Thread: Black steel

first of all to the mods...i THINK this belongs here...feel free to move it if you feel it belongs somewhere else

I see damascus razors (kinda know the process of making them w/folding layers of metal) but they raise a question in my mind: The damascus razors always look very dark, is there a way to make razor quality steel black or dark in color? I know there's petinas and what not but i'm talking actual dark steel.

Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by Detach

first of all to the mods...i THINK this belongs here...feel free to move it if you feel it belongs somewhere else

I see damascus razors (kinda know the process of making them w/folding layers of metal) but they raise a question in my mind: The damascus razors always look very dark, is there a way to make razor quality steel black or dark in color? I know there's petinas and what not but i'm talking actual dark steel.

Thanks in advance!

The dark color is from the etching process that makes one of the steels darker than the other because of alloying elements or carbon percentage that make the etching occur at different rates.

Ferric Chloride is a common etchant, as is vinegar.

Josh Earl does this to some of his blades as does Charlie (spazola)

Link: http://straightrazorpalace.com/galle...eback-3-a.html

Another Link: http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ish-point.html

Other than the etching process (which is a patina), no, there is no way to make clean, unetched, steel that is black. If you were to sand on any damascus blade it would be shiny underneath the patina. That is why Damascus razors have shiny bevels just like any other razor.

oh schucks...ok thank yoU!

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

Other than the etching process (which is a patina), no, there is no way to make clean, unetched, steel that is black. If you were to sand on any damascus blade it would be shiny underneath the patina. That is why Damascus razors have shiny bevels just like any other razor.

Which is why many people tape damascus razors when honing.

Do you have a specific need for black steel that rules out using a patina?

There's also this method: Caswell Inc. - Black Oxide Kit

I mean, as long as you don't need to sand the surface very often, a patina accomplishes the same end result of appearance.

I don't think there is a way to create black steel through and through. every black coating has shiny underneath.

Patinas. It depends on what you want. Slick modern, or old traditional. I think the old traditional style black oxide would look good on the spine. that takes a lot of time.

It is rust; stabilized. It's not for the faint of heart or those who like surgical mirror polishes.

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

Do you have a specific need for black steel that rules out using a patina?

There's also this method: Caswell Inc. - Black Oxide Kit

I mean, as long as you don't need to sand the surface very often, a patina accomplishes the same end result of appearance.

That Caswell kit is pretty cool, Russel. I wonder if you can selectively blacken steel vs. having to dip the whole thing. It says water based solution. It would be great if you could mask the hollows of razors like some of the Dubl Ducks and Case razors that have blued/blackened tangs, shoulders and spines but shiny steel hollows?

Chris L

Many knifemakers (when making damascus blades) use fingernail polish (enamel paint) in the recessed portion of their makers mark before etching to bring out the layered pattern, then they remove the nail polish to reveal a clean makers mark and etched blade.

So if you could paint the hollows with enamel etc. before blackening, then dip the blackened blade in acetone or MEK or whatever it is that takes off the paint that you used, it would achieve the results your looking for.

But I haven't used the Caswell kit, it was suggested to me in a different thread. For etching I just use Radioshack PCB etchant, it might work for this as well.

If you want, I'll give it a shot on an old junker and post pics.

Awww you guys stole the idea for my first resto. I think it has the perfect features for it: a hand forged red imp with hammer marked tang.

Russ correct me if I'm wrong but the ferric only goes gray, not black?

Of course I did find the link/recipe/instructions for the quick and easy home pharmacy blackened steel patina

On hardened 1095 it is a dark gray but not jet black. It would give a color similar to the dark layers in a damascus blade.

Don't worry about it, man, if you want first crack at it, by all means go ahead.

Also, I don't really know if it would be rust preventative in the same way that hot blue is, but it would have a unique look to it.