How To Cold Blue A Knife (Birchwood Casey) - Sharp Works

[@ALWhiteAuthor]

You should also mention that this process should only be used on field knives that won't be used on food. The cold blue solution leaves behind a terrible taste when used on food products and is toxic with prolonged use. For food preparation knives, just use a white vinegar solution to patina carbon steel.

[@SharpWorks]

AZ Patriot that’s a great point! Thank you for mentioning it

[@Pownyan]

Will vinegar harm wooden handles if you submerge the first half centimeter to avoid an ugly line at the top of the blade? I have a knife with a teak handle that i made and want to put a patina on, but i don't want to destroy the wood as i put in many hours of elbow grease on the knife :)

[@SharpWorks]

Pownyan vinegar may discolor the wood. Although I haven’t personally tried it, I do know people use a vinegar and steel wool mixture to make wood look aged. I don’t think you’ll have a problem on that if you tape the handle and only submerge a little. Let me know how it comes out if you do try it.

[@thejordans-v9h]

It discolors the wood yes but looks good I accidentally soaked one of myself knife handles when trying tho darken my blade and ended up turning myself handle black instead but it kind of rubberized the handle so I did it to the whole handle I like to do this

[@floppinfish]

Why cant you? What chemicals stay behind that can be transferred to food. Where do you get this info from?

[@hatefulnate2249]

Very nice! Thanks for a quick, easy and straight to the point instructional video. Just got done bluing the uncoated areas of my 1095 carbon version of the Tops Bob Fieldcraft with basically this same technique and it looks pretty slick.

[@SharpWorks]

Thanks for the comment, I'm glad that I could help!

[@BUZZKILLJRJR]

I bet! My mora garberg carbon came with a black finish and I figured it was blued like a gun and sure as heck is! Looks great!!

[@davidgarrison3976]

Nevermind, I looked it up myself. I'm not a steel expert I didn't know d2 was a high carbon steel! Cool, now I can blue the SOG knife I had made. I have the same Birchwood Casey kit your using

[@SharpWorks]

Nice! Good luck!

[@davidgarrison3976]

@@SharpWorks question: the blade I have has a high glossy mirror finish. I tried lemon juice first a couple times. The ricasso is the only part that it really affected. I'm wondering, do I have to sand down that mirror finish? Because I have a feeling the Birchwood will just roll off, not take. It's D2 steel.

[@SharpWorks]

@@davidgarrison3976 I noticed when a knife has a mirror polish, it doesn’t rust as much as a satin finish. Because of that, it won’t take a patina or blue as well either. If your goal is to get a dark grey knife, you may have to sand it to a satin finish. But you should still be able to get the mirror finish a little dark, it’ll just take a lot longer to achieve.

[@jrzoska]

Looks great dude ! My Condor low drag will receive the treatment ASAP! Thanks for the great video !

[@BUZZKILLJRJR]

I started going down this rabbit hole, of if you can blue a gun, how come you can't blue a knife to keep it from getting corroded?.... and here we are!!!! I subbed your channel thank you sir!!

[@SharpWorks]

Thanks man, much appreciated!

[@BUZZKILLJRJR]

@@SharpWorks I looks great too

[@DisturbedVette]

Carbon steel is carbon steel

[@boringoldman]

awesome

[@anthonyclark6771]

Looks good question does it do the same to titanium???

[@enriquefuentes7697]

Can this be done on nickle plated handcuffs?

[@SharpWorks]

Unfortunately, the nickel would prevent the cold blue from working.

[@raymondyee3313]

Know you've heard it before from old farts like me....but turn the music down a bit. Good vid.

[@raymondyee3313]

@@zach9658 copy that.....told ya I was old.

[@EdwardEdmonds]

Copy

[@tshoot7248]

Can it work on stainless steel?

[@SharpWorks]

Unfortunately I don’t believe this Birchwood Casey solution works on stainless steel.

[@tshoot7248]

@@SharpWorks alright 👍 thanks

[@kylarstern7627]

Question for you sir: is there any such solution that will turn metal to Gun Metal Grey?

[@SharpWorks]

Kylar Stern you can try parkerization. It turns the metal grey while giving it a nice texture. Here’s a link where I show the process (it’s a little more work but worth it in my opinion): kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHLLapmqmq6Gipo

[@merrittvise881]

you can "etch" the knife. this can be done in boiling Sprite, muratic acid, or Ferric Chloride. there are plenty of videos on KZbin.

[@edwardgomez3633]

Will it wear off over time and need to be done again?

[@CHAD-RYAN]

Can you print out a decal emblem and blue around it?

[@SharpWorks]

It would have to be cut out of vinyl or another plastic. Paper would just absorb the solution and allow the metal to be blued underneath. But if you have the right material in the shape of your emblem that will prevent the solution from getting under, it’ll blue around the emblem.

[@CHAD-RYAN]

@@SharpWorks yea vinal decal.

[@ringss12]

Great video, thank you

[@robo685]

This is great .......have a very good Sheffield made replica FS dagger that i accidentally scratched while sharpening, was wondering what to do about it.

[@metalcien098]

how do you do this to a stainless steel knife?

[@SharpWorks]

I'm not sure if it is possible on stainless steel, at least as simple as using cold blue.

[@metalcien098]

@@SharpWorks darn it lol. I have been racking my brain trying to put a darker patina on my stainless steel neck knife. I want to make it darker while keeping the high polish sheen...it's very picky I know lol

[@yngskeet9998]

Would the cold blue come off if sharpened?

[@Mikishots]

Of course. But only the edge.

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

Would this work on a sword?

[@SharpWorks]

Yes as long as the sword is carbon steel

[@peter-radiantpipes2800]

I just got some and happen to have the same morakniv handy right here. Off to try it out. 👍 also got everything for electroplating but at the moment, can’t think of what to test on before I feel confident about it… (not for knives)

[@EPSTomcat11]

What kind of oil is recommended for the end part?

[@SharpWorks]

I typically use either vegetable oil or 3-in-1 oil. You can use pretty much anything; just be aware what oil you use if you intend to use the knife on food, but as mentioned in another comment, it's not recommended to use cold blue knives with food.

[@davidsolomon915]

Would this work on damascus knife? Would this also prevent rust?

[@SharpWorks]

It might only work on the dark layers of Damascus steel. It should help prevent rust but as long as you keep it oiled. If you’re just looking to prevent rust, I would recommend petroleum jelly.

[@mahidudy4037]

I wanna put a black bracelet on my watch but the bracelet I'm looking for is so expensive but the ss of the bracelet is much cheaper. so my question for you is this working on stainless steel? I mean watch bracelet

[@SharpWorks]

Unfortunately this won’t work on stainless steel. It’ll only work on carbon steel bracelets.

[@davidgarrison3976]

So this won't work on D2 steel?

[@jakob5643]

Would this work on a galvanised steel sheet?

[@SharpWorks]

No the steel would need to be stripped first for the cold clue to work. If rust protection is your goal, galvanization does a great job on its own.

[@adohko]

Is there a way to turn the blade more black?

[@SharpWorks]

Aioros Dohko it depends on the type of steel. There’s a point where the metal won’t get much darker.

[@adohko]

Sharp Works - I see. Btw what's the nail polish remover for and at which stage do you use it?

[@SharpWorks]

Aioros Dohko the nail polish remover is used to clean the steel. It could be used instead of the degreaser.

[@cannistershot2277]

Ferric Chloride will get you more of a black color.

[@murphyzlaw13]

Well done video, i use vinegar to patina my mora knives. I actually have a video of me showing how to do so with vinegar. Great video though man.

[@ND-ku4yo]

Want to use this to make my steele zippers on my leather jacket darker/black..would this work? Thank you

[@SharpWorks]

Yes, this should work as long as the zippers aren’t stainless steel.

[@kaybees7484]

Anyone know what actual color does perma blue, super blue and aluminum black after several application? I'm looking for something that could produce a really dark green or like a seaweed color..

[@jrdeckard3317]

Since steel wool has oil in it, shouldn't you de-grease after using it?

[@SharpWorks]

Does all brands of steel wool have oil in it? I didn’t notice the one that I purchased have any and it worked well with the cold blue applications. But I would agree if it seems to make the steel oily then you should degrease afterward.

[@jrdeckard3317]

@@SharpWorks If it didn't have oil in it, it would rust in the bag. It's steel.

[@SharpWorks]

J R Deckard you’re right. My guess is that it doesn’t have enough to noticeably affect the cold blue.

[@Mikishots]

So use an oil-free wool - Briwax makes it, I have two rolls.

[@raphlvlogs271]

would bluing it make it less sharp?

[@SharpWorks]

It is possible that some of the steel is “eaten” away on the edge, but this would be on a microscopic level. It shouldn’t be any noticeably duller than before the bluing was applied. You can always use a leather strop and it’ll be good as new.

[@kewintaylor7056]

Did it also increase rust resistance?...🤔

[@SharpWorks]

Yes, cold blue helps with rust resistance but you’ll still need to oil it once in a while. Then, the steel shouldn’t have any problem with rust.

[@xavierarcand8928]

What kind of oil do you use?

[@SharpWorks]

Vegetable oil

[@chrisboyd4706]

What about aircraft grade aluminum metal?

[@SharpWorks]

I don’t believe this will work with that, but I’ve never tired.

[@kuzinit2374]

I cleaned my mora and then soaked it in vinegar overnight, it came out perfect

[@widebeanzz7148]

Would bluing works for hss steel?

[@SharpWorks]

I’m not sure what type of steel that is. If it’s composition is just carbon and iron than it should work. If it has alloys that it would be considered a stainless steel, it wouldn’t work.

[@CopperMurdoch]

Any idea if this will work on tool steels like D2 or K390?

[@SharpWorks]

From what I looked up, cold blue should work on those steels. It just won’t turn out as dark.

[@CopperMurdoch]

@@SharpWorks Thanks!

[@charleyboy2091]

Could you use this on a farriers rasp? Thanks

[@SharpWorks]

This could be done with a farriers rasp. Just be careful to clean it extra well before and after applying the cold blue solution, since the solution can get caught in the valleys and may damage the rasp.

[@slashsplat]

Easy. Good video. Thanks (and lower the music)

[@lapualapua3591]

Excellent

[@joecoulson2904]

I have a fs commando dagger and some of the (what I'm assuming is bluing) has worn off, could i re blue the worn bits or would i need to strip it all off?

[@SharpWorks]

If it is bluing and not paint, you should be able to re-blue the worn parts. If it’s too uneven for you then it’s best to strip it and start over. Just make sure your particular knife is carbon steel and not stainless steel. You can probably google it based on the knife’s manufacturer. If it’s stainless steel, I would guess they painted or applied a coating on the blade that isn’t bluing.

[@ilijabosnjak76]

I cleaned it with pure alcohol and stabbed it into ripe lemon 🍋 let it out and repeat the process,then I used balsamic vinegar and wiped it and let dry,,for additional patterns I used ordinary mustard and now my Mora looks like Jupiter in Blue,,very cool 😎 looking now

[@SharpWorks]

That sounds really cool, I’ll have to try it. Thanks for the comment!

[@ilijabosnjak76]

@@SharpWorks you will like it everything is natural

[@908artdesign8]

Will this work on mild steel?

[@SharpWorks]

I never tried it on mild steel but I think it should work.

[@josephbuyck7127]

Does the steel turns to a blue color

[@chrisruiz3269]

Is IT bad for your skin

[@markhamilton3215]

@Sharp Works : Im tempting bluing a 9" blade i have (SK5 high carbon) but im wondering if if i should use PERMA or SUPER blue ?! your opinion ?

[@SharpWorks]

I think Super Blue is meant for steel that has a high polish. I think either would work fine for you.

[@WinStunSmith]

I bought a bottle of that Birchwood blueing. I used it to darken a carbon knife. It came out all splotchy, a few tiny areas on the blade barely darkened at all. But the weird thing is that, after blueing the knife, red rust formed all over the blade. Looked like I’d left it in the rain. I’m wondering if anyone has an idea of what the hell I did wrong. I did thoroughly clean and dry the blade, prior to applying the blueing. And, the red rust formed quick, like almost as quick as the blade darkening a bit. No idea what I did, but I screwed it up good. Going to have to use some sandpaper, clean it up. But I’m not trying it again until I can figure out how I managed to botch putting liquid on a blade...LOL.

[@SharpWorks]

Shadow X hmm that’s interesting. I would suggest doing a couple passes with degreaser, then a couple of thorough washes with soap and water. Make sure you wear gloves. If the bluing is still splotchy, the only thing I can think of is how the knife was heat treated. If it has a differential heat treat, the harder steel will patina more than the softer steel (I’m not sure if it’s the same for bluing). As for the rust, make sure you dip the blade into water immediately after applying the bluing solution and waiting a short period of time. After the water and the number of passes to your desired effect, apply oil as soon as possible. It also can be splotchy from applying the bluing solution unevenly. If you have a large cotton ball that spans across the entire width of the blade, that would be ideal. If it’s a little splotchy on each pass, the steel wool should be able to buff it back to even. I hope this helped. Please let me know if it worked or not.

[@WinStunSmith]

Sharp Works: Appreciate the advice. I never realized that heat treat/hardness could affect it. The knife is a Cold Steel, and it seems like I remember them making a lot of their blades with a softer carbon steel.

[@MatthewDearth-s2b]

Nice

[@hanialzaid8460]

Good job..thank you

[@SharpWorks]

Thanks for the comment!

[@donepearce]

Is this a purely cosmetic effect, or does it protect against rust? I'm presuming the former on account of the final oil treatment.

[@SharpWorks]

It helps protect against rust. The oil will make sure the knife won’t be affected by moisture but the cold blue will give some rust protection on its own.

[@timbettger]

I have a knife I blued with this method 5 years ago. It’s my daily pocket carry knife. I didn’t use oil on the final step. Through fishing trips, hunting trips, lots of Deep South sweat; No rust.

[@redpillproductionscanada5563]

Update?

[@martinadrianarcenas867]

searched for "bluing agent on knife blade" and this video is using the exact kind of knife i have..lol

[@SharpWorks]

Lol now you know it works.

[@TheAussiePirate]

Never thought of bluing a knife, interesting!

[@thronebreaker6950]

Would you still have to oil ur knife and all that and same question but with white vinegar I'm looking to do this to a breather bar I have it's made of carbon steel

[@thronebreaker6950]

Breacher bar*

[@SharpWorks]

You still should oil the metal for extra protection. Cold blue or a vinegar patina work because they form a thin layer of rust which helps prevent deep, damaging rust from occurring. But you shouldn’t need to oil the blued/patina surface as much as plain carbon steel. I made a video on the vinegar patina if you’re interested. Add water, it’ll make the solution work much better. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKfPh3x4fLx2hc0

[@thronebreaker6950]

Thank you very much

[@zombiejoe13]

Great vid I’ll have to give this a try on a future knife

[@jccyberwar1043]

good job there. dude

[@frankcrawford416]

Hi I have some sockets and some pliers that got Rusty when they reigned my toolbox was open what can I use to keep the rest from coming back and I don't care what they look like but will this work on a semi Rusty Chrome sockets? Thanks.

[@SharpWorks]

Frank Crawford You can give it a try but I don’t think it’s necessary. As long as you oil them, future rust will stay at bay. If you do want to take it a step further you can soak them in vinegar for a couple of hours, take out and wash off, then oil. This step isn’t needed too much since typical sockets aren’t pure carbon steel, they have slight stainless properties.

[@-Gunnarsson-]

My experience wirh perma blue is that it works on some bolts. But iv tried old musket gun pars and its so weak to build up.

[@caniswolf3394]

Okay, here's one for you to chew on..... I have several Satellite Aero broadheads with carbon steel blades that appear to have been factory blued and have some rust on them. Other than that, they are fine. Do you have any idea how to re-blue the blades? (remember, they will be used for hunting "edible" game animals).

[@SharpWorks]

I would recommend doing a vinegar bath for an hour or two. It should darken them up and it should remain food safe after you clean it off. Don’t forget to oil afterward for an extra layer of rust protection. Vegetable or mineral oil should be good don’t use any petroleum based oil.

[@caniswolf3394]

@@SharpWorks Thanks. I use the vinegar method on my kitchen knives (old hickory) for the same reason and it works great for them. I also coat them with a thin layer of Mineral Oil as well, so I'm used to the procedure.

[@SharpWorks]

Canis Wolf Canis Wolf great minds think alike 👍 happy hunting!

[@caniswolf3394]

@@SharpWorks Let's double that to include "Safe Hunting"!!

[@TrojanEMT]

Not to correct you but you can cold blue stainless steel. Takes Birchwood Casey Super Blue

[@SharpWorks]

Benjamin Myers I tried bluing stainless with the perma blue and it did nothing, I didn’t know they had another product for that. Thanks for letting me know.

[@TrojanEMT]

Sharp Works I agree with you. Perma blue doesn't work well or at all on stainless steel. But their Super Blue works really good. And you're very welcome

[@Dr_Xyzt]

Thanks for mentioning that product!

[@apuspandono]

@@TrojanEMT Hi Benjamin, have you ever try Super Blue to a stainless steel? is it can be even on stainless? Thanks before..

[@TrojanEMT]

@@apuspandono yes you can use super blue.

[@captainderpyderps4046]

😂 I did this today and then found this

[@theunknownandunsolved6963]

Thats right, buy it and rub it on, its fucking rocket science.

[@Human_Evolution-]

Cool music. :\

[@user-ww4od4jl1f]

*I do not recommend oxidizing a knife. Although it looks nice after making it, it is not practical. Every scratch and scuff is visible. It is much better to polish the blade. Although scratches may also be visible, but definitely less. In addition, it is easier and simpler to remove them. Oxidizing does not protect against rust.*

[@Outcaste153]

Not true about SS, you can blue that with that solution.

[@SharpWorks]

Ash Aphter I thought stainless steel can’t be blues with Perma Blue but it can be blued with Birchwood Casey Super Blue. I’ve tried the bottle used in the video on stainless steel with no luck.

[@Freakopac]

isn't it more effective if u just dip it ?!?!? ...n'd more uniformed...jus say'in

[@SharpWorks]

It would be but they don’t sell a large enough bottle to dip the entire knife into.

[@DoomFinger511]

@@SharpWorks You could try using something like a test tube that would fit the knife

[@SilencedLamb69]

Sounds kinda wasteful

[@songokuo5131]

It is permanent

[@PatHaskell]

I don’t know if this is a music video or an instructable.

[@Gerlad970]

Couldnt finish when he started his narc fast forwarding so to another video.

[@DCTag]

Music 👎

[@ogarzabello]

And now, you can't use the knife for food prep because it's toxic.

[@Flazhness]

Seriously? I honestly don't know anything about this process, but was just thinking about doing this to some of my own Mora's..

[@rollingthunder1043]

Apparently many browning/bluing agents contain chemicals like mercury or cyanide, traces of which are left behind on the blade when you blue it. So yeah... it'll make food taste nasty in the short term, and potentially be toxic in the medium to long-term. Apparently you can use heat to blue steel, but that's reeeeally tricky by comparison. And I'm not quite sure how you would use heat to blue the steel, without destroying the temper.

[@RestorationWorkStation]

Its poisonous ! Guess it shouldn't be used on 🔪

[@SharpWorks]

I usually keep one knife separate that would be dedicated to food prep as to not contaminate what I would be eating with anything else that I would be cutting outdoors. But yeah, I wouldn’t use cold blue on food knives.