhammer just didn't want to be blued.

 
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Thanks for the helpful info and photos, John...;-)
 
Good work brutha!


I like the look.:thumbup:
 
Same Problem i had with bluing on a boss jack. I blued a few of my knives and regretted it. Looked cool but soon found out if used in the kitchen the "blue" would come off on certain foods if used in the kitchen... Ewww. I guess I didn't think about it, stupid move on my part.
 
I wiped everything down with mineral oil when I was finished with the bluing. It has that effect on micarta.
 
I'm a couple years early on the update, but what the heck.

This is what they looked like in 2014 before Photobucket ruined everything:

u1TrUvf.jpg


It's also what the Hell Razor looked like earlier today. No signs of rust at all.

Earlier today I read a post where someone said he liked Fire Wardens, and I thought I had an extra that I'd list on the Exchange. I haven't found it yet, but while I was looking, I ran across the Hell Razor.

A few months ago, someone recommended Kleen-Bore Black Magic for bluing SR101, so I bought a bottle but never got around to trying it out. When I found the Hell Razor, I thought I'd give it a try on INFI. It may not be evident from the pictures, but if you're looking for a black, even finish, it beats the pants off Oxpho-Blue for INFI.

uYMtFCE.jpg
 
I'm a couple years early on the update, but what the heck.

This is what they looked like in 2014 before Photobucket ruined everything:

u1TrUvf.jpg


It's also what the Hell Razor looked like earlier today. No signs of rust at all.

Earlier today I read a post where someone said he liked Fire Wardens, and I thought I had an extra that I'd list on the Exchange. I haven't found it yet, but while I was looking, I ran across the Hell Razor.

A few months ago, someone recommended Kleen-Bore Black Magic for bluing SR101, so I bought a bottle but never got around to trying it out. When I found the Hell Razor, I thought I'd give it a try on INFI. It may not be evident from the pictures, but if you're looking for a black, even finish, it beats the pants off Oxpho-Blue for INFI.

uYMtFCE.jpg


So, do you run those through the dishwasher? :D
 
Now that YouTube is deleting all of their gun related how to videos, I'm about done with them as well. Err

So, do you run those through the dishwasher? :D

I wouldn't run anything through the dishwasher that's supposed to hold an edge.

I also wouldn't run anything through the dishwasher that I want to get clean. Curse you Consumer Reports for recommending that Bosch dishwasher that doesn't work for ****.
 
I wouldn't run anything through the dishwasher that's supposed to hold an edge.

I also wouldn't run anything through the dishwasher that I want to get clean. Curse you Consumer Reports for recommending that Bosch dishwasher that doesn't work for ****.

;) Mine cleans em but wont dry them......:confused::rolleyes:
 
Yeah buddy black magic is the shitz. Works better on rust resistent steels like infi. Oxypho only likes high carbon easy rust like sr101. But if you want a blacker blue it lives up to its name.
 
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