Show Your Patina!

[selrahc]

[bearrowland]

I've several Opinels that I've patina'd, but I never thought about doing a Spyderco up. I used a fresh walnut to do one of my Opinels, and the results were similar. These knives look great!

[TkoK83Spy]

[bearrowland]

That looks great!

[TkoK83Spy]

That looks great!

Thanks! White vinegar soaked paper towel, overnight for around 6 hours. Paper towel impressions gave it some character.

[TkoK83Spy]

[bearrowland]

[z4vdBt]

[Cambertree]

[selrahc]

[bearrowland]

Nice!

[z4vdBt]

probable repeat.

[bearrowland]

I like the pocket worn look. That's a knife with a story!

[Cambertree]

[bearrowland]

Very nice!

[Cambertree]

Very nice!

Thanks!

[JonLeBlanc]

Man, I'm really thinking the Police 4 is my next knife purchase; as time goes by I'm finding I'm liking bigger blades, and a steel like K390 is right up my alley. Plus, those sweet pics like yours aren't helping lol. What do you think of the P4 in general?

[Cambertree]

Double post.

[Cambertree]

Man, I'm really thinking the Police 4 is my next knife purchase; as time goes by I'm finding I'm liking bigger blades, and a steel like K390 is right up my alley. Plus, those sweet pics like yours aren't helping lol. What do you think of the P4 in general?

Thanks!

I can't speak highly enough of the Police 4. Before I got it I thought my Enduras were a bit overlarge for a pocketknife. The P4 reminded me just how useful a long, thinly ground blade can be. In fact, I often like using it in the kitchen. I don't need to, I just like using that awesome piece of K390!

I think Sal said he optimised the design for a full size blade that carries very slim and unobtrusively in urban environments. It is a very slender but relatively strong knife, with the full size stainless liners and thin G10 scales.

I took mine apart recently after reading Vivi's thread on discovering oxidation in his. I also had oxidation like a black patina on the scales around the pivot area, possibly from contact with the K390. In addition, there was a strange finish on the inside of the liners, almost like the milled sheet steel surface hadn't been fully surface ground. The liners are definitely stainless steel, otherwise they would also show patina on the polished spine. I think it's just an issue of moisture collecting in some rough finishing striations over months of use.

The issue would be fixed by polishing the insides of the liners, I rhink, on future runs, and that's what I did with some sandpaper and strops before putting it back together.

Overall, it's an issue which can be fixed with minimal effort and tools once you're aware of it, if you intend to put the knife to a lot of use. My knife had been used by the previous owner in the tropical far north of Australia, and then over a year by me in wet environments (taking the usual maintenance precautions), so I'm not that bothered by it.

It has a very bitey edge as you'd expect in a coarse finish, but K390 is one of those steels that performs superlatively with highly finished edges as well. I use diamond and CBN abrasives, and it's a pleasure to sharpen - and keeps that uber sharp, fresh-off-the-stones-and-strop apex feel relatively well too.

I think it's easily up there as one of Sal's best designs, an outstanding slicer, in my favorite bladesteel so far, out of maybe twenty or more different steels I've tried.

[JonLeBlanc]

Man, I'm really thinking the Police 4 is my next knife purchase; as time goes by I'm finding I'm liking bigger blades, and a steel like K390 is right up my alley. Plus, those sweet pics like yours aren't helping lol. What do you think of the P4 in general?

Thanks!

I can't speak highly enough of the Police 4. Before I got it I thought my Enduras were a bit overlarge for a pocketknife. The P4 reminded me just how useful a long, thinly ground blade can be. In fact, I often like using it in the kitchen. I don't need to, I just like using that awesome piece of K390!

I think Sal said he optimised the design for a full size blade that carries very slim and unobtrusively in urban environments. It is a very slender but relatively strong knife, with the full size stainless liners and thin G10 scales.

I took mine apart recently after reading Vivi's thread on discovering oxidation in his. I also had oxidation like a black patina on the scales around the pivot area, possibly from contact with the K390. In addition, there was a strange finish on the inside of the liners, almost like the milled sheet steel surface hadn't been fully surface ground. The liners are definitely stainless steel, otherwise they would also show patina on the polished spine. I think it's just an issue of moisture collecting in some rough finishing striations over months of use.

The issue would be fixed by polishing the insides of the liners, I rhink, on future runs, and that's what I did with some sandpaper and strops before putting it back together.

Overall, it's an issue which can be fixed with minimal effort and tools once you're aware of it, if you intend to put the knife to a lot of use. My knife had been used by the previous owner in the tropical far north of Australia, and then over a year by me in wet environments (taking the usual maintenance precautions), so I'm not that bothered by it.

It has a very bitey edge as you'd expect in a coarse finish, but K390 is one of those steels that performs superlatively with highly finished edges as well. I use diamond and CBN abrasives, and it's a pleasure to sharpen - and keeps that uber sharp, fresh-off-the-stones-and-strop apex feel relatively well too.

I think it's easily up there as one of Sal's best designs, an outstanding slicer, in my favorite bladesteel so far, out of maybe twenty or more different steels I've tried.

That's so cool, thanks for all that info! One more question if I may, since this is a thread about patinas, how has the patina response been for you? Natural or forced etc...?