Creating patina?

[CrisAnderson27]

The finish they leave is very different...just something to keep in mind. I get my ferric chloride for $6 a bottle at Radio Shack and mix it 4:1 distilled water:ferric.

Vinegar leaves more of a whitish/light grey etch, while ferric is much blacker/dark grey. Here's an example of that Gold Dollar.



Again, not sure if that helps...but for the price its a nice result I think.

 

[WildWest74]

The finish they leave is very different...just something to keep in mind. I get my ferric chloride for $6 a bottle at Radio Shack and mix it 4:1 distilled water:ferric.

Vinegar leaves more of a whitish/light grey etch, while ferric is much blacker/dark grey. Here's an example of that Gold Dollar.

View attachment 599406

Again, not sure if that helps...but for the price its a nice result I think.

That's a great look. Incidentally, what wood did you use for the scales?

 

[Jim]

Cris, do you heat your 4:1 distilled water:ferric before you use it?

 

[CrisAnderson27]

That's a great look. Incidentally, what wood did you use for the scales?

Thanks! They are stabilized box elder.

Cris, do you heat your 4:1 distilled water:ferric before you use it?

No sir! But my shop averages about 120°F lol...so there is that . I don't heat it in the winter either though.

I also have another tube that has a mix of vinegar, water, and ferric lol...it's...random. I use it in special cases...and I'd be lost if it ever spilled or went missing .

 

[147_Grain]

The finish they leave is very different...just something to keep in mind. I get my ferric chloride for $6 a bottle at Radio Shack and mix it 4:1 distilled water:ferric.

Vinegar leaves more of a whitish/light grey etch, while ferric is much blacker/dark grey. Here's an example of that Gold Dollar.

View attachment 599406

Again, not sure if that helps...but for the price its a nice result I think.

That scale shape is neat - the kink is reminiscent of the factory scales on the Artist Club SS. And the wood is gorgeous!

 

[WildWest74]

My radio shack only carries PCB Etchant solution. Is this the right stuff? It contains ferric chloride, but says to use at full strength for circuit etching, and you indicated mixing 4:1 with distilled water.

 

[CrisAnderson27]

That scale shape is neat - the kink is reminiscent of the factory scales on the Artist Club SS. And the wood is gorgeous!

Thanks!!

My radio shack only carries PCB Etchant solution. Is this the right stuff? It contains ferric chloride, but says to use at full strength for circuit etching, and you indicated mixing 4:1 with distilled water.

Yes sir! That's the stuff!

 

[Michael Spotts]

View attachment 599406

QUOTE]
That is one beautiful looking Razor

 

[147_Grain]

Another question for Cris - where'd you find box elder burl blanks in a size suitable for razors? The only stuff I've seen online are 7/8"x7/8"x5.5" pen blanks, which seem like they wouldn't be wide enough, would be tight on the length and would need to be cut into multiple sheets to get to a thickness suitable for cutting and sanding to shape.

 

[WildWest74]

Another question for Cris - where'd you find box elder burl blanks in a size suitable for razors? The only stuff I've seen online are 7/8"x7/8"x5.5" pen blanks, which seem like they wouldn't be wide enough, would be tight on the length and would need to be cut into multiple sheets to get to a thickness suitable for cutting and sanding to shape.

I got some stabilized spalted hackberry off the Bay, 3 x 7 x 5/16 per bookmatched piece. Someone told me burlsource will cut a block to any thickness you want.

 

[CrisAnderson27]

Another question for Cris - where'd you find box elder burl blanks in a size suitable for razors? The only stuff I've seen online are 7/8"x7/8"x5.5" pen blanks, which seem like they wouldn't be wide enough, would be tight on the length and would need to be cut into multiple sheets to get to a thickness suitable for cutting and sanding to shape.

I got some stabilized spalted hackberry off the Bay, 3 x 7 x 5/16 per bookmatched piece. Someone told me burlsource will cut a block to any thickness you want.

Mark at burlsource is an incredible guy and a good friend. So is Myron with dreamburls, Pete Rushton of Pete's Custom Koa, and Jake Hightower with Arizona Ironwood LLC. All of these guys can supply you with top quality wood, and it's worth browsing their sites if you're looking for a quick way to go broke lol.

That said, these scales are pen blanks I bought unstabilized and had professionally stabilized at K&G. I won't use random eBay vendors for stabilized woods...as, bluntly put...most of it is junk. I will either have the wood stabilized myself, or buy from one of the vendors I mentioned above.

On the pen blank thing...they're only workable for certain razors. Gold Dollars are long and not very tall...so the .75" pen blanks seem to work out ok. I can probably get two matched sets (4pcs) of scales out of one pen blank if I cut carefully. My scales aren't very traditional looking...but if you do like a more traditional style of scale, you can sometimes use even narrower (in height) material and get away with it.

 

[WildWest74]

Mark at burlsource is an incredible guy and a good friend. So is Myron with dreamburls, Pete Rushton of Pete's Custom Koa, and Jake Hightower with Arizona Ironwood LLC. All of these guys can supply you with top quality wood, and it's worth browsing their sites if you're looking for a quick way to go broke lol.

That said, these scales are pen blanks I bought unstabilized and had professionally stabilized at K&G. I won't use random eBay vendors for stabilized woods...as, bluntly put...most of it is junk. I will either have the wood stabilized myself, or buy from one of the vendors I mentioned above.

On the pen blank thing...they're only workable for certain razors. Gold Dollars are long and not very tall...so the .75" pen blanks seem to work out ok. I can probably get two matched sets (4pcs) of scales out of one pen blank if I cut carefully. My scales aren't very traditional looking...but if you do like a more traditional style of scale, you can sometimes use even narrower (in height) material and get away with it.

I was hesitant about the Bay, but the merchant has his store on that site, and I also checked his feedback thoroughly. He's been great with communication. As a gift he even tossed in some stabilized sycamore blanks that I may use to try my hand at some pistol grips.

 

[WildWest74]

Question about the ferric chloride. Should I use it after I have set the initial bevel?

 

[CrisAnderson27]

Question about the ferric chloride. Should I use it after I have set the initial bevel?

It doesn't really matter, before or after...but you will have to rehone the blade either way as the acid will badly deteriorate the edge. In thinking about it I would probably do it after though, to help mask any scratch marks from the rougher stone.

 

[WildWest74]

It doesn't really matter, before or after...but you will have to rehone the blade either way as the acid will badly deteriorate the edge. In thinking about it I would probably do it after though, to help mask any scratch marks from the rougher stone.

That's what I was thinking about. Although, as I am not going for pretty, I shouldn't be afraid of scratches! I am certainly not getting it super smooth before hand. I am about to go 1000 grit polishing on the blade itself, after progressing from 60 up to 320, and I have had no qualms about leaving some previous scratches underneath. I want this to look like some dirty bushwhacker in Deadwood would carry it around in his kit.

 

[CrisAnderson27]

I understand...but the contrast for that in my mind would be the ultra clean edge bevel...if you know what I mean? Rough and dirty but very well cared for.

Here's an example of a friction folder that I think explains exactly what I mean more clearly than words could:

Burned, black, crusty...but man, that edge bevel!!

 

[WildWest74]

I understand...but the contrast for that in my mind would be the ultra clean edge bevel...if you know what I mean? Rough and dirty but very well cared for.

Here's an example of a friction folder that I think explains exactly what I mean more clearly than words could:

Burned, black, crusty...but man, that edge bevel!!

That's exactly what I want. A nice clean bevel that I will then (hopefully) get lunatic sharp with my lapping film.

And BTW, gorgeous knife. I love the character that handle has.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Cut up some raw onions with the razor. rub the juice all over the blade. Rinse... don't let the juice dry on the blade. Store it in a tupperware bowl, standing edge-up, with chopped onions on either side but not touching the steel. The sulfuric acid will give you a nice blackening, I think. It certainly works for Old Hickory carbon steel kitchen knives. Change the onions every couple days. After a couple weeks just let it age naturally for a few weeks and bobs yer uncle.

 

[Seraphim]

You can also smear mustard on the blade and let it sit around for a while.

I prefer the ferric chloride etchant myself...

 

[WildWest74]

I have the ferric chloride, so I'm definitely going to use that!