I'm relatively new at working with laminated steel. I have a blade ground and hand sanded up to 1k grit. I have etched it with FC and it has great contrast right out of the tub. Now, once I spray it down with windex and dry it off, a lot of the black on the high carbon gets wiped away with the paper towel. Also, the mild steel gets all blotchy looking as well. Rubbing oil onto the blade helps with the contrast a little but the lighter steel (outer cladding) is still blotchy. If I use some Flitz to clean it up, the black on the core gets wiped away as well. What do you guys do in order to get a smoth clean look without ruining the contrast? My San Mai is Hitachi blue by the way.
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San Mai, after the etch
- Thread starter ZERT8208
- Start date
When I use anything to try and polish or clean up the mild steel area, it removes all of the black from the high carbon area. Or do you just be really careful and only touch the areas of mild steel?
Yes correct. I wouldn’t touch the darkened core
I believe stainless cladding is less likely to be blotchy than a mild steel cladding
I recall I used steel wool on this stainless clad san mai
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2016
- Messages
- 378
You might also try a coffee etch after the ferric etch and cleanup.
thanks. that’s going to a chef repeat customer in Paris.
Just a quick dip in 3:1 fc only takes a few seconds , rinse with windex, rinse with water, wipe with alcohol wipe. Then steel wool the top cladding staying away from the core.