Carbon steel and patina

Looks like a good start now go get some brass black and finish the job.

 

Got my initials on that sheath too.... nice touch.

I like the look there, might have to do a couple of pieces I have laying around here.

Potato, eh? You just insert it into the spud and leave it or such?

 

I just let the patina develop naturally. My Master Hunter in Carbon V tells a story of caribou, moose, black bear and mule deer hunts.

 

My favorite patina story. Used it to eat corned beef and cabbage for a week or so. Natural juices, hot sauce, vinegar, mustard, horse radish. Use it, make sure the entire blade is covered let it set an hour or so. Then rinse and dry

 

My first experience with patina came at an early age. I got a brand new Camillus 72 Boy Scout 3 blade whittler. My absolute pride and joy. I was still a Cub Scout, but knew to buy a Boy Scout knife.

I went away for the weekend with my mom to her aunts camp. I caught a small fish and wanted to eat it. Of course I had to use that clip point master on my new knife. I rinsed and dried it and left it next to the sink. Next morning I found out my great aunt had opened all the blades and put it in the dishwasher!

It was a red rust mess. Locked up solid. I was heart broken. When I got home my Dad taught me the difference between carbon steel and stainless, I also learned about mystery oil steel wool and elbow grease, and ultimately about patina.

 

Thanks it’s a Buck 212 with jigged Buffalo horn scales one of 13 made.

The devastating damage to the knife ended up being a great learning experience all around. I carried that knife daily through most of my childhood. I was going to say “no harm no foul”. But it turned out to be more of a “life hands you lemons, make lemonade” story. I’ll get a picture of what it looks like now and add it to my post later.

Forcing a patina is nothing new, 100 years ago my great grandmother knew to stick a new knife into a potato to season it, she also knew how to cook with cast iron.

Every time my dad used a knife (he was a chef), he would cover the entire blade with the juice of whatever he cut wait a minute then clean it off. He said it kept the knife balanced, I think he meant evenly seasoned.

He did the same thing with the cutting board.

 

This one got the 2 day onion treatment. If you are lucky you get a cool Damascus kind of pattern. I was determined to let this one patina naturally but it was getting weird spots

 

The small one was a Vadalia, it came out great, the other one was a purple Spanish onion, it was a little too much so it got scotch brite polished
Im happy with both of them now.

 

That SKBlades 212 with the Micarta is a great knife. The Micarta is a little too dark to really show off the material. He has dropped the price pretty low, I’d jump on it if I were you. Of course being D2 it won’t patina

 

I forgot to say I like the way your knife came out. Nice even coat almost looks like a gun blue finish. It will look better after it’s next sharpening and the edge is shiny. I agree about the brass let it turn on its own into that brownish yellow.

 

@BP_ Did you happen to see this one? W2 do it will patina nicely!