patina colors

[jdm61]

I know that mustard and straight vinegar are common agents for patinating carbon steel, but do you guys know what substances tend to give you specific colors? I read somewhere recently that apples can make for blue. I remember a long time ago someone talking about doing blobs of mustard and then filling the spaces between with Birchwood Casey Super Blue paste, but I might be a tad hesitant to use that selenium goop on a kitchen knife. Also, how do some guys get that bubble wrap looking pattern? I have a shorty 180mm gyuto in CruForgeV that I want to do a patina on and fit it with an all ebony wa handle with a copper spacer.

 

[jdm61]

Buehler?

 

[samuraistuart]

I'm not Ferris, but I do know that cooked fajita (skirt steak) gives me very nice blue/purple colors. I love it so much, I have one knife dedicated to that duty alone. Well, actually, that knife I did sell, and am trying to get that same patina with CPM M4, but it is a LOT more resistant to patina than the 1.2519 I had.

 

[Britt_Askew]

I got some blue/purple using grease from a pig I cooked.

 

[JTknives]

I think a little while ago I said apples gave me blue (blue/green). That's with a polished A2 blade on my wife's kitchen knives.