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sharp buttcap
- Thread starter Skeletor
- Start date
Skeletor:
I'm no pro at this, but I sanded across the grain with 600 grit, then with the grain with 0000 steel wool. May just do this to my other horn handles too.
There are a few threads about that mustard finish, and it seems to work pretty good - gives a camo type result. It wears off somewhat, but due to the pattern such wear is less noticeable. Also it is free - a couple packs of mustard from McDonalds should do it. You just pat on a slight film of mustard with your finger, let it sit over night and wash off. Then rub a little bit with fine steel wool.
I'm no pro at this, but I sanded across the grain with 600 grit, then with the grain with 0000 steel wool. May just do this to my other horn handles too.
There are a few threads about that mustard finish, and it seems to work pretty good - gives a camo type result. It wears off somewhat, but due to the pattern such wear is less noticeable. Also it is free - a couple packs of mustard from McDonalds should do it. You just pat on a slight film of mustard with your finger, let it sit over night and wash off. Then rub a little bit with fine steel wool.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2002
- Messages
- 3,397
I wonder how a mustarded or similar patina would turn out
if it were 'blued' over, then properly oiled.
Also, a sudden thought, if a mustarded blade were oil-treated like
a blued blade is supposed to be to toughen the finish.
Or, an intentionally rusted blade
(is 'browned' patina still red rust, or something else)
were treated with one of the chemical products that's
supposed to convert active rust to durable inactive iron compound.
Ddean:
Oddly enough, I just tried this last night. Put mustard on a blued khuk which I was planning to polish the blue off of. In the morning, the dryed mustard just washed off and had no effect on the blued part of the blade, other than lightening up the blueing in a couple places.
Then, I took a khuk with a mustard finish and put some blue on it to see what would happen. It blued right through the mustard and 30 seconds later didn't look like it had ever had any mustard on it at all.
Therefore, it appears that blueing solution will protect a blade from additional corrosion to a greater extend than mustard. Unfortunately, the blueing looks alot more ratty while it is in the process of wearing off. Fortunately it is easy and quick to reapply.
Oddly enough, I just tried this last night. Put mustard on a blued khuk which I was planning to polish the blue off of. In the morning, the dryed mustard just washed off and had no effect on the blued part of the blade, other than lightening up the blueing in a couple places.
Then, I took a khuk with a mustard finish and put some blue on it to see what would happen. It blued right through the mustard and 30 seconds later didn't look like it had ever had any mustard on it at all.
Therefore, it appears that blueing solution will protect a blade from additional corrosion to a greater extend than mustard. Unfortunately, the blueing looks alot more ratty while it is in the process of wearing off. Fortunately it is easy and quick to reapply.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2002
- Messages
- 3,397
Good to know.
Was the mustard patina treated with oil to set the finish before blueing?
Was the blue treated with oil to set the finish before mustard?
One of the -other- aspects of mustard (& related condiments)
is that if you let it go long enough
it will start texturing the blade (pitting).
Which is one of the ways it 'ages' the blade appearance.
Once textured, you can leave the patina or remove it.
I may try blue over texture.
Lots of combos available.
Ddean:
After re-reading your post a few times, I referred back to the directions on the bottle and it did indeed prescribe for the blueing to sit overnight covered with oil and "cure." For some reason I never made it that far through the directions before.
So, I re-blued the khuk last night (three sequences - it turned pretty black) and innundated it with oil. It sat for 10 hours and the resultant finish is quite a bit tougher. This morning I chopped a bunch of weeds and whittled for about two hours, and while there were some scratches on the blade, none of them went through the blueing.
None of my mustard finishes have been cured with oil, so I will try that tonight out of curiosity.
What I am interested to see is whether blueing will penetrate and overwhelm a mustard finish which has been oil cured. If it does, it seems like blueing is a superior thing to do to a khuk if protecting the blade is one's goal.
Anyway, thanks for your tactful comments. If you had said: "Read the bottle, dummy," I would still appreciate them.
After re-reading your post a few times, I referred back to the directions on the bottle and it did indeed prescribe for the blueing to sit overnight covered with oil and "cure." For some reason I never made it that far through the directions before.
So, I re-blued the khuk last night (three sequences - it turned pretty black) and innundated it with oil. It sat for 10 hours and the resultant finish is quite a bit tougher. This morning I chopped a bunch of weeds and whittled for about two hours, and while there were some scratches on the blade, none of them went through the blueing.
None of my mustard finishes have been cured with oil, so I will try that tonight out of curiosity.
What I am interested to see is whether blueing will penetrate and overwhelm a mustard finish which has been oil cured. If it does, it seems like blueing is a superior thing to do to a khuk if protecting the blade is one's goal.
Anyway, thanks for your tactful comments. If you had said: "Read the bottle, dummy," I would still appreciate them.
Well, yesterday I put mustard on a freshly sanded khuk and let it sit for eight hours. The result was a pretty damascus-type pattern and overall grey hue. So, I wetted it down good with gun oil and let sit overnight (11 hours) to cure. After rubbing it a bit with some steel wool, it appeared tougher than previous mustard finishes not cured with oil.
Then, I removed all oil and put on one coat of Super Blue. This turned the blade immediately black, but instead of wiping out the mustard entirely there was still a visible damascus pattern present. It isn't quite enough to show up on a digital photo, but is easy to see up close. The effect is interesting enough that I'm going to leave it for the time being, and the khuk is currently covered in oil and "curing."
Today I did some more work with my blued khuk and the finish is still holding up well. Honing with a strop/green compound just polishes the blueing on the edge bevel. With the uncured finish, the blueing came off immediately with the strop.
Since blueing protects a khuk from the corrosive effect of mustard but mustard does little to inhibit the effect of blueing solution, I am beginning to conclude that blueing is more effective at protecting khuks from the elements. On the other hand, maybe there is still a step missing from my application procedures for mustard.
Then, I removed all oil and put on one coat of Super Blue. This turned the blade immediately black, but instead of wiping out the mustard entirely there was still a visible damascus pattern present. It isn't quite enough to show up on a digital photo, but is easy to see up close. The effect is interesting enough that I'm going to leave it for the time being, and the khuk is currently covered in oil and "curing."
Today I did some more work with my blued khuk and the finish is still holding up well. Honing with a strop/green compound just polishes the blueing on the edge bevel. With the uncured finish, the blueing came off immediately with the strop.
Since blueing protects a khuk from the corrosive effect of mustard but mustard does little to inhibit the effect of blueing solution, I am beginning to conclude that blueing is more effective at protecting khuks from the elements. On the other hand, maybe there is still a step missing from my application procedures for mustard.
- Joined
- May 18, 1999
- Messages
- 15,395
Skeletor on all of my users, well at least most of them, I use either a file or my Grizz Grinder and bring the buttcap down even with the handle.
Then I take the corner of a file and very carefully cut about a 45* angled groove at the junction of the handle and buttcap.
Doing this gets completely rid of any and all burrs present and future, beacuse it allows for further shrinkage if any.
To me it makes the handles look more proffesionally finished. Ask Foxy what he thinks about it. I did the same to the the Foxy Folly that first came to me.
I still can hardly wait to get my Foxy Folly!!!! That's one damned fine Khukuri IMO!!!! 
Then I take the corner of a file and very carefully cut about a 45* angled groove at the junction of the handle and buttcap.
Doing this gets completely rid of any and all burrs present and future, beacuse it allows for further shrinkage if any.
To me it makes the handles look more proffesionally finished. Ask Foxy what he thinks about it. I did the same to the the Foxy Folly that first came to me.
I still can hardly wait to get my Foxy Folly!!!! That's one damned fine Khukuri IMO!!!!