Etching a damascus blade

[T. Erdelyi]

I just dug out my old damascus Case folder and found it was a little rusty. I steel wooled it to clean it but the definition between the layers was not crisp, An old friend of mine suggested wiping it down with catsup, ketchup and letting it sit for about an hour. When I washed it off and wiped it down the lines between the layers became very distinct. Any one else ever heard of this or any other way to accomplish the same thing?

 

[george tichbourne]

The acid in tomatoes is quite strong, The ketchup makers have to replace their schedule 40 piping systems every year because by the end of the season they look like sprinklers.

 

[Rifter]

You mean if i stick a knife it ketchup it will etch it?

 

[T. Erdelyi]

What happens is the acetic acid,(vinegar) in the ketchup, and the acid in the tomatoes, will etch the softer steel in the layered damascus more than the harder steel, which gives more definition to the difference in the appearance of the blade.

Did you ever see what happens when you cut a tomatoe and don't rinse off the blade immediately on a non-stainlees high carbon steel blade? It stains like crazy by lightly etching the steel.

This is no where as strong as the commercial acids that are used to etch damascus on custom or production blades, but it does help to bring up the definition of the pattern.

 

[flava]

I heard Coca Cola works like a charm too.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Ya know I never thought of that but I do remember as a rotten kid, how well it affected auto paint. I'll have to try that next time, on a knife, not a car.