Uneven etch

Matt Rochester

Matt Rochester

Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
1,864
I am trying to get a dark finish on this blade(1095). For some reason it's not taking on the flats. It's funny that only the bevel is taking it evenly. Everything else is splotchy including the spine. I have sanded the ricasso to 220 and tried it again and still it won't take. Any suggestions? Search function hasn't worked for me in a couple of days. I searched some other sites and couldn't find anything. Besides I really only trust this one anyway.

Oh yeah I'm using straight pcb etchant solution. It's in a pan and I'm submerging the entire knife in it.
 
I've only played with vinegar but it get the impression the smoother the surface the better. I would take it up to a higher grit and see if there's a difference.

I've done all my blades in 1095 and not been super happy with etching a forced patina. But it looks cool later. I helped my brother-in-law make a knife out of O-1 and we put it in boiling vinegar for about 2 minutes and it came out dead black. I didn't think O-1 and 1095 were all that different but for some reason the O-1 etches way faster.

Does PCB etchant work better than vinegar? Or just faster?
 
I have used vinegar on a 1095 chef knife and it worked pretty good but the pcb gets darker and is way faster. 11 dollars for 16 oz at radio shack. I will try sanding the flats up to 600 or so.
 
How did you quench? If you only quenched the blade and not the tang, then they will etch in different colours.
 
I have a local knife maker ht it. He quenches the whole knife. If you look it follows the plunge cut perfectly.
 
Have you cleaned it first? Acetone works fine. I only soak mine for a minute at first then spray with windex. Next rub it down with 0000 steel wool then clean it again and soak for longer. Repeat as necessary.

I wouldn't lie it flat in a pan because the contact may cause parts of the blade to be treated unevenly. I hang mine in a PVC pipe with a threaded end.

Mark
 
Cut the ferric chloride at least 3 to 1 with distilled water. With a carbon steel blade you will obtain the nicest finish by taking it to at least 600, cleaning the surface with acetone, rinse in water and etch for no more than 30 seconds. Remove the blade, rinse in water and polish with Simichrome or Flitz using your fingers, clean with acetone and put back in the fc. Follow this process until you get the look you are seeking. On the last pull clean with Windex with ammonia to stop the reaction.

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To me, it looks like you're etching decarbed steel on the flats compared to 'bare' steel on the bevels. Grind a few thousandths off the flats & re-etch.
 
I sanded some more and cut the ferric chloride with vinegar and it worked fine. I had sanded a few times already. I guess shiny doesn't mean all the decarb is gone. Thanks fellas!
 
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