Using Clorox to etch the blade

[Leatherbark]

Made me up a butcher knife from a Russel Butcher blade and Buffalo horn scales. I've cold blued the blade and am wondering how long I leave the bleach to rust and etch the blade before I rub it off? I used a spray bottle and let the bleach land on the blade like rain. Is that the correct way?

Thanks................Bob

 

[lonehunter]

Your method with the spray bottle should work fine, just keep it wet.

How long depends on how much ageing you want, I would use three minute increments and keep doing it until you get the results you are after.
Let it rust then wet sand with 400 grit, If its not what you want, Do it again :v

 

[Birdman]

you can give it a sort of damascus look by coating the blade with wax then drawing a comb through the wax in a design before hitting with the bleach.After ya let it rust melt off the wax easy like(don't want to get the blade to hot) n buff. just some thoughts YMHS Birdman

 

[crockett]

Spray may work but Clorox is really powerful stuff that can eat away too much metal. One other thing the bleech can on some occasions create a maze or wormwood like appearance that may at first look old but it is a little different from the small, even pitting on many old blades. Actually trying to do a rust brown and just doing a bad job of it- leaving it on too long, etc- might work ok.

 

[LRB]

Exactly Crockett. Cold brown does a great job, it just takes longer, however, if the Clorox is worked with multiple short dips and cardings, it does well. I do think the cold brown superior though, but I have had it do the same as you describe the clorox as doing.