Stripping a BK-15

[glocker199]

Just received my new BK-15 in the mail. I love the size and blade shape and it came razor sharp. I used it to prepare lunch and while it cuts well, the factory vaulting seems a bit "grabby."

I've never stripped a knife before but I'm thinking about doing the 15. How is the steel finished under the coating? My only other Becker is an old Camillus BK-7 that was stripped by the previous owner.

Is it necessary to due some sort of forced patina or bluing? I really like the way my BK-7 blade looks.

Is there any reason to strip past the cutting edge? I was thinking about just stripping the blade forward of the ricasso.

 

[B.Mauser]

Hi Glocker Its good to hear you are happy with your 15. Its an amazing knife. Becker's and Glock's are a great team, my favorite also.

You wont know how the steel looks until you strip it. Some are what I call a natural beauty. As soon as you get the coating off they are shiny, smooth and beautiful. Then there are the Becker's that need some help to bring out that beauty. When the coating comes off there can be some irregular black spots and very noticeable grind marks that cover the whole blade. Those take some time with sandpaper but can end up just as beautiful. Wont know till its nekkid.

Something I like to do is sand down the black coating. Not enough to see silver anywhere, just thin and smooth it out a bit. Not as smooth cutting as a stripped one but makes a noticeable difference. Then if your still not happy, time for some stripper.

Is it necessary to force a patina? That depends on the use of the knife and how much field maintenance you want to do. A stripped Becker with no lubrication on it will rust in minutes if left to sit wet. Over night its a real mess. A simple wipe down making sure they are dry ends that problem. But a patina does make it nice, especially when using for food prep. I would say leave it coated if you dont want a patina and want to use it for food. Also, in case you dont know, bluing your blade makes it unsafe to use on food.

No reason not to leave the coating under the handle. it does a good job under there. I used to do that at first and honestly the reason I dont anymore is the appearance. I didn't like how it looked as much. Leave it coated under the handle and if you dont like it, easy to remove later.

When I first stripped my 15, I was cutting a pile of potatoes up. It was rusting before I was even done. Now after building a heavy patina it can lay on the kitchen counter cutting veggies and stuff all night and wont rust.

Oh, good job posting a pic with your first question...Don't forget to come back and show us how the 15 turns out.



If you want to drool over some nice BK15's check out the dedicated BK15 thread.


http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1219032-BK15-Dedicated-Picture-Thread

 

[Semper Praesidio]

Can't really add to anything Mauser recommended. So, just congrats on the new steel and let us know what you decide to do.

Forcing a patina can be fun, especially if you do it in stages. Here's my 15 with forced patina:

 

[TravisH]

Just stripping forward of the ricasso is fine.

No need to force a patina. It will do that on its own ... slowly.

With nominal care, there's no real need to protect the blade more. Wash to remove dirt and debris, dry it, then wipe it down with mineral oil.

 

[glocker199]

Thanks for the info!

 

[The Zieg]

Just did my 15 today. Did the whole thing, under the grips, too. Easier that way. Vinegar patina is light, but I use it so much it'll get a patina going naturally.

Zieg

 

[The Zieg]

Just did my 15 today. Did the whole thing, under the grips, too. Easier that way. Vinegar patina is light, but I use it so much it'll get a patina going naturally.

Zieg

Mine came out uneven, though I think I know why. I had sanded the blade first shortly after getting the knife. The stripper was old, weak sauce. So the blade came out shinier while the handle area stayed dark, like some of the coating was still deep in the pores. 'S'ok with me, but it was an unexpected result. The logo and model etching is still highly visible, too. Was unable to get some of the remaining coating off the blade where some of it still remained when I sanded the rough off.

I like it. I use the heck out of this thing and the patina will only get darker with use.

Zieg

 

[glocker199]

I like the even dark grey forced patinas. What's the best way to get that type of finish?

 

[JDMiller]

I like the even dark grey forced patinas. What's the best way to get that type of finish?

Get some apple cider vinegar to a boil, pour it into a container with your degrease blade(wipe it down with acetone or alcohol to remove finger print oils etc). I waited 5 minutes ( It will foam/fizzle), rinse it under the faucet and card it(wipe it) with a white super fine scotch brite(a cloth will probably work).(you will see black residue wash off). Repeat once more and then rinse with some baking soda to neutralize any acidity .
Took only about 15 minutes on mine. Nice even dark grey/black.

You can leave it in the vinegar longer or repeat more times, but two 5 minute soaks worked great for me

 

[B.Mauser]

The thing you guys are going to figure out once you use the knife is the patina wont stay even. Go slice an apple with it and see what happens. I'm not saying not to do it. Its a great way to kick start a good patina. But putting too much work into getting the even patina can be a disappointment when you see what happens after some use. Patinas evolve.

Sure hope this does not sound like I'm being negative or rude. Just helping my new friends out. Yeah..You guys.


Here is one of my even patina pics I was proud of.

After one summer of heavy use including lots of food prep. Acidic fruits,veggies and raw meat make an amazing patina.

 

[B.Mauser]

Mine came out uneven, though I think I know why. I had sanded the blade first shortly after getting the knife. The stripper was old, weak sauce. So the blade came out shinier while the handle area stayed dark, like some of the coating was still deep in the pores. 'S'ok with me, but it was an unexpected result. The logo and model etching is still highly visible, too. Was unable to get some of the remaining coating off the blade where some of it still remained when I sanded the rough off.

I like it. I use the heck out of this thing and the patina will only get darker with use.

Zieg

Hi Zieg

Nice looking 15. My 15 was the same way as were most the Beckers I have stripped. Here is my guess. The carbon steel is all black like that before Kabar grinds and sharpens the blade. That removes the black from the blade area but leaves it everywhere else. :thumbup:

 

[glocker199]

I hope stripping the finish makes a significant difference in slicing ability. I just tried to cut up a small and it was like trying to push a car with the brakes on. I had to switch to a kitchen knife.

 

[TravisH]

I hope stripping the finish makes a significant difference in slicing ability. I just tried to cut up a small and it was like trying to push a car with the brakes on. I had to switch to a kitchen knife.

While stripping does improve slicing performance, it still won't match a kitchen knife.

Dedicated task tools typically outperform general purpose tools.

Last Thanksgiving, I did a veggie prep-off. While the 5 and 15 did the best of the BKs, none of them could match the Henkel 7" Santoku.

 

[glocker199]

The thing you guys are going to figure out once you use the knife is the patina wont stay even. Go slice an apple with it and see what happens. I'm not saying not to do it. Its a great way to kick start a good patina. But putting too much work into getting the even patina can be a disappointment when you see what happens after some use. Patinas evolve.

Sure hope this does not sound like I'm being negative or rude. Just helping my new friends out. Yeah..You guys.


Here is one of my even patina pics I was proud of.

After one summer of heavy use including lots of food prep. Acidic fruits,veggies and raw meat make an amazing patina.

Your first pic is the exact finish I'm going for. In fact, I saved it on my phone as a reference. It looks awesome.

 

[Ferahgo]

Partial strips look good!

 

[JWheel]

Your first pic is the exact finish I'm going for. In fact, I saved it on my phone as a reference. It looks awesome.

If you like that deep even look, follow the directions here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/928315-Get-A-Deep-Even-Black-Patina-On-1095-Carbon-Steel

It's similar to what JDMiller suggested but it's a slow gradual process that gives you more control than just boiling in vinegar. It requires more stuff, effort, and time than the 5-minute boil though, so plan accordingly. You can see the look of the boiling method on JDMiller's thread here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1306719-Hot-vinegar-soak-works-Gooood-!-Pics-added

Here's the results I had with the more in-depth method (and this was my first time trying this kind of thing):

 

[B.Mauser]

Your first pic is the exact finish I'm going for. In fact, I saved it on my phone as a reference. It looks awesome.

Cool. It was the hot apple cider and cotton ball method. Good luck with yours.

If you like that deep even look, follow the directions here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/928315-Get-A-Deep-Even-Black-Patina-On-1095-Carbon-Steel

It's similar to what JDMiller suggested but it's a slow gradual process that gives you more control than just boiling in vinegar. It requires more stuff, effort, and time than the 5-minute boil though, so plan accordingly. You can see the look of the boiling method on JDMiller's thread here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1306719-Hot-vinegar-soak-works-Gooood-!-Pics-added

Here's the results I had with the more in-depth method (and this was my first time trying this kind of thing):

You did an amazing job on that patina. So black and smooth. If there was a way to keep it like that I would want mine just like that forever. I am very interested to see how it looks when you use it.:thumbup:

 

[JWheel]

Cool. It was the hot apple cider and cotton ball method. Good luck with yours.








You did an amazing job on that patina. So black and smooth. If there was a way to keep it like that I would want mine just like that forever. I am very interested to see how it looks when you use it.:thumbup:

Even with light use, it's already evolving. But I knew it would. I'll post a pic once it's handled some more cooking tasks. I'm interested in see how the little guy grows.

Out of curiosity, Mauser, I see you on the forums talking about the 15 a lot. But I see the 9 on your sig. What's your relationship with the two?

 

[The Zieg]

B.Mauser's correct (of course he is, he's a Coloradan, and we all know our knives! ). Anyone with an Opinel knows they go through lives of evolving patinas from use. One of my Opinels is so frequently used for picnic foods like fruit and cheese and meat that it's black. I expect my BK-15 to darken like crazy. Yesterday's apple already started it. Barn chores, however, take longer to do the job.

Zieg

 

[The Zieg]

I hope stripping the finish makes a significant difference in slicing ability. I just tried to cut up a small and it was like trying to push a car with the brakes on. I had to switch to a kitchen knife.

It will help. Veggies respond better to the kitchen knives. I find the BK-15 shines when processing chickens and rabbits.

Zieg