- Joined
- Sep 28, 2014
- Messages
- 693
Hello All,
I currently own three Case knives with Amber Peachseed Jigged Bone scales. They are all users, and one of the three has been in my pocket pretty much every day for the past six or seven years. I take them to work, and they are certainly exposed to their fair share of sweat, dirt, body oils, etc. As the bone continues to age, I have noticed a couple of things that I have questions about.
At least two of the knives have a green tint in the bone adjacent to the liners and bolsters. On my 6318, in particular, this seems to be getting more and more pronounced. I sometimes carry them in a leather slip, but it was made by a reputable maker who I know uses high quality veg tan leather, and they are not stored in the slip. I have not used any heavy solvents on the knives, only a light coating of mineral oil occasionally wiped on the handles, and maybe some WD40 used on the blades. Is there any definite way to prevent this discoloration on any future knives I may purchase, or is it simply an unavoidable issue on knives with brass liners and light colored bone that are used regularly?
I also notice that the lighter portions of the bone have turned darker. I assume that this is probably par for the course, but I happen to like the lighter white/cream colors in the bone when it is factory new, so I just wondered if there is any way to preserve it, other than not using it.
One other thing related to both issues: I first noticed the green discoloration on the 6318 shortly after I used a hot vinegar soak to force a patina on the CV blades. I used a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar heated on the stovetop. I’m wondering if this may have contributed to the problem by oxidizing the brass liners. I read recently that you can actually create verdigris on copper by hanging it above heated vinegar, without even submerging it. I also noticed that the heat/acid from the vinegar bath seemed to change the appearance of the lighter portions of the bone almost immediately. They became more translucent and less of an opaque cream color. The bone was not submerged at any point; it was simply in close proximity to the vinegar solution while the blades were submerged, but there was definitely an immediate, noticeable change in its appearance. I would appreciate any thoughts or similar experiences on this.
Thanks,
TH
I currently own three Case knives with Amber Peachseed Jigged Bone scales. They are all users, and one of the three has been in my pocket pretty much every day for the past six or seven years. I take them to work, and they are certainly exposed to their fair share of sweat, dirt, body oils, etc. As the bone continues to age, I have noticed a couple of things that I have questions about.
At least two of the knives have a green tint in the bone adjacent to the liners and bolsters. On my 6318, in particular, this seems to be getting more and more pronounced. I sometimes carry them in a leather slip, but it was made by a reputable maker who I know uses high quality veg tan leather, and they are not stored in the slip. I have not used any heavy solvents on the knives, only a light coating of mineral oil occasionally wiped on the handles, and maybe some WD40 used on the blades. Is there any definite way to prevent this discoloration on any future knives I may purchase, or is it simply an unavoidable issue on knives with brass liners and light colored bone that are used regularly?
I also notice that the lighter portions of the bone have turned darker. I assume that this is probably par for the course, but I happen to like the lighter white/cream colors in the bone when it is factory new, so I just wondered if there is any way to preserve it, other than not using it.
One other thing related to both issues: I first noticed the green discoloration on the 6318 shortly after I used a hot vinegar soak to force a patina on the CV blades. I used a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar heated on the stovetop. I’m wondering if this may have contributed to the problem by oxidizing the brass liners. I read recently that you can actually create verdigris on copper by hanging it above heated vinegar, without even submerging it. I also noticed that the heat/acid from the vinegar bath seemed to change the appearance of the lighter portions of the bone almost immediately. They became more translucent and less of an opaque cream color. The bone was not submerged at any point; it was simply in close proximity to the vinegar solution while the blades were submerged, but there was definitely an immediate, noticeable change in its appearance. I would appreciate any thoughts or similar experiences on this.
Thanks,
TH
