Patina Question

Bazillions · Aug 9, 2016

When it comes creating a patina, do most of you disassemble the knife and go for the whole blade or just leave it assembled and go from there? I plan on using mustard.

skivic · Aug 9, 2016

I just forced patina on my M4 Para, i didn't take it apart but i did tape up what i didn't want to get affected, even just the steam of hot vinegar can cause the blade to rust in spots you dont want

Skeptic13 · Aug 10, 2016

Can you post some before and after pictures of a knife that you have added patina to? I am not quite understanding the reason(s) for forcing patina on a knife.

on_the_edge · Aug 10, 2016

Skeptic13 said:
Can you post some before and after pictures of a knife that you have added patina to? I am not quite understanding the reason(s) for forcing patina on a knife.

With uncoated carbon steel, generally speaking, use of the knife will result in discoloration of the steel in the form of a layer of oxidation on the surface of the knife, especially if you use it on food at all. From a "looks" perspective, some folks do not like the look of a patina. That said, if you force a patina, you have some measure of control in what it will look like. However, if you let patina develop naturally over time, you generally have little to no control in what the patina will look like. The only other option is to try to stave off a patina and keep the steel looking pristine. IMO, that is not worth it unless you are simply displaying your knife.

Bazillions · Aug 11, 2016

A forum member said he sandwiched the knife between two sponges with mustard. The result was pretty cool. I think I'm gonna try that. Just wanted to know if disassembling was better than leaving it as is during the process.

Akcir · Aug 11, 2016

Last one I did was disassembled, and I put nail polish on the washer surface and pivot hole.
Probably didn't need to, but it worked.

skwurll · Aug 11, 2016

Apples tend to form a slower less aggressive patina from my experimentation.

There seems to be a fine line between forming a patina & creating rust.

on_the_edge · Aug 11, 2016

I chose to not disassemble my knife. As a result, I have a visible patina line going back just behind the grind. My rationale was that I don't plan to have food and other things get back into the pivot area. I also did not mind how it looked. My knife is a user that is well cared for, not a beauty queen. YMMV.