Thread: creating patina

RezDog, any results yet?

Results I have pictures I don't. I don't have my tripod with me and I'm at work for another week. I have also been working on getting a new set of horn scales to look old. Mixed success with the scales but the blue and bleach was very easy to do and I got a nice patina as far as I'm concerned. I will try a couple of free hand pictures later if I can get outside. The colors are alway bad inside and the flash really throws everything off too.

At this point this is where I have gotten to. The scales are still a work in progress. I'm not sure if they look old or just satin finished. I was trying to get them to the point where they look a little silvery in spots with some grain exposure. Not sure if I will get there this time. The blade is pretty close. Just requires a little darkening next to the stabilizers and it should be satisfactory.

The historic/replica gun-builder guys are nuts about this. Browse around "American Longrifles" for a bit.

I don't care for the pattern that bleach leaves in all the examples i've seen on bbl steel. I like browning/bluing and rubbing back to a grey/silvery/black finish, for longrifle hardware in steel.

French’s Mustard also works on a heated blade, run under hot water, dried and applied with the edge of a hand torn sponge or crumpled piece of saran wrap for the random patina look. Or to darken etch and tang stamping buff off excess with Wet & Dry and of 000 steel wool.

The paste like consistency of mustard allows you to pattern the etch as opposed to flooding with liquid. I like Charlie’s idea of the toothbrush for random darkening.

The longer you leave it the darker it gets, overnight is good for dark. Thinner application seems to work better for darker patina. Several coating give a very random pattern and highlite areas, mask with nail polish or painters tape.

There are video and pictorials on knife forums.