The aging of a peanut.

Stich2442 said:
Here is my peanut 4 months shy of two years of everyday carry, all naturally earned, scales have smoothed out a little and I think they have darkened a bit, not sure.

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My stag damascus is 8 months old but do not carry everyday, mine aged much different than Carl's, the first third got darker in the first few months, then turned a dull ashy grey, with no defining pattern, so I did something I had never done before, stuck it in a apple for a hour or so to re-etch the design, essential forcing a patina on the carbon parts of the blade and the nickel stayed as is. The pic in the lower right shows the results.

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How it looks today after many uses, only re-etched it the one time, seems to have taken.

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Pete
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Great stuff, Pete. I'll definitely remember that when one of my carbon damascus blades starts to lose it's pattern.
 
Peregrin said:
Great stuff, Pete. I'll definitely remember that when one of my carbon damascus blades starts to lose it's pattern.
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I figured, I just had to re-patina the carbon, there are lots of threads about re-etching damascus, most involve using caustic chemicals, like PCB acid, I figured a apple or potato would work, and couldn't hurt, gave it a try and had great success, I imagine vinegar would also work. I'm surprised how long it lasted.

Pete
 
Here is the Conductor over time. The main changes you can see are the fading of the 'burnt' areas of stag, the yellowing and mellowing of the whiter parts, and an overall smoothing out of the raised areas of the material. This knife goes in the same pocket as my keys, change, and whatever else is on hand. The patina is 'all natural' in the sense that I never forced one, though it does carve an apple about every day.

As new from Boggs, Nov. 2012






Here's when I bought a backup


Picture taken today
 
Sonnemann,

Excellent photo documentation of the Conductor's life. Post more of them periodically, as it's interesting to see the natural aging process.

PS: Ditto to you too Stich
 
arizonaranchman said:
Great to be able to show pics to see the progression. How is it carried? Just dropped down into the pocket? In a slip? Do you carry it "solo" in that pocket (no change or other objects along with it)?

I've been documenting the aging process with my #55 Houndstooth in the same way, interested to see how it ages. Mine is just carried loose in the right front pocket (solo).

Here it is today, after nearly 3 months of constant carry. The backspring has become a dark grey. The back/swedge area of the blade is darkly peppered now also. The jigged bone is slightly darkening i believe also.

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Click to expand...

I grew up with my Dad’s well used gear. He occasionally got a new tool. It didn’t look new for long. By the time I became a union apprentice, my own tools looked beat-up as hell. Just as they ought to.

When a journeyman carpenter shows up on the job with all new tools, that is deeply suspicious. Occasionally the man turned out to be a decent hammer mechanic with a believable story. “Some *&$#%@ stole all my tools!”

More often it was someone who got into the union by Government manipulation. For a while politicians argued that if you could run a civilian through boot camp and get a soldier, you should be able to turn a beginner into a journeyman with a few months’ training. That’s a big IF. Boot camp does not a veteran make. Three month’s training does not a journeyman make.

What did we know compared to the wisdom of politicians? We knew we should treat a man with new tools as a as first period apprentice. It was dangerous to do anything else, and wasted a journeyman’s time. “He hasn’t worn the paint off his first shovel” was not a compliment.

I can only read about using a pocket slip to keep scratches off your pocket knife with befuddled bemusement.
 
Raymond,

A very interesting take on things. I'm an engine guy from education and experience and it is always of interest as to how other fields treat and think of their tools. I'm also a sentimental fool who grows a deeper attachment to them than most. Funny how that worked out.

Boots in the outdoors community has some things in common with what you described. The old experienced hikers and hunters seem to hate new boots. Having a well worn but well maintained pair of boots is a badge of honor for many. I myself sent a pair of 15 year old hunting boots off to get worked on only last week. They were my first major purchase of the recreation type after I finished college. VERY attached to them.

To my eye a pocket knife does look better if it has aged. But it also has to look like it has been treated well. And the aging has to look natural. Nothing seems as incongruous to my eye as a brand new knife with a dark, heavy patina. Give that knife a few years and it will somehow acquire a look that seems like it belongs. At least to my eye. Again, it is funny how my mind works.

Will
 
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