vinegar patina on bilton

[Sylvrfalcn]

No harm, no foul James (except to that razor, poor thing). In fact, the results of your experiment may prevent some hapless soul from ruining his blade while attempting an etch, by pointing out that even a relatively weak acid like vinegar can eat away at metal if left to work too long. Generally, if I want to darken a carbon steel blade, I'll just cut a lemon or lime in half and keep rubbing the cut side on the blade. The acid in the citrus fruits seem to give me the most consistent results. It's also a handy way to kind of help blend and "homogenize" the various stains resulting from cutting up meat and vegetables. Smells good too.

Sarge