Vinegar Patina

[1961MJS]

Hi

I just put a medium gray patina on a Russel Green River blade today.  It looks good and I'd like to do some more blades in this color.  Is this patina as long lasting as Rust browning?  I did a set each for my son and for me using Laurel Mountain Forge rust browning.  I've also got a couple of blades done using Birchwood Casey cold bluing.  The vinegar looks more natural, but is it as durable as the rust browning?  I've been using those knives in the kitchen and I have no problems with them.  I've even cut limes with them and didn't change the color at all.  I not finished with the blued blades yet, I'm still shaping the scales.

I have a few Green River knives that I've finished.  I didn't want to rust brown them, so right now they're shiny.  They're for my old Scout Troop so that won't stay that way.  Can I using hot vinegar to color blades with a nice Walnut handle without screwing up the wood?

Thanks

[Kent Shootwell]

Can't help you with the durability of the vinegar color but here's what a couple of 160 year old knifes look like.
http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/ab91/JKilts/2015-01-31%20001%202015-01-31%20001_zps4quljcnb.jpg

[Hambone Dave]

Vinegar finish will wear off but is easy and cheap to put back on so who cares. Warmed up it reacts faster on the metal.
Try splotching (spots, lines, swirls) up the blade with regular mustard to give it a color case hardened look but without the colors...just dark grey or blackish. Leave on 10 mins and wash off. I do my Russells and Cold Steel Carbon Vs this way.

[1961MJS]

Vinegar finish will wear off but is easy and cheap to put back on so who cares. Warmed up it reacts faster on the metal.
...

Hi

Does re-dipping in vinegar hurt the wood at all?  I have four Green River butcher knives that I'd like to finish with the vinegar, but the scales are already attached.

Thanks

Mike

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Use your new knives in the kitchen for awhile. Use the vinegar in the salad.

The shiny steel will get all the patina it can handle if you don't watch out.

[Gabriel Law]

Yes...cut up some onions, tomatoes and some red meat.  Nice rich colours.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

AND, you will be testing the edge as you go.

Use the knife as it was intended for an honest patina.

[1961MJS]

AND, you will be testing the edge as you go.

Use the knife as it was intended for an honest patina.

You've convinced me to not "patinia" my Cumberland Bowie, and to use it and see what it looks like.  I don't really like how a newer knife looks with a little patina, but I don't cook much.  I promise to start cutting up more limes for Gin and Tonics, that should help a lot. 

On the other hand, I feel like I SHOULD pre-age the blades that I'm sending to Scouts.  I'm concerned that they might try to get all of the stain off and slice their own parts off.  Green River knives are pretty sharp. 

I'd prefer not to experiment on this, has anyone put any form of fake patina on a hidden tang knive before they solder on the guard?  How did that go?

Later

[Bruce W Sims]

I had not heard about using vinegar to color a patina. What I
have used warm vinegar for is to bring out the crystaline pattern in the steel.
The result that I have found is, indeed, an "older" look to the metal that
gets around that shiney "new" look. Is this what people are talking about?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[1961MJS]

Hi

That's pretty much it.  Check you tube for various combinations of knife, patina,vinegar, mustard, and carbon steel.  One guy stuf a knife in a couple of oranges for a while.  Another guy used Mustard, yellow mustard apparently gives a better color than Brown mustard. 

Later

[1961MJS]

Hi

A couple of pictures of a Green River 8 inch butcher knife with Mesquite Scales (black Mesquite from Jantz I think) that I double dipped in hot Vinegar with a Green River Sheep Skinner with Walnut Scales that I blackened using Laurel Mountain Browning.  I'll try and get pictures outside sometime.

Later

[Bruce W Sims]

Your reference to the Scouts got me thinking that this might be a "teachable moment".
I was thinking that maybe the scouts would benefit by learning the effects acid foods have on the
knives.  Just a thought......

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[1961MJS]

Yes...cut up some onions, tomatoes and some red meat.  Nice rich colours.

Hi

I didn't like the way my Cumberland Bowie looked with just a few lime stains and did the vinegar deal on it.  New stains tend to darken the steel even more.

Later

[will52100]

Old post, but have you considered mustard?  I've done a few with a mustard patina and it looks good and helps protect the blade somewhat.  Just dab a few areas and wait a while, dab some more, do this 3-4 times then wash off and rub with steel wool and oil or wax.

[Delmonico]

Use your new knives in the kitchen for awhile. Use the vinegar in the salad.

The shiny steel will get all the patina it can handle if you don't watch out.

Funny how that works and it is also an honest one.    But we live in a world where they sell blue jeans for a lot of money that are supposed to look worn out, go figure.