Stealth-a-fying a carbon steel blade

[Country Singer]

I'm a recent convert to Mora knives; they're inexpensive and well built.  I bought one, and then another, off of Amazon.  Over on Amazon in the customer reviews there are some pictures from a guy that added a "tigershark" patina to his Mora.  So I says to myself, "Self, maybe taking the high reflectivity off of the blade isn't a bad idea."  So I experimented using the technique the Amazon reviewer used (except I didn't do the tigershark pattern), which is to soak the blade in apple cider vinegar overnight. 


Here's the results, with a new, right out of the box knife (left) next to the one that I treated (right, and which is still just as sharp as ever).  The dark spot on the blade is where I touched it setting up for the picture; it rubs right off.

[crplhood]

That's absolutely fascinating. Any adverse effects on the blade?

[Lilburner]

That's a good skill to know. I don't know if I'll use it, but I got to studying on the knives themselves and just ordered one. Can't go wrong with a $16 5-star rated knife.

[Country Singer]

That's absolutely fascinating. Any adverse effects on the blade?

Not that I've noticed!  I did notice that it did not affect the blade sharpness; I can still shave with the treated knife.  I did some checking around, and I haven't seen anyone comment that it weakened the steel any, either.

[crplhood]

I wouldn't imagine it would weaken the steel.  Sounds like this process is using the acetic acid to force oxidation onto a surface which is literally designed not to rust. Id follow this up by leaving the blade soaking in water for a few days to see if any red rust forms now that the outermost layer is (lightly) corroded.

[Lilburner]

Got my Mora today.

nice blade - little small for my frame. I saw a bigger one on Amazon, but only in stainless. Good edge though for out of the box. It's built like a great big paring knife, which means I'll probably wind up with at least one in the kitchen.

Also I like the way the sheath is made, that you can clip it on as an afterthought like a tape measure or holster - I see myself keeping one in the truck for last minute knife need projects to help preserve my (comparatively) expensive pocket knife.

Thanks for the tip!

As to the vinegar, I wondered if could be used for cheap bluing, but early Googling suggests it actually removes bluing (and rust), so I'm not sure I understand the chemical reaction at work here - something to study on.

[Overwatch 36]

Mora are the knives we give out in our woodland classes. They hold up well and the edges cant be beat.  About the only downside to them is when it comes to splitting medium size wood for fires and traps.  Blades just aren't sturdy enough for that....of course that is what a backup knife is for.