Has anybody tried putting a controlled patina on his bare steel blade?




I don't have a bare, non-stainless blade to try, yet. I used white vinegar on this steel dowel pin the other is untouched. I soaked one end inthe vinegar for aobut 24 hours then flipped it and soaked the other for 24 hours - thus the line in the middle. With each hour of soak it became darker. I used windex at the end to stop the process. I think that this will somewhat protect the steel from rust similar to gun bluing - or at least better than bare steel. I plan to try this to my DMDC when it arrives as all my blades now are either coated or stainless. While I don't think that this is a replacement for a well-oiled blade, it may perhaps help if I forget to keep it oiled once in a while.

-mike