"Aging" steel

[jaxenro]

Hi all,

I recently picked up the Searles Bowie knife blade Dixie markets. It is supposed to be carbon steel, not stainless. I have a few old bone/ivory checkered handles with silver butcaps and collars, was going to fit one to this blade. What I would like to do is "age" the blade to match, giving it that greyish and somewhat pitted look that old 150 year old knives often aquire. Any ideas on how to acheive this?

 

[WRussell]

Etch a little - clorox - (or just wet it and let it rust a bit) if you want pits, then use one of the "Tool Black" solutions available at McMaster or similar, followed by fine steel wool to lighten it up on the upper surfaces, leaving it dark in the grooves & corners.

A search for "tool black" on http://www.mcmaster.com/ will find some stuff.

 

[tg]

A two day soak in a coating of naval jelly may give the look you want, find an unwanted piece of similar metal to try whatever method you choose.

 

50/50 mix of clorox and water. Boil it for 20 minutes outside. The fumes are bad for you.

This is the procedure the House boys have used for years to age their knives and get the finish you are looking for.

You can then hit it with cold blue and steel wool it off to get the grey look.

:front:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I was going to say leave it outside for a month without touching it and then one or two sporatic coats of cold blue. Then clean it like a boy finding it as his new treasure.
Some old meat or vegy stains mixed in may be?

 

[rabbit03]

Why not try what I do? I just use some of the same mixture that I use for the wood stain. I apply it and let it sit for a while and then card it off! It gives the metal (I did it on the barrel) a finish like it is about 250 years old without any pitting.

The mixture is water, nitric, and metal shavings.

Good luck

PS if you mix your own just remember that the nitric is highly toxic and thefumes will burn your lungs if not mixed in the outdoors. I can forward you a photo of the finish if you like just send your e mail.

 

[rich pierce]

Remember that tools and guns don't "age" uniformly. Lots of folks are now boiling whole barrels end to end in chlorox, whole lockplates, etc. Originals look nothing like that- on barrels there's pitting on the lock side, around the sights, places hard to clean- not everywhere. Locks pit in the corners and crevices and around the pan. Same with knives- pitting at the handle/blade juncture.

 

[mark starr]

Howdy, Just another hint if you use the 50/50 Clorox sand the blade some first it seems to help the look. And put something like nail polish right along the edge and tip good luck. :thumbsup:

 

Howdy, Just another hint if you use the 50/50 Clorox sand the blade some first it seems to help the look. And put something like nail polish right along the edge and tip good luck. :thumbsup:

I'll throw in another thing that etches them REALLY nicely for me.

boil your bleach like everyone says, but just before you dunk it, put some Perma-Blue into a spray bottle and spritz it a couple of times, let it start to turn color, then dunk it. The bleach with go right for it and give you some nice etching.

This is my fusil, after "aging". You might note that I added some "replacement parts", like the flint-vice jaw, some new screws, and the frizzen spring...I don't want rusty springs, thanks.

Anyway, just another thought for you. Have fun, boil bleach outside.

 

[THORNAPPLE]

Buffler, did you throw the whole lock plate in the boil?
I hope you didn't etch the inside of the lockplate or the frizzen face. :nono:
Going to the Fish Creek Rondy this weekend? If so, we'll discuss this some more there :thumbsup:

 

Buffler, did you throw the whole lock plate in the boil?
I hope you didn't etch the inside of the lockplate or the frizzen face. :nono:
Going to the Fish Creek Rondy this weekend? If so, we'll discuss this some more there :thumbsup:

No, no, I was very careful to avoid getting any of the bluing on the frizzen face or the inside of the lock plate. I did dunk the whole plate and frizzen, but went at them vigourously with sandpaper and steel wool and have yet to experience any touble with them. In fact, the frizzen sparks well enough to use 2F as primer for it...although, not as well as 3F, of course.

I'll be up to Fish Creek as soon as the mail comes...I was going to go up early, but this has been an insane week.