Thread: To Blue, or not to Blue?

Polish this one and blue a different blade.

I re-polished the blade, taking it to 1500 grit and then buffing it. I think it came out pretty well.

That is a great looking blade! I would save the bluing experiment for a blade that has stubborn stains.

that is beautfiul.

Mike, not to disagree, but the one you're talking about at about 280 or just over is the one called a hot blue now.. the best I believe is formulated from ammonium nitrate and lye. My friend and gunsmith died recently, we at one point discussed me buying his custom blueing tanks and getting into it. the problem is that in California getting the ingredients in the right quality and quantity would be hard. the high temp blues, like color case, charcoal, oil, nitre would definitely warp the blade.

too bad nobody is going carbonia bluing any more like S&W used to. wouldn't work on razors either, but man it looks fantastic on those old guns.

Red

Okay, this is an admitted hi-jack...kinda (since it still pertains to "blueing" a razor and finding a way to make it look good)

First off, Ya dun good...looks great!

Big Red, or any other gun-nuts out there:
I've heard somewhere that the older SKB autos are not technically a "blueing" but something called black chrome. I know they look fantastic, and as my dad has one, they hold up very well to corrosion. They had to stop using the process because it was too toxic to the workers. Does ANYONE still use this process and does it help us get around the temp. issues of a traditional hot-blueing.

Also, would Walter Birdsong's Black-T finish clog up our finer grit stones? Woudn't be shiny but would be the ulitimate in corrosion resistance and the matte blade with mirror bevel might be quite striking. (I'm thinking some clear or colored acrylic scales.)