Darkening / greying / blackening stainless clips

[Bolster]

I searched the forum for advice on how to darken/grey/blacken a stainless clip, but the search function would throw out the words “clip” and “dark” (too common). Found three threads below, but none of them arrive at a very satisfactory method. Any recent updates to darkening/greying/blacking a SS clip?

- Paint would look scraggy and chippy after a bit.
- Don’t want to “flame” the clip for fear of losing the clip’s temper.
- Liquid gun blue - does it work on stainless steel?
- Does black oxide treatment work on stainless steel?
- Acid - does it make the clip “toothy” and difficult to draw from pocket?
- If acid, what sort? Ferric chloride?

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Anybody have photos of self-made darkened/blackened clips?

[StuntZombie]

I completely sanded the paint off a Delica clip and dipped it in some muriatic acid. It definitely darkened it a bit, but I don't know that it made it any harder to remove from the pocket.

[vivi]

I can try ferric chloride on a clip tonight and report back. been meaning to do that to my modded manix.

[JonesE]

I have used ferric acid to turn the shiny clips a mat gray color. I have also sanded off the paint on a well worn clip and dipped it in ferric acid and got the same effect. I have not noticed any difference is the clip being harder to draw from the pocket.

JonesE

[VooDooChild]

Strip the paint off a titanium clip from one of the salts, and use it.

[Bolster]

I can try ferric chloride on a clip tonight and report back. been meaning to do that to my modded manix.

Cool, thanks. This is the Beetlejuice straight spine Manix, right? Where did you find ferric chloride?

[vivi]

I can try ferric chloride on a clip tonight and report back. been meaning to do that to my modded manix.

Cool, thanks. This is the Beetlejuice straight spine Manix, right? Where did you find ferric chloride?

Yep.

I posted in a discussion forum for the nearest major city asking where I could buy some, and someone replied saying they had some I could have. Still not sure where to buy it besides online knifemaker shops.

[TenGrainBread]

I have some black oxide solution specifically made for stainless steel made by a local company called EPI, in Wisconsin. It was designed for architectural purposes but works well on small parts.

[I_like_knives]

Not quite sure if it's what you're after, but if you have access bead/sand blaster it will take the shine off. And I guess it sort of "greys" it to a small degree.

[Bolster]

TenGrain: That sounds ideal. Have you treated any SS with it, can I see what it looks like? (Ten's link if you want to see the product line: https://www.epi.com/black-oxide)

I_Like: Yes, that's my backup plan. I have a tumbler and ceramic media that does a nice stonewash. But would like to get it darker if possible.

[Holland]

stone washing also works well from my experience

[Nick D. Fingerz]

Nitric acid will turn stainless steel black. Read up on safety regarding use.

[TenGrainBread]

TenGrain: That sounds ideal. Have you treated any SS with it, can I see what it looks like? (Ten's link if you want to see the product line: https://www.epi.com/black-oxide)

I have some I ordered a while back for some bicycle parts I fabricate but haven't used it yet.

[Bill1170]

The painted stainless clips already have what looks like an acid etch under the paint. It’s a dull gray color. A few hours soaked in lacquer thinner will cleanly remove the paint without affecting the metal.

[Evil D]

Not exactly blackened, but one of my favorite things to do with shiny clips is acid etch them with ferric chloride the same as you'd do to stonewash them, but don't rock tumbler them and let the clip get scratched and wear over time naturally. If scratched bother you this is probably not for you but I loved it and it does help to subdue the clip a little.




Also not all "painted black clips" are the same. The current Military uses a different coating that's more like DLC (may even be?) And while it does still scratch it doesn't scratch all the way through to the steel as easily and it hides wear really well and doesn't chip off like the old painted clips did.

This is my 52100 sprint and it's seen a lot of pocket time but you wouldn't know it from the clip.



I'm not sure what other standard clip hole pattern clips use this same coating though. I don't know why they'd use a different coating for the Military and not a Para 2.

[Bolster]

Not exactly blackened, but one of my favorite things to do with shiny clips is acid etch them with ferric chloride the same as you'd do to stonewash them...

Thanks for photos. The Manix clip looks really good, it's a nice dull grey, which is not nearly as attention-getting. Off topic, I suspect a powder coat would be somewhere between paint and DLC in terms of wear resistance, but the idea of shiny bits of SS showing wherever scratches occur, isn't ideal.

PS: Where did you source your ferric chloride?

[VooDooChild]

...

I'm not sure what other standard clip hole pattern clips use this same coating though. I don't know why they'd use a different coating for the Military and not a Para 2.

They did use the same coating for the para 2, or at least I think they did. I have the 52100 pm2 and the black clip on it definitely has the coating that resist wear and scratches much more than other black spoon clips (Seki).

I have seen at least 3 different black clip coatings.

Theres the "standard" Seki black coating. The one that starts wearing off almost immediately. Which I actually like because I like things that show wear.

Then theres what the last run of pacific salt 1s got. Whatever they coated the lockbar with they seem to have given the same treatment to the clip. Its more of a flat black. It will still scratch and wear but not as much as the standard Seki clip coating. Im not sure what other knives have gotten this clip treatment.

Then theres whatever Golden uses for its black clips. The coating looks similar to the standard Seki clip coating but it seems to hold up to scratches and chipping off much better. My 52100 pm2 and dlc m4 shaman (I think the shaman is the same) and military (I think) have this clip treatment.

My 52100 pm2 has seen a lot of use and carry, but the clip shows very little wear. Conversely, my police 4 lightweight with the standard Seki coating, shows scratches/paint coming off just from being carried and set down on counters or whatever after just a few times.

I personally like things that show wear. I have been curious about the different clip coatings for a while though.

[Evil D]

Not exactly blackened, but one of my favorite things to do with shiny clips is acid etch them with ferric chloride the same as you'd do to stonewash them...

Thanks for photos. The Manix clip looks really good, it's a nice dull grey, which is not nearly as attention-getting. Off topic, I suspect a powder coat would be somewhere between paint and DLC in terms of wear resistance, but the idea of shiny bits of SS showing wherever scratches occur, isn't ideal.

PS: Where did you source your ferric chloride?

I got mine at RadioShack before they went under. I'd think any good electronics store would have it.

[Bolster]

Silly me, Amazon will sell F.C. to me in a whole range of sizes.

So, having not done this before: Soak clip in F.C. for ___ minutes and then throw it in the tumbler with ceramic media for ___ minutes, something like that?

(The Insta-Blak looks good but was ~$50 and required a heating solution, guessing a crock pot, which I don't have.)

[JRinFL]

Silly me, Amazon will sell F.C. to me in a whole range of sizes.

So, having not done this before: Soak clip in F.C. for ___ minutes and then throw it in the tumbler with ceramic media for ___ minutes, something like that?

(The Insta-Blak looks good but was ~$50 and required a heating solution, guessing a crock pot, which I don't have.)

Insta-Blak instructions said that the coating can go on at room temperature. However, their recommended cleaning mixture requires warm/hottish water. Still, ~$50 for a few clips seems high.