antler handle finish?

[terence]

im making a knife for my brother, its whitetail antlerhandle and a 1095 carbon steel blade. i have two questions the first is how should the antler be finished for looks and durability? the second is how do you get the blade to have that patined finish to give it that traditional look? thanks a lot guys.

[NJStricker]

Use the search option as there have been several threads with this question. Basically there are several ways to get to the same result--shoe polish, flaming with a torch, or oxidizing with potassium permanganate or something similar.

[rasp181]

There are several methods to get that nice gray patina on carbon steel blades. White vinegar is a common method. Wayne Goddard uses mustard to get an interesting finish. The thing to remember is that these methods use a mild acidic solution and will etch the steel so you need to soak for a short amount of time. As suggested use the search feature on patina and if you haven't gotten them Wayne Goddards books are an excellent resource and there are GREAT makers giving up their knowledge here.

[Airborne Steel]

I saw a nice patina on a knife on this forum I believe that the maker had gotten by sticking the blade in a potato. He said he just left it in over night I believe. It was a nice dull gray, and looked great.

Also, do a search for topics by Chuck Burrows, he had a post in which he explained a great looking antiqueing patina he uses on some of his awesome knives. It involved super blue and bleach. There was a method to it, so please find his post. I wish I could find it in my 'reference book' but I must have misplaced it.

Found the link:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/sh...ghlight=bleach

He explains it in post #6 on that page.

I really do love this place.

[Dan Graves]

For the antler, use Feibings leather die and chose the color you like. I like light brown. Apply and leave on for a couple of minutes and hand rub with cotton rag. Your thru.

[ranger1]

Dan,you and I use the same system.