When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
User avatar
Sharp Guy
Member
Posts: 8561
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:19 pm
Location: DFW, TX (orig. from N. IL)

When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#1

Post by Sharp Guy »

It's definitely not the blue I was going for and the color is a bit blotchy, especially on the show side. The Foliage Green scales were pretty beat up so I guess I shouldn't have expected miracles.

Image

Image
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
User avatar
Spydersense
Member
Posts: 1431
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:07 pm
Location: Wilsonville, Oregon

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#2

Post by Spydersense »

Looks pretty good to me.
Time for another :spyder:!

-Matt
User avatar
Surfingringo
Member
Posts: 5818
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:02 pm
Location: Costa Rica

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#3

Post by Surfingringo »

I think that blue looks good...kind of a denim color. As far as the blotchiness, I would suspect that a used knife would have soaked up a bit of oil from use and skin contact over time and those areas might be more resistant to accepting the dye. Anyway, it looks fine to me and it will probably develop character with more wear over time.
User avatar
Sharp Guy
Member
Posts: 8561
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:19 pm
Location: DFW, TX (orig. from N. IL)

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#4

Post by Sharp Guy »

Surfingringo wrote:I think that blue looks good...kind of a denim color.
I have some of the denim blue dye but wanted a lighter color so I actually used teal. I was going to use the denim blue on my Para 3 Cruwear. I guess I'll go with something else since I now have 3 knives that are pretty close to denim blue.
Surfingringo wrote:As far as the blotchiness, I would suspect that a used knife would have soaked up a bit of oil from use and skin contact over time and those areas might be more resistant to accepting the dye. Anyway, it looks fine to me and it will probably develop character with more wear over time.
I soaked and scrubbed the scales in Dawn dish soap and then I wiped them with alcohol. Still had some oil in them I guess. I wanted to take them out of the dye sooner but they looked way too blotchy at that point.

I was a little disappointed at first but I'm actually pretty happy with how they turned out.
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
User avatar
Jazz
Member
Posts: 7678
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 7:46 pm
Location: Alberta, Canada

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#5

Post by Jazz »

It looks blue jeany, so I think it looks awesome. Really cool.
- best wishes, Jazz.
murphjd25
Member
Posts: 3286
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:43 am
Location: Bothell,WA

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#6

Post by murphjd25 »

Looks good to me! Doesn't have to be perfect! I bet the Para 3 is going to turn out killer, let us know when you do that one!
Josh
User avatar
tonijedi
Member
Posts: 1189
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:08 am
Location: Portugal

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#7

Post by tonijedi »

In my opinion it turned out very cool. I like it.
Thinking about dying my yellow Aqua Salt in Orange.
User avatar
abbazaba
Member
Posts: 4674
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:40 pm
Location: New England

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#8

Post by abbazaba »

Looks good in the photo. Did you add vinegar to the simmer? Really helps in my experience with G10.
User avatar
Bloke
Member
Posts: 5424
Joined: Fri May 13, 2016 12:43 am
Location: Sydney, Australia.

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#9

Post by Bloke »

I reckon it looks pretty cool. :)
A day without laughter is a day wasted. ~ Charlie Chaplin
SF Native
Member
Posts: 1431
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:25 am
Location: Fairfax, Ca

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#10

Post by SF Native »

Looks like Pelham blue like those Gibson guitars.
It looks good.
User avatar
Sharp Guy
Member
Posts: 8561
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:19 pm
Location: DFW, TX (orig. from N. IL)

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#11

Post by Sharp Guy »

abbazaba wrote:Looks good in the photo. Did you add vinegar to the simmer? Really helps in my experience with G10.
Yes I added some white vinegar but I only had a little bit left in the bottle. I simmered for about 15 minutes using a small pot with only about 2 cups of water in it. I figured what little vinegar I had should be enough. Maybe it wasn't.

I also only used enough of the dye powder so I couldn't see the bottom of the pan. I was trying to achieve the same blue that Bryce (on BF) obtained when he dyed his Dragonfly G10. So I was going by his method. I might need to use a little more dye next time.

I'm thinking about trying again on my Foliage Green G10 Urban. I really don't want the same results. I'd like to get the blue I was going for with the Dragonfly.
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
User avatar
Evil D
Member
Posts: 27147
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:48 pm
Location: Northern KY

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#12

Post by Evil D »

Heck I really like it, looks like actual denim color. I wouldn't change a thing.


Well, I probably wouldn't have dyed foliage green either, it's one of my favorite G10 colors. But I like how it turned out.
All SE all the time since 2017
~David
User avatar
Doc Dan
Member
Posts: 14759
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:25 am
Location: In a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#13

Post by Doc Dan »

I think it looks good. If you look at denim, it is not all one smooth color. This looks pretty good and will look better as it ages with wear.

If it really bugs you, put it back in the RIT.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)

Follow the Christ, the King,
Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)



NRA Life Member
Spydernation 0050
User avatar
mb1
Member
Posts: 1153
Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:47 am
Location: Southeast, US

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#14

Post by mb1 »

I like it. I understand how it is when things don't turn out like you pictured in your mind's eye, but it looks good. :spyder:
- Mark

"Don't believe everything you think." -anonymous wise man
User avatar
dreadpirate
Member
Posts: 784
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:42 pm

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#15

Post by dreadpirate »

Sharp Guy wrote:It's definitely not the blue I was going for and the color is a bit blotchy, especially on the show side. The Foliage Green scales were pretty beat up so I guess I shouldn't have expected miracles.

Image

Image
I think it looks great. If you don't like I bet you would have no problem selling it.
User avatar
Sharp Guy
Member
Posts: 8561
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:19 pm
Location: DFW, TX (orig. from N. IL)

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#16

Post by Sharp Guy »

Evil D wrote:Well, I probably wouldn't have dyed foliage green either, it's one of my favorite G10 colors. But I like how it turned out.
I certainly don't mind foliage green but it isn't my favorite color. It's kind of a tweener for me. Like a grey-green. When I want grey I want it to actually be grey, when I want green I want a darker green. I mentioned dying my foliage green Urban next but I'll probably keep it as is now that the DF is blue.
Last edited by Sharp Guy on Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
User avatar
Sharp Guy
Member
Posts: 8561
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:19 pm
Location: DFW, TX (orig. from N. IL)

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#17

Post by Sharp Guy »

dreadpirate wrote:I think it looks great. If you don't like I bet you would have no problem selling it.
Thanks! I like it just fine. It's just not the color I was going for.

This is what I wanted...

Image

T.L.E Sharp over on Blade Forums was nice enough to tell me exactly how he got that color but I somehow managed to goof it up. Not the end of the world. I actually really like denim blue and was going to dye my Para 3 Cruwear that same color. Since I now have the DF and 2 other knives that are real close to denim blue I think I'll go a different route
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
User avatar
abbazaba
Member
Posts: 4674
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:40 pm
Location: New England

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#18

Post by abbazaba »

Different staring point for sure, but it took about an hour in Royal Blue to get the below result on pretty dirty beater... I think you could still get what you were looking for if you put it back in and try adding more dye/water/vinegar to it.

Image
User avatar
Sharp Guy
Member
Posts: 8561
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:19 pm
Location: DFW, TX (orig. from N. IL)

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#19

Post by Sharp Guy »

abbazaba wrote:...I think you could still get what you were looking for if you put it back in and try adding more dye/water/vinegar to it.
You think so? I'm tempted to try it but I'm afraid of it getting darker. The last thing I need is to end up with another black knife. The current color is actually one of my favorite shades of blue. I think I'll leave it as is for now. I can always throw it back in the pot someday down the road if it starts to look bad.
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
Termite Toothpick
Member
Posts: 204
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 7:23 am
Location: Germany

Re: When your first RIT dye job goes bad....

#20

Post by Termite Toothpick »

I think that looks great. I stone washed mine a while back and I think this might be the next step in playing with my g-10 DF. Thanks for the pics and inspiration!
Dragonfly G-10, Blurple PM2, Para3, Jani-Song, Dragonfly2 ZDP-189, Lil' Native, Chaparral LW, Delica WC HAP40, Para3 M4, HH UKPK S30V, Para3 LW, Para3 LW M390, Meerkat V-TOKU2, M4 Sage 5 LW, Urban Ivory Damasteel, Leaf Storm

:bug-white-red -Derek
Post Reply