- Joined
- Jun 7, 2010
- Messages
- 25
+1 Citrus juice worked best for me.
The way I do it is dunk the whole thing in lemon juice and leave it in there a couple of hours, sometimes overnight, depending on the steel.
I scotchbrite the rust off, leaving most of the browning. Then I use the liquid cold blue and wipe it on with a cloth. I let it sit until the rust starts, wipe it off, and then dunk it again in the lemon juice for an hour.
When it comes out, it looks like crap -- blotchy black and brown. I then put some ineral oil on it and scotchbrite it by hand again. Then degrease (to make sure all the etching chemicals are off it), and then coat it in mineral oil again. Gives a nice, fairly even brownish grey patina. Did that on my kukri, and having used it, but done no other maintenance or oiling, I've not seen any rust in over a year.
totally off topic but what is the small knife?