Turning stainless steel brown

[KnuckleDownKnives]

Has anyone every used a chemical like this to turn stainless steel brownish?

I have a potential customer that wants a spear point dagger with coyote brown scales. I want to use stainless as a guard and bolster, but need them to be brownish. Any recomendations? It would be a full tang knife with pinned guard and bolsters.

 

[kuraki]

Curious how durable that is, I'd like to try it.

 

[Richard338]

Great looking pattern.

 

[KnuckleDownKnives]

Curious how durable that is, I'd like to try it.

That's what I'm worried about. He said it's going to get abused so I'm thinking I may need to eliminate the guard and bolsters and just make the whole scales from G10.

Great looking pattern.

Thanks.

 

[Kevin McGovern]

You could do the guard and bolsters out of g-10, or maybe use bronze. The bronze I have is pretty bright, but I think I've seen almost brown looking before.

 

[Geoff Flato]

I've seen jewelers pickle (sodium bisulphate) patina an unknown stainless sort of a brown color, but I couldn't comment how repeatable or durable that is.

 

[Kevin McGovern]

if you use non stainless, I know that Birchwood casey plumb brown is pretty durable, and it will help protect it from rusting.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Brass, bronze or copper will turn brown naturally.

 

[Don Hanson III]

I'd just use bronze fittings.

 

[KnuckleDownKnives]

Thanks everyone..

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I also suggest bronze. It will turn brown quickly and keep that look.

 

[butcher_block]

do you have an etcher here is an 204P SS blade that i darkened with the mark steeing on my etcher

 

[KnuckleDownKnives]

do you have an etcher here is an 204P SS blade that i darkened with the mark steeing on my etcher View attachment 827860

That looks quite nice, but I think I'm just going to go with bronze.