The Goofy Doofus Almost Instant Patina

Thomason

Thomason

Joined
Nov 28, 2002
Messages
9,375
There are a couple of schools of thought for creating a patina on your non-stainless pocket knives. There is the "natural patina created by use over time" school. There is "I want patina NOW/instant gratification" school. You good people have posted several methods for the instant one. I experimented with several methods and came up this procedure by taking ideas from a couple of your suggestions. I think this peanut turned pretty nice.

1. Wash blade with hot water and dish soap. Rinse well and dry well.
2. Heat some apple juice in the microwave. I use a small glass jar. Not too hot, just nice and warm.
3. Open the knife and put it blade down in the juice. Use just enough juice to cover the entire blade.
4. After a few minutes bubbles will form on the blade. Give the knife a shake to break the bubbles loose. You may have to do this several of times during the process.
5. It will not have to soak very long. 20 or 30 minutes at the most. It happens too fast if the juice is very hot. Remember to shake loose those bubbles.
6. Take it out and wash well with dish soap and hot water. Apple juice is pretty sticky.
7. Dry the knife throughly. Hair dryer works pretty good for this.
8. Use a Miracle Cloth or a Krazy Kloth (I found them in the supermarket cleaning products section) Start slowly and rub down the blade until it looks like you want.
9. Oil the joint. Pour yourself a big glass of apple juice, sit back and admire your patina.

If I recall correctly, the apple juice was suggested by Gigone and the Miracle Cloth was suggested by VCM3.

IMG_2411_2.jpg
 
Wow, I have never heard of that. Well, until today. Amazing what people can find out.

mike
 
For a minute there I thought you were going to say, "throw the knife away and drink the juice", but the story had a happy ending. The peanut looks great!
 
The same process works well with vinegar as well....no mystery as to why. The Miracle Cloth is new to me though...I'll give that a try.

Thanks Rob.
 
I wonder if putting a wee drop of Dawn dishwashing soap in the "hot" apple juice right before you put the blades in will help with the bubbles -- the surfactants should reduce the clinging effect and produce superior wetting of the metal by the juice. Might have to give it a try.
 
Good stuff Rob. :thumbup:

However, if it's a real Miracle Cloth, couldn't one just wave it over the knife and chant "PatinaNow" ? :D

Seriously though, what is the active agent or process that miracle cloth or crazy cloth imparts? Does it sand/buff the blade, or add some chemicals to the surface? Curious minds want to know. :)
 
Vince said he used a Miracle Cloth. I couldn't find that one so I bought the Krazy Kloth. The cloth has a chemical smell but the package does not say what it is treated with. The package goes on and on about what it will do. Cleans and polishes brass, copper, chrome. Removes rust stains from tile, white ring on furniture, scuff marks on floors, etc. One other thing the package said was that it cleans pipe stem mouthpieces. So maybe it is not too toxic. Package also says "as seen on TV" and super-activated chemicals are fused into every fiber of the cloth so you know it must be really special if not a true miracle.:D

It just evens out the shade of the patina. I guessing if you rubbed too hard and too long it might completely remove the patina. You gotta stop when it looks good to you. I think starting with a clean blade, keeping the air bubbles off and using the cloth are keys to the Goofy Doofus Instant Patina ritual.
 
Thanks Rob for the info.

Let's see: "Goofy Doofus Instant Patina" = Goofy-DIP. There's a market out there for Goofy-DIP I feel sure. :D

Elliott might even approve it for the Blue Highways product line. ;)
 
I've been using my Mooremaker stockman's master blade to cut my steak.The wife just said there was something wrong with me.It's turning blue with spots here and there.I tried dipping it in vinegar and it cleaned some of the blue off.
I'm going to let it take a natural course. I'm curious if anyone has tried just using gun blue?
 
I have used cold gun blue and it works fine, it can make a dark blue even color, it may not look too "natural" and can affect the bolsters (which can be cleaned by polishing them a little), I have used vinegar, mustard, potatoes, apples, etc., they all work fine, some heat can always speed the process, mustard can be applied in an irregular pattern (with a brush in blotches or waves) and made to look somewhat like damascus, cutting meat seems to make a nice looking somewhat irregular pattern (blue with spots as navihawk mentions), the easiest is probably putting the knife open in a test tube or glass and fill with coke or similar drink (maybe a clear one like lemon or lemon/lime to see the patina being made).

Luis
 
I dry then polish with a cotton cloth, my carbon steel cooks knives.
The patina is from what ever I cook, but the dry and polish bring out some lovely colors!!
 
I dunk an Opinel in juice from a lemon. I filled a cigar tube with the lemon juice and put the knife in. In an hour it was black and I didn't even heat it at all. Hint if you try this keep checking it.
 
Blue Sky said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by db
Hint if you try this keep checking it.


Why?


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Click to expand...
Because it works fast. I didn't check on it and the blade was fully blackened before I thought it would be. I'd prefer a nice grayish but the dark blade is growing on me now.
 
I just wiped mine away with chrome polish.The steel is changing color,turning more gray, and all the staining from apples and steak polish right off.
 
I've done the same with a glass of Coke Zero...just let the blade soak for a couple of hours and it looks great....
D
 
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