Patina on my new BK-2

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Spatzw

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Apr 29, 2013
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Hello, this is my first post, sorry for no pics but I'm using my phone, I'm new to the BK-2 I got a first gen in a trade, I have stripped the blade and tried to force a patina on it with mustard but it doesn't seem to want to take, is there something I can do to better prep the blade aside from cleaning it with alcohol?
 
I find that a patina works better if the blade is somewhat polished. When I stripped my BK2, I tried to force a patina on it, and it didn't take until I took some fine grit sandpaper to it. 1000,1500,2000,2500. Then I decided I didn't like the mustard patina, and did a hot apple cider vinegar on it instead, and it's awesome. You can get fine grit sandpaper at auto zone....give that a shot.
 
Also, before you apply mustard or vinager. Wash really well with hot soapy water and don't let your fingers touch the clean steel. The oils tend to block the acids (as it is supposed to).
 
Be sure to clean and dry it like has been said but I don't think you're letting it sit long enough. When I do a vinegar soak I tend to leave it on for 6 hours or even over night. With mustard I try and let it sit for 3-4 hours at a pop. I don't let mustard sit as long as it coats the blade unevenly and can etch the blade a bit at the edges of the mustard. The top guy in this photo was done with mustard. It's been a while but I think I did 3 or 4 coats for about 4-6 hours a stretch.


Edit: And just have fun with it. A patina can always be sanded off and you can start again.
 
I usually give prep my blades with some steel wool followed by a good wipe down with some denatured alcohol.
But rather than mustard, or vinegar, I use cold gun blue that's used to touch up firearm's bluing.
Then I clean it a bit with some fine steel wool till I get the desired "antique" look that I like.



But mustard,or vinegar should work fine if it sits long enough.
 
Instead of regular mustard try spicy brown mustard and tabasco...or if you want a more natural patina then get the knife and stab it into a potatoe..thats what used to be done.

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1095CV will take a patina very easily, but you cant just smother the blade in mustard. The oxidation/patina will occur where the mix of air and acid are perfect. With mustard this usually occurs at the edges of wherever you smeared it. I would advise making sure the blade is clean as others have said then trying it again with less mustard. A good way is to take some vinegar and some mustard and mix them together in a thin paste and apply with dabbing or brushing. You should be able to see the patina in less than 30 minutes.
If you want a "natural" looking patina, use it in the kitchen to chop up potatoes, onions, citrus, or pretty much whatever and a unique patina will occur.
If you are wanting to do an all over uniform patina, take some vinegar in a container that the knife will fit in. Microwave the vinegar until almost boiling then put the blade in. You will see little bubbles forming all over it and it will etch/patina very dark and uniformly. Usually throw it in for a bit, take it out and scrub, then put it back in. repeat this until you get the shade you want. 1095CV can patina almost black.
I have also had luck with Lemi-shine/water mixture. You can even patina AUS8A, or sandvik steels in the lemi-shine. You can even substitute the water for vinegar. Just use common sense and be safe. Its basically citric acid crystals.
Good Luck
 
Agreed with iwouldhurtafly .

Regular yellow mustard works great and is fast, but it works best when the mustard is applied in very thin layers.
Where its applied the thickest, and air cannot get to the steel, there will be less oxidation.
My favorite thing to do is to apply a uniform layer of mustard along the length of the blade, then run my fingers along the width of the blade removing some of the mustard. Kinda makes tiger striped patterns. Fun and simple.
 
Yep I agree too. I usually don't tell people how I do it unless they ask as I think people are more creative then they give themselves credit for and I like to see what they come up with. But...;) the way I did the one in the photo was to take a q tip and apply drops of mustard spread out along the blade. The drops will cover less then a quarter of the blade. Then, before the mustard hardens, I take the q tip and lightly swirl the mustard about. By lightly I mean just drag the tops of the drops around. I don't actually make contact with the knife with the q tip. Just the mustard. You end up with little smears and droplets everywere which allows more borders between mustard and air which gives it a nice pattern.
 
I'll get pics as soon as I can my computer is down and I've only had my phone, I promise they will come
 
I just ordered new hardwood handles for my BK 2 and was planning on stripping and polishing the blade but now I am thinking of doing a patina....any other suggestions then mustard or warm vinegar?
 
Using Jalapeno slices can be fun. Also, just sticking your blade into an orange, and letting is sit for a few hours can result in a cool looking patina.
 
wildnewfie said:
I just ordered new hardwood handles for my BK 2 and was planning on stripping and polishing the blade but now I am thinking of doing a patina....any other suggestions then mustard or warm vinegar?
Click to expand...

Where are you getting the handles? I'm looking for a set of wood or even bone scales but can't really find any I really like
 
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