Making shiny knife metal not so shiny!

[Tamora Rademacher]

I just bought a couple of good knifes at the rondy/shoot in Friendship.

One has a Damascus look to the blade (etched) but the quality and heft is not as good as the blade that is shiny. I really like the shiny blade knife but hate the look of the blade.

My husband suggested that we use muratic acid or maybe naval jelly to etch the blade.
Opinions?

What about the wood handle on the knife. I don't want to damage that!

Thanks!!!

 

[GJP]

I took a new knife to a civil war encampment one night. Some guys sliced cheese with it and then let it sit out overnight with cheese still stuck to it. The blade was stained, but the wood was fine. You could try it!

 

[Ridge]

I've always found that the kitchen is the best place to change the look of a carbon steel knife.

Tomato paste is probably the easiest. Just coat the blade with it and let it sit for an hour or 2. It will change the color to a grey/black.

Won't work for stainless steel........after all, it's "stainless".

 

[Brasilikilt]

Ammonia or vinegar come to mind
I've heard that bleach also does a fine job

 

[sidelock]

Just peel a few potatoes with it. Nice blue-- till it takes on some rust. :v

 

[Bountyhunter]

If the shiny is because it is stainless steel, then it wont etch. About the only thing you can do if it is stainless is to mask off the guard and the handle and take it to a shop--vo-tech school, gunsmith, machine shop etc. that would have a bead blaster. That is like a sand blaster but uses little glass beads. It will turn the shiny to a dull grey. Make sure that you have the guard and handle masked off real good with at least a couple layers of masking tape. If it is polished steel with no chromium, vanadium, or nickel content, then like the guys said, tomato juice will stain it real good.

 

[shmrck1]

Tamora,
Let us know what you decide to do and how
it turns out. I'm with you, I don't like mirror
finished blades either, but I do have a few.
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[Nifeman]

One thing you might try is dabbing some mustard o (don't wipe DAB it). When it is completely dried, wash it off. Then soak in white vinegar for bout an hour or so (longer if you want more color). rinse with water, then buff with 4 ought steel wool. Make it look like it's been around for 100 yrs and wont wear off...Bud

 

[mark starr]

I sand my blades with a fine grit sand paper. Then
I fire up the turkey cooker and put on a pan of clorox and water throw in an old piece of bailing
wire and bring it to a rolling boil. To the knife
blade i run a bead of fingernail polish to just the sharp edge. Dip the blade in the water for 3 to 5 min. It causes a dmascus type etch. after removing the blade steel wool the rust marks.clean
the blade with cleaner degreaser. slap on a light coat of cold blue. use the cleaner again. You will be pleased with the results. Good Luck

 

[J.D.]

Just use the knife in the kitchen. All sorts of foods will remove the shine, unless it is made from stainless steel.

Some of those other methods used to age ferous metals may not be good for use on a knife that will be used for food preparation. And some of them are just too much trouble when ya gotta use a knife in the kitchen anyways. Unless you don't cook, that is.
J.D.

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

If it's not stainless, stick it in a potato overnight.

 

[Goldhunter]

Another vote for mustard (or any kitchen product that contains vinegar). I like brown mustard, it's thicker and stays in place better. This knife was sanded and then dabbed with mustard, left for an hour, washed off and coated again. Left for another hour, washed and coated with oil.

 

[chipper]

Just gutting an animal should do the trick.

 

[Smokey in Oz]

Is there any reason why you cant use gun blue ?
Smokey. :hmm:

 

Cuttin' up tomaters might work. Fix ya up some burritoes or tacos :winking:

 

[mbw907]

I agree with Cooner. Tomato acid will etch the blade and make it look aged and used. I made some kitchen knives for my wife years ago and within a day or two of cutting vegetables ,they looked like antiques.You can't beat a handmade knife of any type in my opinion, but carbon steel is still my favorite. :thumbsup:

 

[Beerd2]

An overnight treatment of mustard will do it.
..

 

[sidelock]

Is stainless PC? :hmm:

 

[Claude Mathis]

Is stainless PC? :hmm:

The "discovery" of stainless steel occured in the 1900 to 1915 time period. However, as with many discoveries, it was the accumulated efforts of several individuals that actually began in 1821. That year a Frenchman named Berthier found that iron when alloyed with chromium was resistant to some acids. Others studied the effects of chromium in an iron matrix, but using a low percentage of chromium. To be stainless steel, the chromium content needs to be at least 10.5%. In 1872, Messrs. Woods and Clark applied for a British patent for what they identified as an acid and weather resistant alloy containing 30 to 35% chromium and 1.5 to 2% tungsten. Then, in 1875, another Frenchman named Brustlein recognized the importance of carbon levels in addition to chromium. Stainless steels need to have a very low level of carbon at 0.15%. While many others investigated the chromium/iron composition, the difficulty in obtaining the low carbon levels persisted for many years until low carbon ferrochrome became commercially available.

In 1904, Leon Guillet published research on alloys with composition that today would be known as 410, 420, 442, 446 and 440-C. In 1906, he also published a detailed study of an iron-nickel-chromium alloy that is the basic metallurgical structure for the 300 series of stainless steel. In 1909, Giesen published in England a lengthy account on the chromium-nickel (austenitic 300 series) stainless steels. Also in England and France, Portevin published studies on an alloy that today would be 430 stainless steel. In Germany, in 1908, Monnartz & Borchers found evidence of the relationship between a minimum level of chromium (10.5%) on corrosion resistance as well as the importance of low carbon content and the role of molybdenum in increasing corrosion resistance to chlorides.

Harry Brearley, chief of the research lab run jointly by John Brown & Co. and Thomas Firth & Sons, is generally accredited as the initiator of the industrial era of stainless steel. Most of his work was on 430 (the chemical analysis was patented in 1919). The first product was table cutlery and it is still used today.

 

[Joe Yanta]

A small measure of Ferric Nitrate in solution of water applied with q-tip. 60 seconds should do it. Make solution as strong or weak as you want.

Probably as durable as blueing or browning can range in color from a dull pewter grey to a dried mustard depending on percentage of solution.

Joe