Cuisto Mako Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Hi guys I bought a knife and a machete with windlass steel blade a while back and find them too shinny. Is there a way to aged them a little bit? I don't want them too look brand new. Not full of rust either. Any trick or advice? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Midnight Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Aye, mate! What I use to "age" my steel is simple yellow mustard of the type that you put on hotdogs or hamburgers. Just rub a nice coat over the steel, let it sit for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, and then wash it off with warm, soapy water. It should give your steel a nice aged appearance. I have used it on my own pistol barrel and lock and it works like a charm! "Now then, me bullies! Would you rather do the gallows dance, and hang in chains 'til the crows pluck your eyes from your rotten skulls? Or would you feel the roll of a stout ship beneath your feet again?" ---Captain William Kidd--- (1945) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuisto Mako Posted April 30, 2010 Author Share Posted April 30, 2010 mustard? really!?! :) actually since there is a lot of vinegar in mustard it make sense. I would never have though of that. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Roberts Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 You could try browning or blueing the blade. I like the way blueing looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelsbagley Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 You could try browning or blueing the blade. I like the way blueing looks. I think Midnight's suggestion is a form of browning, but I agree browning would be a good option (from what I know of it).... Blueing on the other hand.... Well I thought blueing steel was a heat process, and while good metalworkers can successfully do blueing, applying heat to any tempered metal (like knives and sword blades) can be a foolish endeavour for anyone who isn't very well trained in the process, as too much heat can ruin the temper on a blade. I think there are chemical blueing agents out there, and they might be safe, but I would storngly recommend against any heat blueing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain McCool Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 That's great! I believe I'll try the mustard tonight on my own blade! Will that cause any damage to the steel that could weaken a blade over time, like general, run-of-the-mill rust? Captain Jack McCool, landlocked pirate extraordinaire, Captain of the dreaded prairie schooner Ill Repute, etc. etc. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel, and a hull, and a deck, and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is… what the Black Pearl really is… is freedom." -Captain Jack Sparrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Midnight Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 That's great! I believe I'll try the mustard tonight on my own blade! Will that cause any damage to the steel that could weaken a blade over time, like general, run-of-the-mill rust? I don't think so, McCool, as long as you wash it thoroughly with the soapy warm water. After you dry the blade, you'll want to put a nice coat of oil, and that should do fine. "Now then, me bullies! Would you rather do the gallows dance, and hang in chains 'til the crows pluck your eyes from your rotten skulls? Or would you feel the roll of a stout ship beneath your feet again?" ---Captain William Kidd--- (1945) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilgemunky Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 I've found this site very helpful: Instant Antique Guide I once used their vinegar/salt method on windlass blade and was reasonably happy with the results - created a nice patina, but no real pitting or texturizing. One thing to bear in mind, no matter what method you use, is that there might be a lacquer on your blade (there was on mine.) Until you remove it, good luck getting any method of aging to work! I AM BILGEMUNKY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam cyphers Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Well for my personal belt knife i blackened the blade.......take hydrogen peroxide and put in a pyrex glass(think measuring cup in the kitchen)heat in the microwave until boiling CAREFULLY remove it and mix salt until satureted then brush onto the blade or soak it if your container is large enough...to be continued. Here at metal wackers forge.....um....well... we wack metal. http://www.colonialseaport.org/ http://www.creweofthearchangel.com/ http://www.blackbeardscrew.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam cyphers Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 it wil fizz and bubble and have a strong reaction to the steel.pull it out/let it dry take 000 steel woll and buff the surface rust off repeat until you get the coverage you want....then boil enough water to immerse the blade into.let it boil for 20 minutes or so...add some tea bags(black) if you want the tannic acid in them will help to blacken the blade...and poof...aged steel.let it dry oil it up and there ya go. Here at metal wackers forge.....um....well... we wack metal. http://www.colonialseaport.org/ http://www.creweofthearchangel.com/ http://www.blackbeardscrew.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuisto Mako Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 Ok, I tried the mustard trick this evening. I applied the mustard with a barbecue brush and let it rest for 45 min. After 20 minute it started to smell weird like mustard mix with metal and rust. I then removed the mustard and wash the machete with warm soapy water. Not sure using the brush was a good idea. The "patina" as left sort of lines that remind of the brush strokes. Does it means there was a lacquer on my blade or no? Still, I prefer the blade with the patina effect rather than shinny brand new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 You could try browning or blueing the blade. I like the way blueing looks. I think Midnight's suggestion is a form of browning, but I agree browning would be a good option (from what I know of it).... Blueing on the other hand.... Well I thought blueing steel was a heat process, and while good metalworkers can successfully do blueing, applying heat to any tempered metal (like knives and sword blades) can be a foolish endeavour for anyone who isn't very well trained in the process, as too much heat can ruin the temper on a blade. I think there are chemical blueing agents out there, and they might be safe, but I would storngly recommend against any heat blueing. There are chemical bluing agents. That's how gun barrels are blued. First you have to use a degreaser or you will get uneven results. Gun stores will sometimes package degreaser and bluing together. I remember my father bluing a gun barrel once. It went on as a clear liquid but a few seconds later the barrel started changing color. I've used flux to age a blade that was too shiny. I know from soldering that any flux you leave on steel causes it to rust in a few days so you can promote some surface rust then put some oil on it. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain McCool Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 Does anyone know how to do this to a brass hilt? Will the same concept work with that, or is it really best for steel? Captain Jack McCool, landlocked pirate extraordinaire, Captain of the dreaded prairie schooner Ill Repute, etc. etc. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ "That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel, and a hull, and a deck, and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is… what the Black Pearl really is… is freedom." -Captain Jack Sparrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganTyre Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 I've had great results with naval jelly on steel. Apply a thick layer, let it sit for a short bit and then clean it off completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganTyre Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 Does anyone know how to do this to a brass hilt? Will the same concept work with that, or is it really best for steel? Here's a site with some good instructions for aging brass. I've done the ammonia trick and it works well. http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-add-patina-to-brass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam cyphers Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 (edited) unless im mistaken any strong base such as ammonia or bleach will work,,,BUT research it before hand...you never know what kinda chemical reaction youll get unless you do your homework.BE SAFE! Edited May 1, 2010 by adam cyphers Here at metal wackers forge.....um....well... we wack metal. http://www.colonialseaport.org/ http://www.creweofthearchangel.com/ http://www.blackbeardscrew.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 Another way to age brass is after you are done cleaning your musket or pistol... rub some of the dirty blackpowder cleaning patches over the brass.... This does take some time to build up tho.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callenish gunner Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 (edited) The way many disreputable antique dealers do it is to bury it in a manure pile and then clean it off after enough time has passed to let the compounds of the waste take it's toll Edited May 1, 2010 by callenish gunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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