New Rodent Trail- Should I Patina? Drunken HOG - Is that you Jerry?

R

RWT

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Mar 15, 2011
Messages
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I just recieved my new Rodent Trail. I had a RS and Regulator previous to this and they would both have rust spots in a matter of hours due to humidity. I will be using this one heavily for cleaning animals and I am rather relaxed about maintenance. So I have a few questions as I have not placed a patina on a blade intentionally before.

I will say this, it is "OK" for the Swamp, Busse and the Yard to stop generating new models. This one is perfect. I sold my CABS and my RS to get it and am not regretting it for one minute. The size is great, the shape and width of the handle, blade length is just enough, width and depth of blade. All are perfect. I am even learning to live with a choil. Expect pics while she is pretty and then a review in the next week.


Questions
1. Should I put a patina on it now or let her age naturally?
2. Will the patine keep surface rust from happening as fast? I assuem so and would like pics if anyone has them.
3. If yes to the patina, what source vinegar, mustard, lemons? How much time in the solution?

Previous real world experience and photos are appreciated.

Here is a pic from this weekend. While filling feeders, this little guy came out and I fed him by hand. At first I thought he was blind or had something wrong with him. Then I realized he may be a real "hog" and is just drunk from hanging with Jerry during the weekend. In all likelhood he is a domestic that has gotten loose and is running with the ferals. "Wilbur" will live another day as I want him to teach the other hogs to come to the trough ;)

 
Supposedly, any patina (black rust) will help prevent red rust as there is only a finite amount of free iron to oxidize and the patina basically uses this up to some degree making it unavailable to further oxidation/patina.

Especially, I would imagine that a properly applied forced patina would enormously reduce the appearance of red rust.

You might possibly try doing a patina like the one documented here, it is a nice dark even black patina that almost looks like gun bluing.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...A-Deep-Even-Black-Patina-On-1095-Carbon-Steel
 
RWT, hope ya don't object to a thread move. More Rats hang in the SRKW forum and have good tips on subjects like this one. :)

Moved from the Busse Knives discussion forum to the Swamp Rat Knives discussion forum. Redirect left in the Busse forum.
 
No problem, Jaxx . Didn't realize the Swamp had grown that large. I normally check in here as the landing page. Now I have to see if I can get a Rat to eat out of my hand.
 
Love it. Give em all a good final meal. Maybe be best to harvest in winter but not sure if it gets cold enough there to matter. Ive heard it does help with some of the parasites, but have no clue as I havent had the pleasure of hunting em yet. Hopefully this fall:)

Great pic. THe above link looks great. There was also someone that had done it with super gun blue that turned out nice too. I bought a bottle just for it but havent had the chance to apply yet.
 
RVT,
I have a few blades with a patina on. It is very easy to do and to an extent it will protect the knife from rusting.
I'd say that it really doesn't matter what you will use on your Rat Trail, on a working knife patina will be changing all the time, some will rub off, some will get scratched, new one will form.
You could start by washing the knife and cleaning it with alcohol and then using for food prep. A lot of veggies and fruit will cause patina with different color/intensity.

My shiny once upon a time Rodent Solution:
 
Hello RWT. I have not done a forced patina, but since bluing was mentioned, I did do a Sykco with gun blue awhile back. I have not used it hard since then, but have carried it, and it has held up with light use and sheath insertion. I have a feeling, though, that it is going to show wear quickly under heavy use. I've just been applying blue to get it dark, and I think it can be touched up pretty easily when needed. I will see if I can 'root' up a picture.
 
Blued 711.



sW4R0u6.jpg
 
aaaa_cccc said:
Just be aware of the fact that bluing is not really food safe if you wanted to use your knife for food prep.
Click to expand...

That I did not know. Not a problem for me on the 711, but maybe not such a good idea then on a dedicated field-dressing knife.
 
I have forced Patinas on several blades. Mostly Beckers and ontarios though.

I heat vinegar up and dip the knife for 30 minutes or so in hot vinegar, then i wrap the knife up in a paper towel with mustard all over it and leave it a few hours up to over night... but even after just an hour it has formed a patina, longer just makes it darker. The next day i take a scothbrite pad and scrub it down to clean off any excess. Then i wipe the blade down with baking soda to neutralize any acids and clean it up.

I have used lemons, different vinegars, hot sauce, onions, tomatoes, ketchup... And so on to form different type patinas. Hot vinegar and mustard are my personal preference. The knife below was forced just as i described. If you notice the handle under the wrap is darker. I applied mustard a second time to the handle, i was just testing to see how it came out.

This is 1095, which in my experience rust very easily, but after the patina on my blades i dont have any issues.

002wq.jpg

001yen.jpg
 
No love on areview or patina. I went to the ranch last night to hunt hogs and the lightening storm was emough to make me nervous. Sitting in a metal tripod as one of the taller objects in pasture with arifle in my hand and then the walk back to the truck.... yeah I have made smarter decisions. I got out of there once I felt the lightening was to close.
 
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