Forced Patina?

I soaked my mora clipper in vi***** and it came out nice and dark grey. The patina will come off the bevel when you sharpen it, and it will get scratched, but it's about function not looks, it hasn't rusted and I rarely oil it as it's used all the time.

Trotline said:

I soaked my mora clipper in vi***** and it came out nice and dark grey. The patina will come off the bevel when you sharpen it, and it will get scratched, but it's about function not looks, it hasn't rusted and I rarely oil it as it's used all the time.

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Haha, that's one some funny censoring.

Finished my second forced Patina, pic is in my album. All in all im pretty happy with both, and now im considering stripping one of my KaBar Fin blades to experiment with D2 Steel.

Can someone explain why you would do this to a knife?

themailman said:

Can someone explain why you would do this to a knife?

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The factory coatings scratch and wear off rather quickly. High carbon steel is prone to rust. A patina will help protect the blade from rust. Another option is to use gun bluing, but patinas are usually more durable. It's also done by some to achieve low visibility.

themailman said:

Can someone explain why you would do this to a knife?

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And it only costs about 3¢ and if your creative you can make any pattern you want.

Do you know how the patina fairs against say the epoxy like coating used by Ka-bar? I know Esee and Tops uses a nice coating, but damn the ka-bar's coating wears away fast. Im thinking about putting a fresh patina on the worn spots of my ka-bar.

themailman said:

Can someone explain why you would do this to a knife?

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The patina is basically "Black Rust" which will not "grow"(spread). Red rust which we all commonly call simply, "rust", WILL grow and over time ruin metals that will rust. Once "Black rust" is formed, "red rust" cannot form. In it's simplest it is just a very low cost protective coating.

My favorite for a uniform coating is 50% vinegar and 50% water. Let sit(soak) 4-12 hours depending on the look you are trying to achieve. Then remove and wash off with soap and water to remove the "slime". This is easy to do with a blade that already has a handle by using a bottle of the appropriate size, fill with as much solution as is needed of your mixture,follow steps above, and then enjoy your knife.:thumb:

*NOTE: You cannot force a patina on Stainless steels, only on high carbon steels.

Makron said:

Do you know how the patina fairs against say the epoxy like coating used by Ka-bar? I know Esee and Tops uses a nice coating, but damn the ka-bar's coating wears away fast. Im thinking about putting a fresh patina on the worn spots of my ka-bar.

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I would go ahead and remove ALL the other coating first, then force the patina. Sand paper should work just fine.

Is the black coating much weaker than the patina?

Actually it is stronger....usually. However it can chip,be worn through, etc.. Using a patina is just easier to both do, and "repair". Knives used in your kitchen will develop a patina naturally from the foods they come in contact with.

The thing I'm worried about with sand paper is, I'm worried I'm going to do some unintentional shaping to the metal as well as taking off the coating.

This guy completely reprofiled his ka-bar with sandpaper alone (which turned out to be a pretty sweet little knife by the time he got done, a short scandi-grind kabar looks pretty freaking amazing),
Would a stripper be better for that? Or should I just go ahead just put the balls to the wall with the sandpaper?

Makron said:

Would a stripper be better for that? Or should I just go ahead just put the balls to the wall with the sandpaper?

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It would depend on the type of coating you have on your knife. As you'll only be using sand paper to remove the coating you don't have to worry about re-profiling the blade...unless that is what you WANT to accomplish.

That looks cool!

Wow, I had no idea guys were doing this for function, I thought it was all for looks! Can a forced patina be removed without using sandpaper?

Makron said:

The thing I'm worried about with sand paper is, I'm worried I'm going to do some unintentional shaping to the metal as well as taking off the coating.

Would a stripper be better for that? Or should I just go ahead just put the balls to the wall with the sandpaper?

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Spray on strippers save elbow grease but ya dont want to use them on blades with attached handles because it will usually eat the handle material as well. Its nasty stuff. If ya ever get a drop on your skin you will know what I mean. I wear a respirator and goggles when I use it.

themailman said:

Can a forced patina be removed without using sandpaper?

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Birchwood Casey lead removing cloth will take a patina off but a fine grit sanding sponge is quicker and it won't damage your blade. Although I should say that sanding will take off the shine. But for most fellas that aint a concern. If for some reason ya want a dark blade with some shine to it use the Birchwood Casey and a light coat of Cold Blue.

Makron said:

I tried out some mustard on my Mora

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That turned out with a really nice pattern, I like it and now im jealous.

I am going to buy some more Carbon Steel Mora's to play with before I mess with a KaBar.

And it is possible to Patina stainless steel, unfortunately it involves sumaric acid and is way more intense to do than carbon blades. Im not big on messing with volatile chemicals so I wont be trying it, however there are some videos on YouTube explaining how to do it.

Who new forcing Patina's could be so fun, and yet still serve a functional purpose?

I appreciate everyones feedback on my first thread, keep the comments going.