- Joined
- Jul 3, 2006
- Messages
- 579
Hi Guys,
I like to show this knife that I have realized with Bertie Rietvild's damask. This steel takes on the color with a wide range of shades. Bertie is extremely precise and his damask is accompanied by a sheet of valuable information. I did some things different from Bertie's indications, I worked on the dragon skin steel to have a mirrored surface, Bertie indicates 1200 grain finish but I went over to bring it to mirror.
Compared to Bertie's directions, I also made a further variation with regard to the coloring solution. In particular, I used a mix of salts: 2/3 of sodium nitrate and 1/3 of potassium nitrate. When the salts reached melting temperature (about 340°C - 644°F) I plunged the knife for about 3-4 minutes. This procedure seems to give you more brilliant colors. I have to say that it is pretty dangerous, molten salts do not have to come into contact with water. At that temperature the water immediately turns into steam by projecting the salts in each direction! From this point of view, the coloring solution that indicates Bertie is less dangerous, reaching a maximum temperature of 140°C - 284°F
the color of the surface as all layers of oxide reflect the color depending on the wavelength of the light, the presence of oil etc. and in fact the different pictures are taken with different light, or even having touched the steel in more points and as you see the result is different.
In these photos the merging of salts ....
here the completely fused salts and the knife immersed held by a stainless steel wire
here the knife photographed under the neon lamp
I like to show this knife that I have realized with Bertie Rietvild's damask. This steel takes on the color with a wide range of shades. Bertie is extremely precise and his damask is accompanied by a sheet of valuable information. I did some things different from Bertie's indications, I worked on the dragon skin steel to have a mirrored surface, Bertie indicates 1200 grain finish but I went over to bring it to mirror.
Compared to Bertie's directions, I also made a further variation with regard to the coloring solution. In particular, I used a mix of salts: 2/3 of sodium nitrate and 1/3 of potassium nitrate. When the salts reached melting temperature (about 340°C - 644°F) I plunged the knife for about 3-4 minutes. This procedure seems to give you more brilliant colors. I have to say that it is pretty dangerous, molten salts do not have to come into contact with water. At that temperature the water immediately turns into steam by projecting the salts in each direction! From this point of view, the coloring solution that indicates Bertie is less dangerous, reaching a maximum temperature of 140°C - 284°F
the color of the surface as all layers of oxide reflect the color depending on the wavelength of the light, the presence of oil etc. and in fact the different pictures are taken with different light, or even having touched the steel in more points and as you see the result is different.
In these photos the merging of salts ....
here the completely fused salts and the knife immersed held by a stainless steel wire
here the knife photographed under the neon lamp