Thread: creating patina

As I have gone through and sanded and cleaned some old razors I have wondered about trying to make them look more like their age. Has anyone tried any of the commercial product for creating patina like JAX Chemical Company | Products
I have read a couple of threads where guys were using hot vinegar but it seemed like it was more for etching than patina.

Radio shack,try some PCB etchant,Ferric chloride, work wonders on Damascus

I have not used the a Jax products.

+1 on what Pixelfixed said, a dilute solution of ferric chloride is nice and predictable.

I am partial to vinegar and lemon juice.

Gun bluing and then bleach also makes a dramatic rustic surface.

Charlie

Just so I follow the process, clean and ensure an oil free surface blue and then dip or wash with bleach?
I presume that the ferric chloride is a one step also clean and oil free then coat or wash with the solution.
I will try the bluing and bleach first as it will be available in my area and I will order some ferric chloride.
Thanks Guys

Blue as you normally would let dry, then spritz or or dip in the bleach. It makes a pretty dramatic surface, I would try it out on a scrap razor before trying it on a keeper.

Charlie

I have tried the hot vinegar trick & it worked out ok just don't let it boil or it spot marks also
you need to dip & leave for a while though

I have an old hone worn Ern that has been my experiment blade. It's a wonder it still looks like a blade. Thanks for the advise.

Is the vinegar the slower of the processes? It seems wise to have the time to be able to judge how much your doing. The gun blue and bleach sounds like 1 step to many to me. :<0) I would also think all 3 have a different kind of look to them.

Charlie,
Do you have a pic of the blue and bleach method? How fine of a polish do you start out with?

Originally Posted by RezDog

As I have gone through and sanded and cleaned some old razors I have wondered about trying to make them look more like their age. Has anyone tried any of the commercial product for creating patina like JAX Chemical Company | Products
I have read a couple of threads where guys were using hot vinegar but it seemed like it was more for etching than patina.

Patina and etching are the same things, but on a different timescale. They're both oxidation of steel.
Patina is what you get with oxidation over time, and is a very, very thin layer.
Etching is what you do to accelerate the same process which generates the patina.
You could play with the temperature of the vinegar to control the speed with which it happens.