[MrDantastic]

Hey Everyone,

The other day I saw a folding knife where the blade was anodized blue. I was wondering if anyone out there does this to their own tools, or if its even possible due to sharpening and metal properties.

-Dan

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

go to a gun shop and get some cold bluing

[rick-in-seattle]

Dan,
I have never heard of steel being anodized; it is mainly an aluminum process.

You may have seen an electrochemical process involving oxides that will create a blue finish on stainless.

Here is a company that does both:
http://www.bmfinishers.com/stainless_steel.html


Since I cannot be there to verify this process, use at your own risk!

There is a simple process for coloring carbon steel that may be done in your kitchen oven.
First you polish the tool to a mirror finish, then "bake" the steel at 425-450 degrees for 15 minutes. That will impart a gold finish to the steel that is as permanent as any. This can be reapplied as many times as desired without changing the properties of the steel. (except it may improve the toughness slightly)

I suggest you watch the tool closely and remove it from the heat as soon as the desired color is obtained. (It may be cooled in water if you wish) The handle should not be included in this process.

If you get a pretty blue or purple color, you have removed the hardness and the tool will require re-heat treatment. That will happen if you use a higher temperature than I specified.

[mdallensr]

Anodizing is a chemical conversion of the metal surface. It's pretty common for aluminum and zinc products, to give color or additional hardness. But it's a thin coating, usually only a few atoms thick. If you sharpen or reshape an anodized edge tool, you'll go through the coating immediately. Case hardening, such as carburizing, goes deeper, but is still only about 1/16" thick. Most of our edge tools need to be made of steel that is through-hardend, so we don't sharpen through the hardend area.

[AlArchie]

Maybe someone is still doing this...I don't know, but back in the mid 60's several manufatures of hunting knive came out with a blade that was "anodized", or electrolized with a silicon carbide surface on the edge. It was supposed to NEVER need sharpening as it was right up there with diamond as far as hardness.

One problem with this was that the material was applied AFTER the blade was sharpened so there was a microscopic build up on the edge itself, making it no longer as sharp as a well honed blade, and the stuff was so hard that you really couldn't ever resharpen it. We sold a few of these but they never really caught on. They were pretty darn sharp, but not as sharp as a good carbon steel blade that was honed properly.

Maybe someone has resurected the process and with todays diamond honing stones they could be properly sharpened.

These blades were dull gun metal gray in color.

Al

[GILLY]

What is the benifit of doing this? will it make for a better edge or is it just for the look?

[AlArchie]

OK, Ive seen these.....just remembered. They have a decorative, highly reflective, colored mirror surface with designs and pattens right in the surface....almost like those halographic images on credit cards and other ID's. They were advertized on a TV sales chanell that sold just knives to collectors.
Never seen 'em in stores though.

Al

[MrDantastic]

I just thought it would be an interesting way to set your tools apart, if you had a blade that was a different color.

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

If thats all you want to do xxx degrease the shanks and wipe them down with half of a lemon, lime, orange or any citrus fruit. Let sit awhile, rinse off, and oil them back up. Don't even mess with the cutting edges it will come off when you strop anyway, so no sense coloring them. I've heard vinegar and catsup work also, but haven't used either. Imagine they would what with the acid content.