Patina: Good, bad or indifferent?

[FarmerTan]

I have two razors with iridescent patina.
I like it a lot.
They are both in my rotation.

Forced Patina On A Carbon Steel Straight Razor

i am considering trying something out on a couple of inexpensive carbon steel straights. while these are probably not like my 52100 kramer by zwilling chef's knife which took a forced patina very well, i wanted to find out if anyone has tried this on their straights to keep the corrosion down...

www.badgerandblade.com

Those are nice.

 

[Ky K]

Acid washed knives is a very common thing too.

 

[2bit_collie]

I often will leave patina on a razor if I find it that way. On at least one occasion I cleaned off a mixture of rust and patina from a razor and then soaked in vinegar to restore some patina. Photo below. I do agree that the edge should be shiny. I have only done vinegar soaks on razors prior to honing.

 

[cotedupy]

I have two razors with iridescent patina.
I like it a lot.
They are both in my rotation.

Forced Patina On A Carbon Steel Straight Razor

i am considering trying something out on a couple of inexpensive carbon steel straights. while these are probably not like my 52100 kramer by zwilling chef's knife which took a forced patina very well, i wanted to find out if anyone has tried this on their straights to keep the corrosion down...

www.badgerandblade.com

Very nice!

I don't know the chemistry behind it but this kind of blue/petrol patination seems to be something slightly different from the grey kind. And probably less corrosive I imagine.

The classic way to get it on a knife isn't with acids/acidic foods, but by cutting cooked proteins. Chicken and pork work particularly well.

 

[Ravenonrock]

 

[catchacoolbreeze]

I like everything to look as shiny new as possible. That being said I am not going to to bend over backwards to clean patina on carbon steel. If it looks like rust though, I am going to try to get rid of it.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Sad. It had some beautiful lettering.

Slightly off topic. I was careful to mask the etched lettering. Then, at the end, I gently sanded the whole face using fine sandpaper. Phew, I made it. The lettering was still quite present, so I took some steel wool for the final touch and the lettering faded before my eyes. Lessons learned:

• Etching is shallow,
• Tread carefully, and
• Only use abrasives with firm backings/substrates - no steel wool

 

[2bit_collie]

Slightly off topic. I was careful to mask the etched lettering. Then, at the end, I gently sanded the whole face using fine sandpaper. Phew, I made it. The lettering was still quite present, so I took some steel wool for the final touch and the lettering faded before my eyes. Lessons learned:

• Etching is shallow,
• Tread carefully, and
• Only use abrasives with firm backings/substrates - no steel wool

How did you mask the lettering? I’ve tried electrical tape and also nail polish. But so far the nail polish hasn’t given me the definition that I was hoping for.

I’ve also blown at least one etching by using steel wool or sandpaper That wasn’t backed by a flat surface.

In one or two cases I have done a vinegar soak to add a patina and then sanded with a firm backing in order to bring the shine back to the non-etched areas. That gave a little more pop to the etched areas.

 

[Legion]

Very nice!

I don't know the chemistry behind it but this kind of blue/petrol patination seems to be something slightly different from the grey kind. And probably less corrosive I imagine.

The classic way to get it on a knife isn't with acids/acidic foods, but by cutting cooked proteins. Chicken and pork work particularly well.

The onions I just cut up did a pretty good job.

 

[cotedupy]

The onions I just cut up did a pretty good job.

View attachment 1349908

Very nice! Onions do look very cool too, though on some more modern Japanese steels they sometimes make it go a bit brown as well. Which worries people, even though it's not really 'rust' and can just be scrubbed off if you want.

 

[Frank Shaves]

How did you mask the lettering? I’ve tried electrical tape and also nail polish. But so far the nail polish hasn’t given me the definition that I was hoping for.

I’ve also blown at least one etching by using steel wool or sandpaper That wasn’t backed by a flat surface.

In one or two cases I have done a vinegar soak to add a patina and then sanded with a firm backing in order to bring the shine back to the non-etched areas. That gave a little more pop to the etched areas.

I couldn't remember the type of tape I used to mask the lettering, so I went to my notes . I think it was you (@2bit_collie), who after the fact clued me into the need for a backing with a flat surface. The hard part was sanding up to the edge of the Super 88. I remember this taking a long time and requiring patience, and how a not-very-nice-looking edge/line formed around the masked rectangle that I then needed to carefully hand sand over to fade between the masked rectangle and the rest of the blade.

 

[johnmrson]

Patina is fine. Considering some of the razors I use are 200 plus years old it's good to keep the character of it. If it's active rust then it has to go. Buffing wheels with grease-less compound gets rid of most of it.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Buffing wheels with grease-less compound gets rid of most of it.

I have only used wet/dry sandpaper and steel wool. Tell me more?

 

[Gamma]

Depends, case by case basis.

 

[5whiskey]

No. The edge on a razor is so thin and fragile, it is imperative to keep corrosion away by properly drying and storing the razor, rather than giving it a protective coating. You can’t force a patina on a honed bevel.

I have forced patina on a razor using vinegar before. While it didn't come out perfectly even, it looks really good oiled. It looks pretty good not oiled. Sure the patina on the bevel and wear bar of the spine has honed off. Still looks great.

Honestly I voted that it's a good thing, but I try and keep my razors shiny if they already are. Or I polish and make them shiny if the are salvageable. All of my carbon steel knives have a patina. I do like razors with character though so if they have a good patina with no active rust I will often keep it.

 

[johnmrson]

I have only used wet/dry sandpaper and steel wool. Tell me more?

You get a desk grinder and swap out the grinding wheels for soft cotton wheels. Then apply the greaseless compound to the cotton wheels and use them to get rid of rust on blades. From memory I get my greaseless compound from the car restoration supply company Eastwood. It works really well. I've been using this method for about 10 years now with very good results.

 

[Legion]

You get a desk grinder and swap out the grinding wheels for soft cotton wheels. Then apply the greaseless compound to the cotton wheels and use them to get rid of rust on blades. From memory I get my greaseless compound from the car restoration supply company Eastwood. It works really well. I've been using this method for about 10 years now with very good results.

Being carful to not overheat the blade or launch it into something

 

[cotedupy]

I have forced patina on a razor using vinegar before. While it didn't come out perfectly even, it looks really good oiled. It looks pretty good not oiled. Sure the patina on the bevel and wear bar of the spine has honed off. Still looks great.

Honestly I voted that it's a good thing, but I try and keep my razors shiny if they already are. Or I polish and make them shiny if the are salvageable. All of my carbon steel knives have a patina. I do like razors with character though so if they have a good patina with no active rust I will often keep it.

Ah nice... I might try it on one of mine, knowing obviously I'll have to re-hone it after, and not to over-do it generally for reason's David mentioned above.

For better or worse... I do kinda want to see what it looks like!

 

[Legion]

Ah nice... I might try it on one of mine, knowing obviously I'll have to re-hone it after, and not to over-do it generally for reason's David mentioned above.

For better or worse... I do kinda want to see what it looks like!

*cough* golddollar *cough*

 

[cotedupy]

*cough* golddollar *cough*

Ha... that might be a better idea actually, considering I'll probably be ruining one already at some point with my inability to use a dremel!