Photos My Castle Burg Boker Barlow with Forced Patina

[ErikMB]

I both love and am disappointed with this knife.

The wood is outrageously beautiful and the blade holds a shockingly sharp edge.

If you look closely, the tree shield is not centered. This frustrates the OCD and German pride in me. ;-) I wish I could slide it over so it is centered. For $150 I would like slightly better workmanship.

I love the look of those spear blades since I use this for food (spreading, etc.) but they just don't penetrate like clip points.

And the blade is a little too loose in the open position. I wish I could tighten it just a little.

I have removed the acid wash because I was seeing some rust, I made a new acid wash with lemon juice, saw rust again, sanded off with Scotch Brite, and then acid etched again with lime juice. That smelled really bad according to my kids but I like the look.

I love this tiny little knife, though, imperfections and everything!

 

[afishhunter]

Apply a light coat of oil after forcing a patina to set/stabilize it, like you would a gun or tool that you blued.

 

[ErikMB]

Thanks for the idea. I used food-quality mineral oil on the wood and the metal both. Will that do for the metal?

I have never blued anything and have no gun (unfortunately, I live in a densely packed townhouse village in Northern Kalifornia.)

Someday I will escape to freedom but until then, I'm forcing patina on high carbon pocket knives... ;-)