Thread: Creating controlled patina?

I have an older blade that just seems to have a propensity to rusting, even stored in my dry box with all of my other razors that are just fine and not rusting at all! I think the different steel is part of the problem, but anyway, as an older blade I wouldn't mind it having an aged look, and I was wondering if anyone has ever intentionally created a tarnish on the blade and how they do it.

I know that a nice patina protects the underlying metal from rust, but I have never heard of a way to create that layer.

Any tips are appreciated!

You could rust blue it with acid,or you could use ferric Chloride.

Well google helped me out on this one! I'm going to try a towel soaked in vinegar. Hopefully this will give me a bit of variation and should protect the steel. Without a buffer or the patience for hand sanding, I was never going to get it to shine anyway, so I'll let it keep its character, embrace its antiquity, and protect it as best as I can. However, first I need to reverse my mediocre attempts at making it new again!

I'll post before and afters, dont worry!

I 've created a little bit of patina before on one just used cold bluing compound on the entire razor then just carefuly polish with mothers and a rag repeat bluing and mothers until you get the desired effect .Takes most of the blue off but still leaves some patina like blue black haze behind. I ended up doing this for the same reason as you i had an old W&B that was realy pitted just had to many pits to remove and the simulated patina helped make it look pretty cool.Hope this helps

I love patinas, I've spent time experimenting on knives I've made as shiney doesn't suit all blades in my opinion. This is true of vintage razors in my mind as well, some just look better with a nice patina. You can get different effects with household products, this was English mustard wrapped in cling film for the pattern effect and left overnight, terrible pic but it looks like a drop of gas in a puddle in the light;



The easiest way I've found is to use salad cream(mayonnaise) wiped on the blade and left overnight. You can then wipe it off and apply another coat and leave during the day, wipe off and leave overnight repeatedly until the desired darkness is achieved. The great thing is you can always polish the patina off with Autosol or similar if you don't like it. You can get some great patterns using garlic flakes as well as vinegar but that will pit the steel so best not used on a razor unless you're after a rustic fresh off the forge hammered look...

Have fun experimenting and show us your progress if you go ahead with it!

Lemon juice will also work . I think just about anything that's mildly acidic will work .

What about Blueing it like a firearm? Blueing will control the rust.

Actually,blueing will not control rust, real bluing is rust.

All be it a slower process.

I believe actually that the patina is a chemical reaction with the surface layer of the metal. It changes the chemical composition of the surface and makes it less susceptible to rusting because it is not the same carbon steel as it was before.

The reason we see antique blades that are in great condition is because of the patina that protects them. I also see it on a lot of instruments, good trumpets and saxophones etc, antique silverware etc, its a natural protection. If not for it then, following the some of the logic in this thread, we would need a vacuum with no oxygen at all to keep a razor from rusting