How to dye G10 scales?

Sonnydaze

Sonnydaze

Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
11,678
I've seen plenty of nice "dye" jobs here, but have no clue how to do it. :confused:
Thanks. PM2 with grey scales. Resale not an issue.
Sonny
 
Buy Rit dye and follow the instructions on the bottle. One thing to remember is that the color of the epoxy used to make G10 cannot be completely changed unless it is light to begin with. In other words, you cannot dye black G10 into orange or yellow.

There is also a lot of threads on this already, videos on youtube, and other helpful information through Google.
 
Some colors just don't seem to work at all. You also need to carefully prep the G10. Make sure you remove the other hardware first, especially the stop pin, which is not stainless and will corrode in the dye bath.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread, but this is an interesting topic. Anyone tried bleaching micarta or G10 scales? I'm thinking of bleaching the micarta slabs on my Rat-5, which is a beater knife, but I'm not sure how the epoxy will react to the bleach.
 
Like rev said follow the instructions,make sure you remove as much oil from the handles I used alcohol ,ideally you can remove handles also, so you don't have a mess with the dye running out onto surfaces that your wife will later kill you for :D
also I used a tall empty jar (from the religious candles)and it also works for soaking your knives with ammonia to get all the gunk out .The dye will stay for a while then it starts to wear out on the edges slightly,but honestly sometimes it gives it a nice worn look,that is my experience with my pm2 and another knife ,can't recall which one.
 
1) Take the scales off the knife.
2) Wash with a brush and Dawn soap.
3) Grab some liquid RIT dye in your desired color.
4) Use the whole bottle and a bout a quart of water in a stainless steel pan. (stainless is important! You'll discover why later)
5) Bring the dye to a low simmer (no need to boil it vigorously) and drop the scales in.
6) Walk away for about 15 minutes, come back and recheck. Rinse off in HOT water and check the color.
7) If the color is to your liking, rinse and scrub with Dawn and COLD water. If not, simmer for some more time. Repeat step 6 until it's what you like.
8) Wash out the pan really, really well so the wife doesn't kill you (unless you enjoy being eviscerated with the knife you just customized).
 
to use less dye, use a glass jar with the heated dye mixture. you can also save the dye and reuse if kept air tight
 
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