Newbie Tiger Stripe Advice?

[uncleace]

I recently got a Cold Steel 4Max Scout. I love it, but I'd really like to tiger stripe the blade.
Never tried anything like this before, and I don't want to ruin it. Can anyone point me where I should start learning? I'd appreciate it.

 

[shane45-1911]

Since your knife is stainless steel, it is a bit more difficult as you can't use the "usual" methods of adding patina on a carbon steel blade (mustard, vinegar, etc.).

You would need to etch the blade with ferric chloride to discolor it, then bead blast the stripe pattern. Alternatively, you could try brushing the ferric chloride on in stripes, but chances are it will look blotchy and the edges of the stripes won't have the subtle fading that you get with media blasting.

 

[killgar]

I don't know how to produce stripes, but if you decide to give it a try my advice is to buy yourself some cheap kitchen knives at a 99 cent store to experiment on.

There are people/companies that offer cerakoting services, and it looks like tiger stripes are one option available. If it's not important that you do it yourself maybe do a Google search for cerakoting services.

Here's one example from Cerakote.com. They have a variety of colors.