Forcing a Patina on a Carbon Steel Blade

S

Sebastian Kuchler

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Aug 25, 2017
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Today I acquired a vintage Camillus TL -29 from a local antique store. It was fairly rusted, so I decided to soak the knife in a rust and limestone removing element. After letting it sit for a couple of hours, it had gained a black patina on its blade. This is because its a carbon steel blade. Does anyone know of any other way to force a patina on a carbon blade?
 
Quick way is heated white vinegar. Degrease and dry the blade first. Hot vinegar can put a nice even black patina on a carbon blade in under a minute.
 
jc57 said:
Quick way is heated white vinegar. Degrease and dry the blade first. Hot vinegar can put a nice even black patina on a carbon blade in under a minute.
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If you use hot vinegar it should be noted that if the knife has any brass parts less than about 1/2" above the vinegars surface than the brass parts(liners bolsters etc) can form a green tarnish which may or may not be desirable depending on your personal preference.
 
if you wish to form some sort of patina pattern on the blade I would use mustard. It is rather slow and is strongest near the edges of the mustard allowing you to control the result by both selecting a particular pattern of application eg stripes, splotches, squiggles... and by controlling the time it is allowed to sit. (just about any acid will force a patina on a knife)
 
I have experimented with and had success with potato and apple (stick the blade in and leave for a few hours), lime (same but maybe a half hour), mustard, and vinegar. I've heard that ketchup works, also. I think hot vinegar gives the quickest and most uniform results. I've also read about using a pear and a tomato. If you don't want an open vessel of hot vinegar stinking the place up you can wrap the blade with paper towel, soak it with hot vinegar, then wrap with plastic wrap. It's fun to experiment and if you don't like the results then apply some Flitz and start over.
 
Ace Rimmer said:
I have experimented with and had success with potato and apple (stick the blade in and leave for a few hours), lime (same but maybe a half hour), mustard, and vinegar. I've heard that ketchup works, also. I think hot vinegar gives the quickest and most uniform results. I've also read about using a pear and a tomato. If you don't want an open vessel of hot vinegar stinking the place up you can wrap the blade with paper towel, soak it with hot vinegar, then wrap with plastic wrap. It's fun to experiment and if you don't like the results then apply some Flitz and start over.
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Thanks for all the helpful information.
 
Wasn't there a dude on here that stirred his black coffee every morning? As I recall, the blade had an even gray finish.
You could also cut up a nice steak or two. :)
 
Stick it in a potato or peel an apple with it. The acid will do the job. I really don’t think a forced patina is the way to go though. There is just something about a natural patina that gives a nice carbon steel blade character.
 
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