Putting a patina on a carbon blade

[addyb]

I bought an Opinel #7 in carbon for a buddy of mine yesterday as a cheap birthday present because I'm such a good friend.

Anyway, I read somewhere once that in the old days, people used to shove a carbon blade into an apple and leave it overnight to put a bit of a patina onto it to help with rust resistance. I was thinking of doing this to his knife before I wrap it up and give it to him this weekend.

Can anyone elaborate on this for me? Would the starch in a potato work too? Or should I not even bother?

Thanks,

Adam

 

[Bear Claw Chris Lappe]

I personally did not like the patina I got using potatoes, here is the method I use.

I heat up 5% white vinager, usually by running it threw my coffee maker once a month to clean it, then if I have any carbon blades I need to patina, I have them ready and cleaned off good, then apply the hot vinager to the blade.

Here is a Frosts Clipper I did.

 

[twelveboar]

I don't know about a tatty, but if you slice an onion with it, you'll get a nice irridescent sort of effect, a bit like colour case hardening.

 

[Seagull]

Bear Claw Chris, that is some patina, by golly.

Almost looks as if "felt-tip-penned".

Mind you, if you need to muck out your coffee machine every 4 weeks, have you ever thought of using your coffee,? instead of vinegar, eh?

Ceeg

 

[Dave Budd]

I've heard mustard used to get an interesting effect too.

Or you could bury it in a compost heap for a while

Don't forget to sharpen it after you patinate the blade though as the acid will eat away at the very thin edge.

 

[leon-b]

bear claw chris thats one hell of a patina
leon

 

[longshot]

i've found that if i start out with a shiny knife and it gets a patina from the uses that i subject it to i can look at it later with a sense of pride of all that i have done and all the places that the knife has been to with me.

just my .02
dean

 

[Biddlesby]

I heat up 5% white vinager, usually by running it threw my coffee maker once a month to clean it, then if I have any carbon blades I need to patina, I have them ready and cleaned off good, then apply the hot vinager to the blade.

Sorry if I'm being stupid - but 5% of what?

 

[addyb]

I just white wine vinegar....in a glass....and then dunk the blade in a few times before air drying???

I'm confused, but as soon as this confusion is cleared up that's what I'm going to do to my buddy's Opinel.

Thanks for the awesome advice!

Adam

 

[Tadpole]

Sorry if I'm being stupid - but 5% of what?

The strength of vinegar is measured by the percent of acetic acid present in the product. Typical white distilled vinegar is at least 4% acidity and not more than 7%. acidity.

 

[Hoodoo]

To get a patina on my blades, I keep them around the kitchen cutting board. It doesn't take long.

 

[Bear Claw Chris Lappe]

Mind you, if you need to muck out your coffee machine every 4 weeks, have you ever thought of using your coffee,? instead of vinegar, eh?

Ceeg

My automatic drip coffee maker has a bunch of little places were mold can start growing if you don't clean it regulary, so I run vinager through it once a month.

I did try to use my coffee to soak a Queen Carved Stag Bone pocketknife once, someone told me that would darken the bone handles, but it didn't work

 

[anthonyyy]

Cuttin’ tomatoes is yer only man!

 

[Martyn]

My automatic drip coffee maker has a bunch of little places were mold can start growing if you don't clean it regulary, so I run vinager through it once a month.

I did try to use my coffee to soak a Queen Carved Stag Bone pocketknife once, someone told me that would darken the bone handles, but it didn't work

For "antiquing" stag a dark brown, paint with saturated potassium permanganate solution. The purple solution oxidises the stag and leaves it a dark brown colour. Buff the high spots for contrast. The crystals are available from most chemists.

Take care, because the KMnO4 will oxidise all sorts of things, including your fingers.

 

[nickg]

You could try the medieval method of patination which is to de grease it thoroughly by giving it a soak in urine for a few days then leave it in a damp place ie covered out in the garden. Watch it carefully every day and when the rust starts to fur up clean it with a rough cloth, scrap of canvas etc. repeat the damp place bit as often as you like to get the colour you need but dont let the rust get too furry or it will etch the steel and weaken it. When the steel is the way you want give it a good coating of wax, this will stabilise the oxidation and prevent it from continuing. This believe it or not will actually stop the metal rusting any further.

 

[mojofilter]

For a good natural patina there is no substitute for time and use imo, not that it takes very long.,

Gutting a dozen mackeral in the sea and not washing the knife till you get home will bring it on nicely though.

 

[edschembri]

Also, if you live in a region where Acacia Species grow (I highly doubt you will find them anywhere in the UK) the tannin in the bark gives stainless steel, and carbon steel blades a nice maroon patina. Acacia grow a lot in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. the species with long alternate leaves is best, as it has the highest concentration of tannin. something to maybe keep in mind next time ur in the med.

 

[dazcon]

I put this random striped patina on this 01 blade using salad cream.

Darren.

 

[dwardo]

Send it to me and ill guarantee a very random patina in just one woods trip . Can even throw in a little rust free of charge