Thread: Bluing Razors

Any tips for bluing razors? I have tried vinegar bluing and using the Super Blue cold bluing product.

I just cant seem to get an even patina across the entire blade.

I am also curious about this... I just picked up a Genco Easy Aces with a blued tang... I don't like the appearance of it after some of the blueing has worn off.. I'd rather reblue it than deblue it...

There is only one trick to even bluing "Proper Prep"

The more even and perfect the steel is to begin with the more perfect the bluing will come out....

Cleanliness and warm steel help, too make absolutely sure you are not leaving fingerprint oils on the steel dipping the piece in boiling water before bluing, cleans very well, and warms the steel (warm not hot) I wear gloves when handling steel before bluing....

Hope that helps a bit

Originally Posted by gssixgun

There is only one trick to even bluing "Proper Prep"

The more even and perfect the steel is to begin with the more perfect the bluing will come out....

Cleanliness and warm steel help, too make absolutely sure you are not leaving fingerprint oils on the steel dipping the piece in boiling water before bluing, cleans very well, and warms the steel (warm not hot) I wear gloves when handling steel before bluing....

Hope that helps a bit

Okay, so that's the prep... Forgive my ignorance, but how does one actually blue the steel?

A lot depends on the product you're using and the process. Some blueing products are wipe on - scrub off (normally with steel wool), others are leave-on.

Personally, I use an old product I picked up at the flea market that contains (or produces, not sure which) cyanide. It works well, but it's not sold anymore for obvious reasons.

Note to clients of mine who have had me blue their razor: There is no cyanide on your razor.

Originally Posted by floppyshoes

Note to clients of mine who have had me blue their razor: There is no cyanide on your razor.

Still, you should not be licking your razors.

Blueing is fancy rust for the purpose of this discussion. An oxidizing agent, usually something acidic, is used to oxidize the steel.

It must be clean. Sand the parts out through at least 2000 grit wet paper to remove any existing bluing, corrosion, rust, etc. You want clean, shiny, wax/oil free steel. Anything on the steel will cause the bluing to penetrate uneven and you will end up with blotches, or even an outright fingerprint.

Wash the steel in warm water, just water, no soap to make sure it is clean and warm. As an extra measure, I wipe it with acetone just before bluing to make sure there is no residue on the steel. Acetone evaporates in seconds, especially on warm steel, and leaves no residue. Spirits/thinner/alcohol will all leave a residue.

Go slow, give it one coating of bluing solution. Keep it damp for a minute with the solution, then rinse and dry off with a clean towel. Repeat the process. I usually steel wool the steel to polish and clean it every two coats and usually go with 4 or 5 applications sometimes more. After your last bluing application. Rinse the steel, dry it good and wipe it with oil. Let it sit for a day. The oil will allow the bluing to further penetrate and deepen/darken. Once blued, you need to keep it oiled. On my damasks and blued blades (not to mention various boom sticks) I will wipe them with a silicone cloth to prevent rusting. It also deepens the blue.

Yeah, the advice on getting things clean is really important. You need to degrease everything twice to be certain that there is none on the blade. Any oil prevents that area of the blade from bluing. You need to wear rubber gloves when working on them, even finger oils can mess up the process.

I've cold chemical blued, rust blued, and used birchwood caseys "plum brown" product, which is sort of a low-temp hot blue, except that its brownish/coppery, and not blue. The cold chemical bluing is ok, its really easy, and it looks pretty good, but I'm not overly impressed with the durability. I've only used it on tangs, not entire razors, so I really cant speak of getting it even well. Rust bluing gives great results and durability, but it takes a long time. You have to prep the blades, apply solution, let them rust, boil the blades, card the rust, and reapply the solution, repeating everything 4-6 times, except the initial sanding/prep. I think its well worth it for a nice enough razor, though. Also, the blades are stable after being carded, so as long as you keep them grease free you can come back and finish the process later.

I was actually playing with the plum brown earlier tonight, applying it to some tangs and spines. This is only the second time I've used it, but it gives what seem to be really nice results, and it may be closer in durability and such to a hot blue, since you heat the metal to about 260 before applying the solution (but thats speculation). The color is a bit different, its kind of like patinaed copper. I'm not sure how easy it is to get it even, I've only used it on tangs and spines, but those have turned out well so far.

The only thing I'll add to the previous discussion is that I clean with brake/carb cleaner first and warm the parts with a hair dryer before blueing.

If you want to hot blue and make a very durable finish that can be absolutely gorgeous, read this:

Blindhogg custom gunworks

I did this a few years back. the hardest part was finding lye.

Goog

The most common bluing solution is phosphoric acid, then proprietary mixtures that include trace amounts of all sorts of favorite chemicals from that point. In the end you'll find one you like.

I have read the Blindhogg link and agree with the recipe entirely, except to add that Nitrates of any kind, not just Ammonium purchased in large quantities will also garner the attention of possibly overzealous Three Letter Agency employees.

And, temperature control is very necessary. Some of the hot chemical blues will not work well above 300 F, and without temperature control it is possible to overshoot the tempering temperature with some of these salt mixtures. It's not much likely with the recipe linked.

But, if you reuse and forget to add water you can get a concentrated solution that will be much hotter than it looks. I can get my bluing salts up to about 600 F without too much trouble. 700 F if I insulate the tank better.

Good thread and good info by all involved.