Blueing a new opniel blade

[OH_Spartan]

I recently bought a brand new opniel carbon with the intent of blueing the blade in a specific pattern. I will then give it to a friend as a gift. I practiced on my old opniel and the blade took the blue very well. I tried to blue my friends gift tonight and can't get it to take a stain at all.

I have rubbed it with 400 grit paper, 03 and 000 steel wool and even ran it on my bisal wheel. It still won't take the blue. Before each attempt I wash with water then isopropyl then paper towel dry.

Does opniel have some kind of treatment in their blade that keeps it from staining? I know this sound like blade abuse, but how do I get it off?!

Ps...Choosing an opniel and choosing to blue it are probably only meaningful to my friend and I. an opniel would be more meaningful to him than a better knife and a stained blade better than a pristine blade.

 

[PRM]

Sure it's not INOX - if it's stamped, you got a SS blade.

If its carbon, what you have done should have taken off any protective finish.

I've blued several with Birchwood Casey and it does give a nice patina.

 

[OH_Spartan]

That is exactly the problem. Frustrated with myself now...

 

[Piraticalbob]

New Opinel knives with carbon steel blades are marked "au carbone." Carbon steel will take bluing.

 

[CWL]

Does it say this on the blade?

If so, you need to find one of these:

 

[Zeke/PA]

I "patina" my Opinel Carbon Steel blades with French's Yellow Mustard.

 

[Speedo66]

By making sandwiches with it?

 

[Zeke/PA]

By making sandwiches with it?

Degrease the blade with a solvent like Mineral Spirits.
Apply mustard with a rag/towel .
Let it set for 30 minutes or so ,Rince in hot water then repeat process.
Real Simple and it DOES work!

 

[OH_Spartan]

My buddy and I continually one up each other with patinas on our opinel. Weve used Hot sauce apples mustard diet coke vinegar potatoes...just to name a few. This project was to take it to a new level. But alas I have now learned that they don't sell blue handled knives with carbon blades. I didn't even catch that fact when I ordered it.


I wonder how hard it would be to take it apart.....

 

[Isaac's Grandpa]

You could strip the finish off the handle and dye it with a blue analine dye under vacuum. The vacuum will pull the air out of the wood cells allowing the dye to penetrate all the way through.