Painting a spring steel blade?

E

EdgeTim

Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
104
Alright guys, so I am getting a spring steel kukri, and I want it to be my go anywhere knife/chopper. I know it is probably best to just oil it but If I were so inclined to paint it....... What would be the best method? I want it to be durable.

I have heard baking it on is the most durable, but would that mess with the heat treat of the blade?

Should I just sand blast it, bead blast it?

Im looking to do the blade in a coyote/desert brown then black scales.

Also would prefer DIY.

Thanks in advance guys.
 
Any sort of media blasting will make it MUCH more susceptible to rust, period. As for finishes, it's generally agreed that the bake-ons are the best available to less-than-industrial users, but even that will get chewed up eventually. Spraypaint doesn't hold a prayer.
 
If the blade has a decent finish and you keep it dry after use, rust shouldn't be a big danger. I'm told there's a slight advantage in corrosion prevention on blades with a patina, which would probably also make for a little less friction in use than a painted blade.

I'd be wary of any procedure that required subjecting the blade to heat. Generally speaking, if it's too hot to handle, there's a good risk of affecting the temper. Granted, I've used hot/boiling water to clean sap and such off my khukuris with no ill effect, but since I can't speak precisely on bake-on paints, I'd err on the side of caution.
 
ANY paint will wear off of a chopping tool very quickly.
Common spray paint can be touched up any time you want. As you seem to want a camoed blade my recommendation is to use it, clean it well, and spray paint as necessary.
 
Paint will chip off as soon as you use it, you could try duracoat, it's pretty good, but it'll chip and scratch off just like paint, although at a slower rate. You could try wrap the whole blade in a rag soaked with vinegar to force a patina, it will help prevent rust, but you will still need to oil it.
 
You could try Brownell's brand of home bake on coating. Its pretty tough after a couple weeks of curing time, and the temperture is low enough that it probably wouldn't bother heat treating. Its about 325-350. Lower temperatures need longer times, less for higher. Sandblasting before coating is a must if you want the coating to stay on after cutting anything more than apples. Bill is right though, any coating will wear off eventually, so spray paint after a good blasting might be the easiest to restore.
 
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