Off Topic So what is black stainless steel?

[PhilosopherJenkins]

SO I just bought a Hogonokami, which I love, and it got me to think how is stainless steel actually blackened? In this knife's case it's not a matte tactical sort of coating, but a shiny black all around

 

[lieferung]

Higo*nokami. And it is likely another coating that is reflective and not matte.

 

[tiguy7]

Some gun makers plate their stainless steel barrels with black Chrome.

 

[Hickory n steel]

There's black nickel and black chrome that could be responsible for this look.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Would it be DLC - Diamond Like Coating? Very hard, durable, shiny, slippery stuff that is used on valve stems among other applications.

 

[Smiling]

Would it be DLC - Diamond Like Coating? Very hard, durable, shiny, slippery stuff that is used on valve stems among other applications.

My Recon Tanto is DLC coated. It's not really shiny, or smooth either. But it's extremley durable. Now I can't say if Cold Steel makes their DLC different than other manufacturers...

 

[Mecha]

I thought they just dipped it in acid or something.

 

[herisson]

The treatment applied to higonokamis will quite surely be one of the cheapest methods available... as they are basically just budget knives (originall intended only for sharpening pencils...). Most of them are ordinary carbon steels. So, yes, an acid bath of some sort sounds reasonable. Like a "quick instant patina" to prevent too much rust.