To Blue... or not to Blue... that is the question.

00Turok

00Turok

Joined
Apr 29, 2015
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69
Has anyone gun blued their Khuks? :confused: I've been debating on bluing my M-43 for better corrosion resistance, but I love the polish as is so much, so I can't decide.
I like to see some pics of blued khuks so I can get an idea of how it would look.
 
I would do it on a villager satin finish, instead of ruining a full polish. That's just me.
 
cul4u01 said:
I would do it on a villager satin finish, instead of ruining a full polish. That's just me.
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Yeah I'm kind of leaning that same direction myself. The polish is so purty. Still... I'd like to see pics of any blued khuks, that anyone may have done.
 
00Turok said:
Yeah I'm kind of leaning that same direction myself. The polish is so purty. Still... I'd like to see pics of any blued khuks, that anyone may have done.
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I think Bawanna did a blue on a IBBB for someone, forgot who it was though.
 
Any cold blueing is only a copper wash stain of the metal and provides zero extra corrosion protection....most brands come off with rubbing alcohol, or did, and was an easy check on supposedly pristine guns...it is for cosmetics only....true hot blueing and even old rust blueing provide little protection and mainly help hold oil just a bit better....both of those latter are only controlled forms of rust kept in check by oils.....

if you want protection, paint or plate...most modern coating product are epoxy paint based with powdered additives to sound cool...there are also essentially plastic coatings such as powder coat.....parkerize holds oil well and also acts as excellent base coat for epoxy.....

One company sells a complete kit including airbrush and canned air along with cleaner and two part epoxy for $50 and enough to do a long gun or couple of handguns...no matter brand, it likely is two part industrial epoxy and is tough....only way to remove is bead or sand blast....

I would just wax the thing for storage and polish or burnish as required while keeping coated between uses....
 
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I did blue one just to see how it would do. It was mine at the time. Cop at work saw it and had to have it. It was a gift to me and I loved having a spare but he's a good guy so I passed it along.
I made hime a kydex sheath for it and didnt think the blue would last or wear well but so far its doing really well.

Im out of town and frustrating myself on this piece of junk ipad thingy so not gonna try finding the pictures.
 
Thank's for the read mtngunr. I didn't realize, bluing offered little protection. I've heard about so many people bluing their carbon steel knives, I pondered on the idea.
I guess if I want super corrosion protection, Duracoat would be the way to go, but I didn't want my blade to look plasticy. I want it to look like a BLADE.

I've been keeping my khuk coated with 100% silicone oil. The stuff never dries out & adherers to the steel very well. Looks like I'm going to stick with this method.

Bawanna's blued IBBB does look pretty awesome though. :thumbup:
 
It may not be the cure for rust prevention but it won't rust anymore than a non blued knife. Its easily renewed, not expensive and easy to do. As wise Bookie mentioned bluing and browning is really a controlled rust.
 
00Turok said:
Thank's for the read mtngunr. I didn't realize, bluing offered little protection. I've heard about so many people bluing their carbon steel knives, I pondered on the idea.
I guess if I want super corrosion protection, Duracoat would be the way to go, but I didn't want my blade to look plasticy. I want it to look like a BLADE.

I've been keeping my khuk coated with 100% silicone oil. The stuff never dries out & adherers to the steel very well. Looks like I'm going to stick with this method.

Bawanna's blued IBBB does look pretty awesome though. :thumbup:
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I hear Cerakote is a good method, more durable than Duracoat. A friend of mine is getting into cerakote, and he's using some of my knives for practice. I'll let y'all know if they end up looking plasticky.
 
I blue a lot of my knives just for fun. My EDC is a IBBB wearing a combination of an acid wash followed by a bluing. The muriatic acid etched the blade enough to make the bluing "stick", so it's quite durable. Where the bluing has rubbed off, there is a nice dull gray finish under. One of my favorite little carry knives, for sure.
 
I know quite a few folk who blue their knives....later, about half have regretted it....especially when what was, for instance, a common cheap beater is now a collectible Western or etc.....

Most all the coatings are epoxy two part, some add powdered teflon or ceramic or maybe both...all must be blasted to remove.....my favorite is electroless nickel which is very hard and quite corrosion resistant...but i just clean mine after use and coat in between, and if in boonies weeks or months just burnish off rust daily....they all will be that super cool old patina...if not for you, then for somebody who appreciates it....i use a lot of stainless but mainly so on the high dollar users, i do not put one down for a while and switch to another and then come back find it deeply pitted....but my favorite kitchen knives are all carbon steel and look it....for sure....now look like granny's kitchen knives and would not trade them for $2000 worth of others...
 
My opinion only:

Like Steely says...do it just for fun. Never really seen one that lasts, given the purpose of the blade. Each use is an exercise in abrasion of the metal, so, in effect, you are abrading the very surface you have coated.

Folks have used various etching acids over the years, mustard, tomato sauce or juice, cold blue, and -- as I recall--even some hot blue, but nothing really changes the color of the metal.

Have fun. Might do a search in the archives on Ferrous...one of the old time great manipulators of metal.
 
I've used this product for years on knives, axes, or whatever. It is permanent and unaffected by alcohol (I checked). Clean, apply, wait, rinse, rub down with 0000 steel wool & oil and you're done. Apply a second coat after the first wool to make it darker. Just kinda gives 'em an instant patina, and I like the look.

These were both originally villager finished and have been used and sharpened after treatment:

 
Thats precisely what I used. I did a coat with that, then steel wooled an then a coat with the gel same stuff. Did it 3 or 4 times but it was good after the second coat. Follow up coats just even the color out more than darken and it does stay on pretty good.

As I mentioned its holding up well to the kydex holster. And if it wears thin just hit it again. Probably do it a 100 times or more with that little bottle.
 
One coat is all I used. You need to put the stuff on "all at once", sort of as it turns really black at first. About that time you'll be muttering something under you breath at me, but it will even out, more-or-less, when you wool it. And like you say Bawanna, a little goes a long ways. I'm on my third bottle in about 20 years. :)

I recently bought some 'parkerizing' type stuff, but haven't tried it yet. It's more involved as you need to heat the steel and immerse the portion you want affected. I'll have to try it on a junker first.
 
Been wanting to try parkerizing myself. Have a friend down in AZ that does it and it turns out looking really nice. Parkerizing doesn't float everyones boat but I like it myself in some applications.
 
O.K., Bawanna. Here's a little incentive for you.
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