OK, I Got A Question

Randy Lucius said:
Not sure Chris. Need to contact the guy to find out exactly what it is. He does make some beautiful San Mai also.
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It is a really cool look. I was planning to do a San-Mai billet this weekend using some Alabama Damascus as the core so I was wondering if that was the reverse of my plan.
 
I'm certain that is a San-Mai..... carbon core, with a nickel damascus overlay(s).

The color is from hot bluing. BUT.....remember how I'm always talking about "Give-N-Take" when it comes to knifemaking? This is a prime example. By hot bluing to that color, the heat treat in the blade is pretty much wrecked. This is a case of choosing "looks" over function.

The ONLY hot bluing method that I have ever seen that doesn't wreck heat treatment is a product called "Black Magic" bluing salts.....which I do not think are available anymore. Those (Black Magic) were NOT use in this case, as they only offer one color.....a deep black, achieved at 295F.

The most controllable hot bluing method that I am aware of is Nitre Blue from Brownells. With it, and careful temp control, you can achieve anything from the old Luger golds/browns, all the way through the spectrum..... to sky blue colors.

While this looks really awesome, that's about all it is......it's functionality as a knife is severely compromised, or completely destroyed.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
I'm certain that is a San-Mai..... carbon core, with a nickel damascus overlay(s).

The color is from hot bluing. BUT.....remember how I'm always talking about "Give-N-Take" when it comes to knifemaking? This is a prime example. By hot bluing to that color, the heat treat in the blade is pretty much wrecked. This is a case of choosing "looks" over function.

The ONLY hot bluing method that I have ever seen that doesn't wreck heat treatment is a product called "Black Magic" bluing salts.....which I do not think are available anymore. Those (Black Magic) were NOT use in this case, as they only offer one color.....a deep black, achieved at 295F.

The most controllable hot bluing method that I am aware of is Nitre Blue from Brownells. With it, and careful temp control, you can achieve anything from the old Luger golds/browns, all the way through the spectrum..... to sky blue colors.

While this looks really awesome, that's about all it is......it's functionality as a knife is severely compromised, or completely destroyed.
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Thanks for the explanation Ed. I'm not really interested in making a "display" knife but it sure is pretty. :)
 
mike miller said:
I have seen some that friends had done that were blues and greens. They told me it was blued at 219 degrees.
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Mike, can you get any info or links to have the blues 'n greens were done? What process? It sure does look GREAT for sure.
 
I just saw the finished product and never was able to speak to the person who did the bluing. They just said a gunsmith in a town 100 miles away.
 
I'll bet Ed is talking about Niter bluing. From my reading Niter bluing gives those great colors, but as Ed says it's going to ruin temper since it's done around 600F. "immersed in a bath of molten salts; typically potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate (sometimes with 9.4 grams (0.33 oz) of manganese dioxide per pound of total nitrate). The mixture is heated to 310 to 321 °C (590 to 610 °F) and the parts are suspended in this solution with wire. The parts must be observed constantly for colour change"

Here's a link: https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/add-touch-class-niter-blue-di/
 
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