damascus finish problem

sailor

New Member
Hello everybody.
I have a slight problem. This is my first knife that is a wip. The problem is this the blade came from alabama damascus. Pre finished just needing scales and final. Edge. When sanding the scales flush with the spine I noticed that the glossy black of the blade has faded and know i can barely see the pattern anymore how do I get the pattern to pop back out?
 
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You need to "re-etch" the damascus.... a quick soak in some ferric chloride should do the trick. You should be able to pick some up at your local radio shack.
 
yes, though I'm not sure if it will impart any coloring/staining to the scales, depending on what you're using that is. Might want to test a scrap piece first to see how it takes.
 
On the damascus I've carefully masked the edge of the scales with high quality electrical tape (the super thick stuff) leaving the tang exposed, then used q-tips to apply the ferric chloride to just the area I want re-etched.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Since this is my first knife I think I will test and tape.so I'm going to assume the etching solution is something that is applied then wiped off after sitting for a while.
 
Yup, or your knife is submerged in it if you're doing a whole blade. I use a 1-1-1 ratio of distilled water, white 5% acid (regular cooking) vinegar, and ferric chloride. I dip the knife in 5 minute increments, removing it to wipe off the oxides with a lint free shop cloth and checking the progression of the pattern. I neutralize with Windex then oil well. This is extremely dirty as the oxides are dead black and stain your hands if you're not wearing gloves. To etch a masked spine I give the solution about five minutes to set on the surface between wipes but I periodically wipe lengthwise down the tang with the swab to "refresh" the solution in contact with the steel. Might take a few repetitions to get as dark as the rest of the blade.
 
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