Patina on a RMD LE?

V

VolundoftheForge

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Jan 3, 2012
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Do you guys recommend it? If I do, will someone come to my house and shoot me for ruining it? How does patina effect food preparation? Thanks guys. Sorry for so many threads on this kind of stuff, but I just want to make sure I do the right thing.


On a different note: I planned on using the LE for work. How would that effect the value? Is it one of those knives that rise high in value? Thanks.
 
A patina is oxidation. Basically a semi protective oxidation similar to gun bluing ect. Forcing a patina shouldn't really effect food prep. But if you are going to use the LE RMD for food prep you might as well forgo a forced patina and allow the food to, over time, create its own patina. The LE RMD will be sure to rise in value after awhile of people getting some, selling some ect. Once they settle into hands so to speak. I would suspect to see them on the after market for around $200-$250. But if I were you I would use the knife. Enjoy it!
 
Not sure if you saw my post in your other thread. My Satin Bowie RMD will act identically to the LE in regards to patina. As far as the Satin finish goes, it will patina over time with use unless you wipe it down immediately after cutting, and even then, acidic things like lemons will likely still patina the metal. Here is what my Bowie RMD looks like now:





HERE is the thread where I did the forced patina. Even if I hadn't done the forced patina with warmed vinegar, the stuff I cut in the week or so of use would have still caused a patina. As has been previously mentioned, patina is an oxide layer over the top of the steel, which helps protect the metal beneath. With use, you will get staining (very light patina) at a minimum no matter how careful you are with it.
 
I like women with Red lipstick
I like women with earrings that look like Bass Baits
I like polished floors to slide on with socks
I like my Jump Boots Polished to a high shine
I like Clean Sunglasses to check out the chicks
I like High Resolution TVs to check out the chicks
I like Buffed out paint jobs on the 1957 Cadillac El Dorado Brougham
I like my Swamp Ratmandu's LE shinier than a brand new Quarter
Yup
 
I was thinking of a white vinegar patina to keep it a nice grey color but I'm not sure yet :P I'd rather a nice looking forced patina than an odd splotched natural one but that's just me. If I ever wanted to trade it or give it off, could you shine it up again or is the patina going to stay?
 
To be clear, I DID do a vinegar forced patina on mine first, and it still looks like you see above after a fair bit of use in the kitchen for a week . There are pictures in the thread I linked of the even grey finish it had prior to this (I get the impression you didn't read the thread?). Bottom line is that I think SR-101 is reactive enough that there really isn't a way to keep an even grey finish if you use the knife much without doing something more intensive like hot bluing. It appears that a vinegar soak just isn't going to cut it.

If you want to have it nice and shiny again as received from the Swamp, you would have to remove the patina. This means hitting the whole knife with either sandpaper or scotch brite; not a simple task. The only way to get the nice factory Satin finish would be to use a belt or maybe a wheel. Would be pretty hard to do yourself, though it might be possible to send it back home to mama and pay them to do it for you.
 
No sweat man; I just wanted to make sure you understood this patina thing completely. Even with a patina, if you decided to sell a Satin Rat it would still likely garner a premium on the exchange, fwiw.
 
Really hard to say. Completely depends on the knife and how badly someone wants that particular model in a satin finish, availavbility of similar others, etc. If you are that concerned with it, either buy a regular version to use and don't use the LE, or don't worry about it.
 
I am not a "patina guy". I like my blades shiny, and clean. A little silicone cloth wipe down before and after use is what keeps mine like new. I do NOT use them for food prep. I have a stainless knife specifically for that out in the wild.

My RMD LE will stay shiny!
 
Thanks, Spyder. I don't plan on selling it, but I was thinking maybe trade it later for something :P Probably not though. I might use a separate knife for food prep anyway, but I think the satin will wear nicer than a coating and I hope it serves well when camping and maybe as a car knife.
 
Pilot1 said:
I do NOT use them for food prep. ... My RMD LE will stay shiny!
Click to expand...

Don't cut meat with it out in the wild either then! Meat (blood, really) will cause a patina just like fruits/veggies, just not as quickly and a bit of a different color.
 
Banana tree juice made an extremely interesting patina, almost purple on my s br. I no longer have access to banana trees but perhaps one of you southern rats. . .

voRATious
 
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