Blackening Stainless Steel...

D

Drew66

Joined
Feb 7, 2003
Messages
101
Does anyone know how to blacken stainless steel? I have a Blade-Tech Wegner Pro Hunter but don't like to carry it because the clip is bright stainless. I just feel it draws too many eyes. My BM940 is nice and inconspicuous...that's what I am looking for. Of course it has to be rather durable as well.

Any ideas...other than just painting it that is. I wonder if you can "blue" stainless steel.
 
Although i haven't done it with stainless steels, i have put a good black finish steel by heating it to almost red heat and quenching in some oil. Be warned this may give inconcistent results and you may want to try on some test pieces first in case you wreck the clip.

The oil was fairly viscous mineral oil (not too flammable) but be sure to do it in a well ventilated area because there will be some oil fumes
:eek:
 
There's a bluing solution available at local gun shops.

Or you could just dip the clip into PCB etchant solution (available at Radioshack).
 
As beluga beat me to it, forget what i said try this instead it is probably safer and more effective:

bluing
 
steelfury

I am afraid that solution doesn't work on stainless steel. Wish it did but under their hints section it says that it will only work on non stainless carbon steel.
 
Drew66,
You can heat the clip in your oven and probably get a nice, dark blue oxide on it. Het your to 450 degrees for a good starting point, and put the clip in it for a couple of hours, maybe even three. If it doesn't go all the way to blue, turn the oven up 25 degrees and try again. My oven won't get hotter than 550, but it will blue everything I've tried it on. If it won't get it quite to blue, you can use a propane torch to do it, but you'll have to be very careful and dunk it in some water when it reaches te blue stage. This finish isn't very durable, and will scrath easily, but it's also easy to reapply. Why not just primer and paint it black?
 
Oil blueing would be your best bet.Gun blueing will not work well on SS because blueing is really a form of rust and SS will not rust as easy as carbon steel.
 
Find a knifemaker you know that deals with Body-Kote.., and have him throw it in with a shipment of blades he sends for coating. Either Boron Carbide or DLC will hold up considerably well on a clip (especially on the unexposed surface that doesn't rub).
 
Thanks for all the replies fellas.

I don't think heating the clip is the way to go however. I am assuming the clip has some level of spring temper to it. Heating it enough to change the color would in affect negate any spingyness. Then you would end up with a loose fitting clip. It had crossed my mind though.

Painting looks like it's the only viable way to go. I just didn't think it would be that durable. I'll have to check Brownell's catalog and see if they have any stainless steel blackening kits or special paints.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.
 
A less permanent solution is to buy some heat-activated shrink tube. It's available at Radio Shack or other electronic stores. Slide a piece over the clip, heat it with a lighter or heat gun and the tube shrinks and conforms tightly to the shape of your clip.
 
I've tryed the heat shrink tube on Spyderco clips. Worked OK, and easy to re apply if it wears out.
 
I am not sure if it will work but I was going to try the spray on truck bed lineing and bake it at about 200 degrees for a while to harden it.It looks just like the coating on a Busse.
 
Brownells Baking Laquer would be a good option. It is fairly cheap and comes in about 5 colors. The baking temp should not hurt the sping temper (if it has one). It is an epoxy based material and will hold up well.

The best bet would be BodyCotes DLC coating. If you want a flat black, have it bead blasted before coating.
 
Some stainless will etch with ferric chloride to a dull black finish. It depends on what type the clip is made from.
 
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