Most Handsome way to force a patina

S

Stache Dude

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Jan 27, 2016
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Hey all, going to patina my rex 121 sage but wanted to pretty her up a little bit instead of the standard grey sludge slab. Any suggestions?
 
I got a Para 3 in Maxamet about the same time I found dad's antique bottle of touch up blue for the old double barrel 16 gauge, and I let the temptation fester just long enough to research it. I found next to nothing about advancing patina on Maxamet, but, especially on this forum, a goodly amount of advice against bluing a knife. I set aside any notions of experimenting with the pricier Spyder, especially since I'll likely want to use that knife for food sometimes, but might see about testing things on another cheaper carbon blade one of these days. Because i do kinda like the look. I guess...I'm not telling you one way or another on that.

I can tell you that the handful of knives I've acquired the last few years with factory stonewashed blades are holding up nicely. Im a bigger fan of a satin finish, but I don't mind the look, it is a more consistent finish than patina and cleans up in a way that looks clean, and it definitely doesn't rub off. I don't know anything about DIY stonewashing, but if you have a way to do it well, I say go for it.

My stronger advice, though, is to let it happen naturally. Just use the knife, like you do, and its character will come along, and over a lifetime you'll get to know your knife. Let it stay shiny and new a while.
 
I've used mustard to get a really nice patina. Put it on for an hour and wash it off.
 
I don't own any knives made of Rex 121 but my nicest patinas are made from use. Animal fat and watermelon are at the top of the list with watermelon probably in the lead.
Of course, you won't be able to just leave the watermelon on the blade like you could with fat.

Chipotle peppers produce the ugliest patina, instantly. If anyone wants a dark patina this is it.
 
Meat juices seem to make a bluish patina. Whatever you cut, be sure to get the juices all over the blade. Rinse and wipe it off. The patina will come slowly.

My favorite way for small blades is to stick in a large onion leave it a day or two. I got lucky it had a double center IMG_20171127_185635070-2624x1968.jpeg
 
Different steels will have a different reaction, this is a REX 121 knife with a patina that has developed over months of normal use.

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The best forces patinas I've done was from a mixture of water, vinegar and salt, with a stonewash. However you need to produce "layers" of patina by doing many shorter soaks with stonewashes in between, rather than one long soak and one stonewash. And that way it's easier to get the effect you want because you can see it from and get more complex with each layer
 
Use nail polish where the washers and lockbar contact points are, as well as the pivot hole. Use a large plastic container with a lid with rocks in it for the stonewash. And shake shake shake
 
IMG_1851.jpegIt’s tough to see in this picture, but the 2 outside knives have onion patina I described before. The middle knife was brand new. I stuck it in this birch log for this picture for maybe 30 seconds? Wiped it off and put it away. A week or so later I noticed the tip had patina exactly to the insertion line.

Crazy how such minimal contact made a patina. Also interesting how the other 2 that already had patina did not show the same tip patina.
 
Go to Wendy's and order a burger. Sit down and slice the burger in half, or even quarters. Let the knife sit while you eat; don't wipe it clean until you're ready to leave. The combined action of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and meat will produce an excellent patina! 😁 :cool:
 
Certainly cover all bearing surfaces before you start. I always thought it would be fun to add some tape and add some stripes or a shape to a forced patina. Like these scales but with rust instead of...electricity-color

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