Why don't we see many gun-blue knives?

OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
It's very labor intensive, since you have to polish the blade first, and then it isn't really protective. Paint, powdercoat, DLC, Cerakote, etc. don't require fully finishing the knife, and actually add appreciable protection.
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FWIW- DLC will not produce a new finish, just coat it. If you polish a blade and DLC it, you get a polished DLC finish.
 
I have browned a cane knife and am quite pleased with the way it turned out.

There is some concern with food prep and the chemicals used in the bluing process. I believe if thoroughly cleaned the bluing should be similar to natural patina.

There are some makers who use bluing to bring out damascus contrast, mostly for master pieces and safe queens so durability isn’t an issue.
 
3fifty7 said:
There are some makers who use bluing to bring out damascus contrast, mostly for master pieces and safe queens so durability isn’t an issue.
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I blued a Persian Kard (I think made by Windlass) and it made the damascus pop nicely.
 
shane45-1911 said:
Possibly, but I don't usually eat the kindling, cardboard, envelopes, wire insulation, threads, packaging or whatever else my EDC is called upon to cut. ;)
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How does the manufacturer know that?

I think blueing looks nice but does not offer much other than just that.

You could always use cold blue and try it out on one of your blades and see how it goes.
 
shane45-1911 said:
Parkerized is another under-utilized option, IMO.

I have beat the snot out of my parkerized Remington Police 870, and it still looks almost as good as it did 25 years ago.

The only knife maker/company that uses parkerizing now (that I'm aware of) is Mineral Mountain. It works well and I love the look of it too.
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I like that finish.....................
SbOtReF.jpg
 
ferider said:
That;s what meant by "browned" (post #7). That's what we call it in German anyways ....
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Actually, in the 1800's and earlier, browning a barrel, trigger guard, or whatever, used the same processes as bluing. The only difference was the chemicals used.

Parkerized is an electostatic coating, like chrome plating is.

Some militrry issue knives, such as the KA-BAR, and Ontario 499 "Jet Pilot Survival knive", were pakerized. The Mil Spec ones still are.
 
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shane45-1911 said:
No worse than some other coatings....I keep my guns clean and oiled and haven't had one speck of rust in 50 years. And some of them have seen some pretty harsh "missions."
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Took my Browning Maxus sea duck hunting. There was surface rust by the end of the day. Same thing happened to my friend's Benelli Super Vinci after a day of sea duck hunting. We had both barrels cerakoted after that experience. Haven't had a problem since.
 
afishhunter said:
Actually, in the 1800's and earlier, browning a barrel, trigger guard, or whatever, used the same processes as bluing. The only difference was the chemicals used.

Parkerized is an electostatic coating, like chrome plating is.

Some militrry issue knives, such as the KA-BAR, and Ontario 499 "Jet Pilot Survival knive", were pakerized. The Mil Spec ones still are.
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The process involves submerging the metal part into a phosphoric acid solution whose key ingredient is often zinc or manganese, with varying additional amounts of nitrates, chlorates, and copper. In one of the many processes that have been developed, the solution is heated to a temperature of 88–99 °C (190–210 °F) for a period ranging between 5 and 45 minutes. A stream of small hydrogen bubbles is emitted from the metal part as the process takes place; when the bubbling stops, the process is complete. In addition to this particular processing temperature, there have also been various similar Parkerizing processes developed and patented that permit using either lower temperatures (for energy efficiency) or higher temperatures (for faster processing).

The Parkerizing reaction equation in a metal-phosphate-solution is as follows:

2 Fe(s) + Fe3+
(aq) + 3 H2PO4−
(aq) → 3 FePO4(s) + 3 H2 (g)
 
I've cold blued A LOT of knives. Gives them a bit of protection without messing with their aesthetic.

My cherished and beloved Fiddleback Monarch got some surface rust on it after a very sweaty hike a few months ago. I buffed it off, polished it, then hit it with a bit of over the counter blue I bought at a sporting goods store. It protects the blade a bit but still fits Andy's aesthetic.
 
rhino said:
Matte bluing wouldn't be a big deal in terms of labor, but getting a shiny 1970s Colt Python-level of bluing won't be cheap!
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I notice that knifemakers these days seem to be allergic to polishing. I have some older custom knives that have very good polish, and a few production knives with good polish. I think blue would look great on a blade but I agree that it wouldn't be durable. It would be interesting to see how it wears on a pocket knife with normal use. Some of the coatings in use these days seem to wear faster, the coating is either there or not there, good bluing would wear in degrees.
I've wondered if a coating like Glock's Tenifer could work on a blade, that stuff seems to be very durable.
 
bdmicarta said:
I notice that knifemakers these days seem to be allergic to polishing. I have some older custom knives that have very good polish, and a few production knives with good polish. I think blue would look great on a blade but I agree that it wouldn't be durable. It would be interesting to see how it wears on a pocket knife with normal use. Some of the coatings in use these days seem to wear faster, the coating is either there or not there, good bluing would wear in degrees.
I've wondered if a coating like Glock's Tenifer could work on a blade, that stuff seems to be very durable.
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Tenifer is actually a brand name for one of the nitrocarburizing surface treatments that introduces nitrogen and carbon into the surface of the steel. It increases hardness and corrosion resistance, but it's not the black coating on Glock slides. The black coating (Parkerizing I think) is in addition to the nirtocarburizing. The Parkerizing can and often does wear significantly (Glocks that get used will definitely show wearing of the black finish), but the metal is still super hard and corrosion resistant even if the Park is removed completely.
 
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