Patina or no patina??

Curt Hal

Curt Hal

Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
558
The last two rehangs I did left me a little disappointed. When I first started refurbishing axes, I thought I needed to do the usual - soak the head in vinegar, sand all the crap and patina off as much as possible. On both the last two projects, I thought, I should just reshape and sharpen, it would look cool if I left the patina on. But I ended up doing what I usually do anyways. Now that they are finished, I wish I had left the patina on.

What do you guys like to do? Do you like patina or no patina?
 
Curt Hal said:
The last two rehangs I did left me a little disappointed. When I first started refurbishing axes, I thought I needed to do the usual - soak the head in vinegar, sand all the crap and patina off as much as possible. On both the last two projects, I thought, I should just reshape and sharpen, it would look cool if I left the patina on. But I ended up doing what I usually do anyways. Now that they are finished, I wish I had left the patina on.

What do you guys like to do? Do you like patina or no patina?
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Case by case for me. All things being equal, I like the patina. Take a look at some of the 2-4lb sledges that I have done lately. If possible I preserve as much as I can. I don't vinegar soak much now like I used to, only when the rust is all encompassing and more than surface rust. If its crusty but with a good shape I'll soak it and sand it. But only if I have to.
 
What jblyttle said basically. Some people like the polished look, but I think you should leave the patina whenever possible and work on the rust.
 
You can always get a little of both. Keep the original patina on the body and just clean off the rust (steel wool and wire wheels are pretty good at getting rust off without peeling off the whole patina), and then regrind the bevels and polish the edge. Gives it a nice look like a Japanese knife, and shows off both the natural patina of age, and the polish of a fresh edge.
 
A 1-2 hour diluted vinegar soak will clear up some rust without altering the overall patina, and after that I personally like to Brillo-buff and polish.
 
Most of the ones I've done need to have some mushrooming removed from the pole or are covered in a decent layer of rust. I tend to throw them in a bucket of vinegar for 1-3 days taking them out at least once a day to brush off whatever comes lose. They normally come out with a nice even patina which I like for protection from the more destructive type of rust. All of my axes are users so the patina will change over time anyway, and letting one form on its own is just more work in the clean up as well as maintenance until one forms. Just my opinion.
 
Curt Hal said:
. . . .
Now that they are finished, I wish I had left the patina on.
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Sounds like you are in the patina camp. It is easy to take off patina. Putting patina on a clean piece of metal (or wood), in my mind, is an art.

Curt Hal said:
. . . .
What do you guys like to do? Do you like patina or no patina?
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I have several older hand tools including axes (pre WWII - late 19th century). Some get used and some are displayed. None of these I would consider "collectable" or valuable. Also, I don't sell tools. I always keep the patina as much as I can because (to answer the question) I like patina.
 
Patina all the way. I made the mistake of vinegar on my first few axes and regret it now. Actually have been trying to sell them because they just don't look right. I only use vinegar if the rust is REALLY bad and even then it's no more than a few hours just to de-crud the surface.
 
Had a container of vinegar in my shop. Noticed it was starting to rise up and look like sponge toffee. It had never done that before. Must be old, I thought. Took it over to dump it in the toilet and an axe head fell out of it and clinked onto the toilet bowl. Must have been in there for a month. No rust though!
 
I've had vinegar do that to me as well with an axe head in there, gotta be a way the oxidized metal reacts to the vinegar.
 
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