Question about file work??

[varmint]

I've done a little file work on a few knives.Came out okay,but...............alot of the ones I see with intricate file work have a black background or recessed area.How is this accomplished??I've always left mine the natural color and was curious as to how this was done.

[RGK]

I do it with gun bluing. My knives are carbon steel. This will not work with stainless steel. After bluing, I polish of the blade leaving the bluing in the file marks.

[varmint]

What about on Damascus blades??Will it work or ruin the blank??

[RGK]

I am not qualified to answer that as I have not used damascus steel.

[varmint]

Thanks anyway tho.......

Anyone else??

[Jeremy]

This blade was etched in acid (the same I'd use for damascus steel) and then the spine was polished back up.  The recessed areas are a dull gray.  If the entire blade was hard (the spine on this one was left soft) the recessed areas would be black.

You can etch the the blade lightly with any of the typical treatments (gun blueing/browning, archer's etchant (FeCl)) and then polish the entire blade except the recess.

Another option is to bring the recessed areas to a mirror polish, then go back and put a satin finish on the rest of the blade.

I've seen guys use black lacquer as well.

If you do the filework before hardening and tempering the recessed areas will be black.  Just don't touch them after that and they'll stay that way.

[tippit]

My knives aren't as finished as most of you.  My file work is done before I normalize & quench my blades so all the recessed areas come out black.  You would have to go back over those cuts to get bright steel again on both carbon & damascus.  I don't...just leave black and polish the spine.  

Lots of different file patterns out there.  This is just first step out of 4 in the vine & thorn pattern...very easy to do plus gives a great grip to the spine of blade...Doc

 

[tippit]

Oops, Jeremy beat me to it!  But it shows the progression to a finished vine/thorn pattern.  Nice work Jeremy  

[Doug Campbell]

No worries on the damascus, if it's properly welded you should be able to do about anything to it you'd do to any high carbon steel.

One note, if your forging it just resist the urge to "work" at lower temps. Hammered on that billet yet Doc?  

[Lin Rhea]

For you guys who swear by Stainless, there is a product called Stainless steel Blackener. A company by the name of Caswell offers it. I use it on my guards and butt caps where I have filework. You just clean the area with acetone or alchohol and apply with a cotton swab. It works great.
                            Lin

[RGK]

There is just something about file work that makes a knife stand out. I need to broaden my horizons and get away from using this same pattern.

 

 

[tippit]

Doug,  Not yet still getting my gear from Solana squared away and Molly leaves tomorrow for SC.  Will probably have some time after that...if I don't get out huntin' again