Coffee Etching Damascus Steel | Knife Making How To/Tip
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2020
- I've been working on my system for etching damascus steel lately and have finally gotten a technique that I am super happy with! It is a combination of etching in ferric chloride and then doing an instant coffee bath to give me a lot of contrast along with a deep etch. In this video, I take you all through the steps needed and make a really cool knife in the process! Please leave us a like and subscribe if you enjoy the video, since your support helps us grow!
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If you have any questions about the processes shown in this video or any other general knife making questions, please leave a comment below and we'll do our best to answer!
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We are a team of two brothers that creates handcrafted knives. From the initial designing and grinding of the steel blanks to the final sanding of the handle, each step of the process is done by hand, which makes every knife that comes out of our shop 100% unique. In all of our blades, we strive to combine the clean lines of modern design with excellent performance, so that your knife will do its job properly and look great in the process.
Thank you very much for watching! If you enjoyed the video and would like to see more, we'd love it if you would subscribe by hitting the subscribe above.
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#knifemaking #knives #customknives #etching #diy #makeit #maker #hamon #metal #metalwork #artisan #crafting #craft #instantcoffee #etching #damascus #damascussteel #coffee #coffeeetch - Навчання та стиль
Thanks for elaborating a little on some of the details like whether or not the coffee's gotta be hot, etc. Other videos have left valuable little stuff like that out. Good video!
Thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Also makes a nice demonstration of the basic relationship between the types of steel, number of layers, and how the 'patterns' inter-relate. And welding different layer _thicknesses_ together... doh, as a newb, hadn't thought of that! Great walk-thru on the whole process... thx!
I appreciate it! Glad you liked the video. 😃
I'm currently trying this method for my san mai/canister forged knives today
Nice!
Beautiful knife. Thanks for the info
EXCELLENT!!!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for making this video It was a great resource
Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching.
Great knife. Awesome video.
I really like that handle scale material with that pinstripe through it that looks pretty cool. I want to learn to make knife so bad. I'm dying just to give it a try to see how far I could get. I make walking sticks from time to time and have shaped and replaced a handle scale or two. One of my favorite things I have done is replaced the handle on a friend of mine's favorite soup pot. As I broke away the rest of the handle that was left on the pot I discovered it was like a long hidden tang. I like to drive around the more expensive neighborhoods that get their trees pruned to look for possible branches to make walking sticks out of. I had this small piece with a red core that I carved down into to expose the red a little bit here and there. I liked it I was proud of myself. Keep up the good work
Thanks for the kind words! That sounds like a fun project. I’m sure you could make a knife!
Love the jazz music. Knife flipping while waiting. Video is so satisfying 😅
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.
Wow thats incredible how it pucnhes uo the contrast like that. Really great 👍
Thank you!
@@StarkKnives definitely subbed for sure
That is a beautiful knife. I like the orange inlay. It's a nice touch.
Thanks a lot!
Pretty cool and smart. Ty
I've noticed as a machinist, when I spill a bit of coffee on my steel table it always comes up black if you don't clean it off. I now know that's because of the acidity level, cheers!
Thanks for watching! 😃
You do some awesome work
Thank you!
Really great work
Thanks Aaron!
Beautiful knife!
Thank you!
awesome video well done
Thank you!
that humor in the end!
Thanks for Information ! Hard to believe coffee can make that dramatic of a difference
For sure! Glad you liked it.
I love the white inlay.
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Good tips thank you!!!
Thanks for watching!
I use this method and it really does make the difference.... I can decide between hot and cold water..... Cool video, just subbed.
Thanks a lot! I appreciate it! I see most people etching in the cold of room temperature coffee. That’s what I’ve been doing lately.
Brilliant video , now I can restore a Damascus straight razor, thank you!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Good vid bro. Keep it up. More chefs knife vids are wanted
Thanks! I have one or two kitchen knife style videos in the works!
Good vid 👍🏼
I followed your work for years on imgur. Super glad to see you have a channel! I'm gonna use this technique today on my edc blade that I had to refinish. I can't wait to get one of your chef knives someday. You're a modern Hanzō, just flawless work!
Thanks so much! Good luck! Definitely let me know when you want something. 👍🏼
French subscribers here!! You did pretty good accent there.
Anyway, thanks a lot for those vids, they teach me a lot as I am going to make a Damascus steel knife for a friend.
Hahaha thanks! Good luck on the knife you’re making!
And it smells good too!
True!!
You are a very talented young man, good for you. I can only emagene how far you'll come along in 20 years. Your already an expert.....wow! Good for you 👏
Thank you! 😊
@@StarkKnives Thank you, I have a Japanese damascus set im going to do the too. Looks beautiful!
the water boiling scene earned a subscribe from me lol
Ayyeee I’ll take it! 😎
I just discovered your channel with this video, is really nice, keep up doing it is really good.😃
Thank you!
I first saw Kyle royer do this to his Damascus and it was beautiful
It’s definitely a useful technique!
un kapo el pibe
I have a stainless steel pinky ring and when i make coffee in my french press i drop the ring in and let it set a few hours at the bottom with the grinds. Turns the ring a nice antiqued bronze brownish color
Awesome! Sounds cool.
I'm new subscriber .. woww super results i will do it .. thanks buddy
Thanks for subscribing!
Good video and I do like the coffee etch. After air drying I find if I bake the blade at 120°C for 30 minutes it helps the black oxides to hold up better than just air drying.
AND, your handle looks really good on that knife - congrats.
That’s a good tip, thank you!
Have you tried wiping the blade with isopropyl alcohol does it remove the blacks or does it hold up I’m new to this and want to know how well it sticks and can be cleaned when needed.
If you let the oxides dry and then lightly wipe, the black stays pretty well. I definitely wouldn’t rub it super vigorously though.
That's exactly how strong I like my coffee.
Haha that would be quite the challenge to drink it all. 😅
🤣 pretty sure my heart would explode 🤪🤪
Thats a swxy looking knife.. Goof job. I respect your skills
Thank you!
Thanks for the tutrorial 😍
May i know, does the contrast from the coffee etch effect fades?
Not usually too much unless you are really rubbing the blade. Thanks for watching!
wowwee woowa sweet
Thanks Lee!
Just tried exactly what you told us and it turned out amazing for my two skeleton blades. Can I use flitz polish after on my blades? I'm worried to rub off any black because it's sooooooo beautiful
Awesome! Glad it worked well! If you’re happy with the look, I wouldn’t use the Flitz just because I feel like it will probably mess up the black a bit. :)
Use a fine painting brush and use high shine polish just on the brighter nickle.
Beautiful knife! For a mono steel knife is ferric chloride still used before the coffee?
Thanks! I actually usually only use the ferric chloride for mono steels and don’t bother with coffee. You definitely could though and you would do the coffee after the ferric. :)
You’ve got a really high quality mic or something man. Listening to this felt like ASMR.
Haha if you count the iPhone microphone as high end I agree! 😂
Beautiful knife! How durable is this finish?
Thanks! It’s pretty durable as long as you don’t rub it super hard with something that has some abrasive-ness. :)
It's a beautiful piece. One step you might want to try is instead of oil after the etch is heat the blade with a hair dryer and melt beeswax on. Then polish. It lasts longer.
Thanks for the tip!
I have a stainless damacus ring from manly bands. Will Coffee work on it too?
It could! I don’t know if the coffee affects stainless Damascus or not but you can give it a shot!
Does the duct tape you used to protect the blade while making the handle take away any of the etching? do you protect the blade with anything prior to duct taping it?
Good question! I put a sheet of phone book paper underneath so that it is almost like a duct tape sheath that I can just slide off. I wouldn’t want the tape to stick to the blade.
Can you use this etching method on any metal or only steel? I want to get into casting stuff like bronze and adding a damascus etch could do wonders to stuff like D&D minis.
The pattern will only show up on layered and patterned steels like Damascus. Plain steel turns black not sure on bronze and stuff.
Nice thanks for the insight of your process. Off topic how do you like your WEN drill press? 12in I assume?
Thanks for watching! I like it! I have had both the 12” and larger model and other were good for the price!
@@StarkKnives nice I’m thinking real hard about investing in the 12in just wondering how it’s performed for you and how long you’ve ran it.
It’s been doing well and I’ve used it for a couple years. One went out on me after like 3 years but I’m pretty sure it was because I got too much dust in the motor.
@@StarkKnives awesome! Thanks for the input 💯. And once again thank you for the video going to try turning some 1095 black this afternoon 💪🏼✌🏼
Great job with the details! I'm an old timer looking to start making my own blades. You do great work! How much would you sell that knife for? I'm an old disabled veteran with a love of unique blades ❤
Thanks! One like this is typically in the $350-450 range depending on what options you choose.
Feel free to send me an email if you’re interested: starkcreationsus@gmail.com
What kind of oil do you put on your blades? But hot damn that came out gorgeous!!
Thanks! Usually just mineral oil. :)
So im using this technique on some chainmaille armor I made. I was thinking I'd have to bake it to set the stain on it but you seemed to just air dry and it turned out amazing. Is there any benefit or down fall to air dry vs baking it?
I haven’t tried baking it and haven’t seen anyone doing that, so I don’t know if there are any pros/cons to baking. You could definitely give it a shot and compare the results!
As I commented above I usually bake after air drying. It does seem to make the black oxides a bit less spt to wipe off in normal use.
I'm trying to understand demascus and it seems there are so many different opinions! Can I ask you what steel you used? I have everything to do it and I just want to practice!
This is Alabama Damascus. 1080 and 15n20 is also a common combo. :)
The jazzy interlude got my like 😆
Hahaha glad you enjoyed it. Thanks!
Is the brand Nescaffe crucial?
I haven’t tried other brands but I would assume they would work as well
Is it work also with a hamon?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it might! It might give a slightly different look than ferric chloride. I know some people use lemon juice for hamons so I would think it would work. If you try it let me know how it goes!
hi mate i am new subscriber, can i ask you ? what stencil you use and how to print it?? where i can make my stencil ? (sry for my english)
Hello! I am planning on making a video showing the process in the future. Right now I get the stencils made by TUS Tech and they send me them to use. 😃
the etching comes out easily or it lasts?
It lasts as long as you don’t rub it too hard with something abrasive!
Hi !! I need advice again :)
I have a carbon mora and I would love to have a protective patina , BUT can't do it, tried different methods...
Advice ? With no strange chemicals , I can have cloridric/nitric acid etc...
Hmm, I assume you’ve tried stuff like vinegar or mustard. I would think that would work if it is carbon steel! Otherwise I think ferric chloride should do the trick as well.
@@StarkKnives Tried vinegar but just made the unexposed part rust :(
Tried mustard but didn't do anything.
Maybe I've used them both wrong.
could I use any other acid for etching?
Some people use muriatic but that is even more toxic than ferric. There’s also an etchant made for knife making called “Gator Piss” that a lot of people are using now.
Can you tell me where you get your etching stencils ?
TUS Technologies
Do you think this method could work for antique damascus blades too?
Possibly! You could definitely give it a try!
I’d like to try on my kitchen knife but am not sure how to retain the coffee etch? Any advise
On that?
If it’s Damascus then you can just let it air dry and then oil it like I showed in the video. The darkness might fade a bit with use but should be relatively durable.
Hi, is coffee good for famasco San mai VG 10? A hug from Italy👍💪
Hi! I haven’t tried it with that steel. If it’s a stainless steel it likely won’t work as well though.
Say you have a good damascus etch but a light scrape from sharpening... can sand paper be used to buff the scratch marks out without resorting to re-etching the whole knife?
That’s tough, sandpaper will probably be very noticeable when you sand at the scratch. I’ve just re etched over the scratch before and it has worked decently.
what is the mixing ration for coffe and the ferric chloride. nice information
The ferric is mixed with water and is separate from the coffee mixture. The ferric is 50/50 with water and the coffee is more by weight. I believe I said how much I used for how much water in the video. Glad you enjoyed!
@@StarkKnivesit seems i ve lost some words from u. thanks so much buddy i really appreciate that
Do you have any Problem with the 15 and 20 turning tarnished looking
I have noticed that it can happen a bit more if the layers are bolder. Finer patterns tend to stay a bit brighter I think. You can also try keeping it in the coffee a bit shorter.
hi how about the thinned blade like nakiri knife should still need 4 to 5mins etching ?
I don’t think the thickness of the blade should affect how long to etch!
@@StarkKnives i see thank you so much mate , i never done etching before until i got a damascus from garage and its pretty worn out ,, barely need serious restoration
Great work!! For someone just starting out and about to do this for the first time, what advice would you give them?
Thanks Jessica! Without having any specific question in mind, it’s hard to give great advice. But I would recommend doing as much learning as you can from UA-cam and online forums, and then just try it out and keep practicing and improving whatever is giving you trouble. :)
@@StarkKnives can you do this to any type of metal?
It mainly works with high carbon steels.
@@StarkKnives I know someone Who's just starting out doing this kinda stuff, and I was wondering, aside from your videos (which are awesome btw) Do you do any classes or anything like that?
I don’t really unfortunately. I just don’t have the set up for it.
I put a little bit of salt into my coffee etching solution. It seems to be a bit quicker, and deeper.
I feel like it's something to do with the electrolyte balance, but I don't know yet.
I'm going 16 hours in a *instant coffee* saturated solution. I'll take pictures.
Interesting! I haven’t heard of that technique! 👌🏼
It's a hot instant coffee etch. I'm planning 16 hours on a knife that is *very* important to me.
Thanks , the knife has just been put in the coffee water mix.
Thanks, it actually worked.
Awesome! I’m glad. 👍🏼
What is the tool you use to put your trademark on with? Thank you
It is a Personalizer Plus etching machine with some electrolyte solution. :)
@@StarkKnives Thank you
How would you re-etch if you had a knife with handles already on it? And didn't have the ability to remove the handle scales?
If it’s a synthetic material like G10, you should be able to dunk the whole knife in the coffee. Otherwise it would be a bit tough. You could probably try taping off or putting nail polish on the areas you don’t want etched.
@@StarkKnives ok, would something like frog tape be better or just go full on duct tape and get something for the residue later?
I haven’t tried so I’m not sure but it could work. Not sure how water tight the frog tape is. Electrical tape could also be an option.
Nescafé likely still makes the Classico due to all the knife makers, because it sucks as coffee
Not the worst business model. 😂😂
Would this work to, say, etch a pattern onto plain steel with a template?
I think you would want something stronger to etch such as ferric chloride acid. I don’t think the coffee would etch deeply enough.
@@StarkKnives Ah, I see... Would electric/saltwater etching be an alternative? I'm trying to avoid having to use strong acids because in my country they're not that easy to get a hold of, sadly.
You could try it! I don’t know if it would or wouldn’t work since I haven’t tried it.
The 9 dislikes are from people who like to drink the coffee
Hahaha either that or people offended by my bad fake French accent. 😅
@@StarkKnives Just remember violence baguettes violence. Enjoyed the video!
Haha thanks!
Have you tried muriatic acid an half water ?
I have not. Only ferric!
Making Damascus steel by hand no press
Can you use only the coffee method?
I think it will still darken, but the etch will just be surface level. So you wouldn’t get the same depth of etch. I have not tried it though!
@@StarkKnives cool. Thanks!
What is the process you use to etch your logo?
I actually have a video of that on my channel too! It’s a couple of videos back. :)
Hello nice video. I dont get how you get your name « stark » in black on your knife. I’d really like to know please. Ty
Thanks! I use an electro etching machine with a vinyl stencil. It is a personalizer plus machine. I’m hoping to make a video showing and explaining the full process in the future!
@@StarkKnives thank you for the answer. I ve been looking on the internet since my question lol and found that you must be using some sort of « etch-o-matic » machine. It gives a really nice effect on your knive. Most etching dont give that « paint » effect. I’ll be happy to watch your next video. You r doing some cool stuff. Thanks again !
No problem! Thanks for the support!
do not dry with papper?!
what happening then if i will use it to cut meat and wash it well?
Once the dark oxides harden, they are less likely to be removed when cleaning! Just the first time they are more sensitive to being rubbed off.
How much baking powder in the water?
I’d say a few tablespoons for a liter of water. The ratio isn’t super important.
What happens if you do this to a non Damascus like 1080?
I haven’t tried the coffee on it, but I would assume it would darken it as well since there shouldn’t be any difference. I would expect it to blacken as well. :)
As a practical matter, if you can’t even use a paper towel or any sort of polishing after the coffee etch, won’t it simply rub off almost immediately during usage of the knife at great disappointment to the buyer?
Once the oxides set, the black stays on much better. If you rub really hard it will fade a bit but not much. It’s a pretty durable finish once you have it finished and sealed.
@@StarkKnives gotcha. Thank you. What are some products you recommend for sealing?
Axe Wax is a good food safe product. Just plain mineral oil is also good!
The damascus pattern of the handle steel has been totally removed by the installation of the scales. Do you restore that pattern, or do you just leave it highly polished? I have done some scale installation on damascus knives that I purchased from the maker and I fit the scales to the knife without sanding away the pattern. It takes a lot more time than installing the scales and then sanding them to the shape of the knife.
I typically leave it unetched but have done it with a re-etching. It does require a lot more work with temporary pins and glue up though. I have done it with some synthetic handle materials where I just dip the whole knife in after finishing it. As long as the glue up is sealed, you don’t have to worry about the acid messing up stuff.
@@StarkKnives Thanks for the reply. I have considered dipping after installation and I may try that on the one I just started. It looks as though the spine of the knife was sanded smooth for some reason unknown to me. I work primarily with wooden handles, but I feel that the epoxy provides a fairly watertight seal. In a worst case scenario, I learn a painful lesson.
Yeah if the wood is stabilized it should be okay hypothetically!
@@StarkKnives Don't use those big words. It scares me!
How much baking soda do you need for the water ratio
The ratio for that doesn’t matter too much. I probably did like half a cup for a liter of water or something. Windex also works. :)
@@StarkKnives aw sweet thanks :D
Will the black oxides disapear when you are cutting with the knife?
It’s pretty durable as long as you don’t rub it super hard with something that has some abrasive-ness. :)
Does the coffee etch stainless steel Damascus?
I have not tried it myself, but it definitely might work! Give it a try and let me know!
@@StarkKnives According to my brother, he said this about you: "My first thought is that he did not make iron oxide, but iron tannate which is a bluish black color. Coffee has tannic acid in it, which readily reacts with free iron to make an insoluble precipitate. This reaction works best in a low pH, so instant coffee might be more acidic than freshly brewed coffee. Stainless steel, I think, would be a waste of your time because the iron is too bound up in the amalgam, unless you pretreated the surface with a sufficiently aggressive acid that can liberate and ionize iron to either a +2 or + 3 oxidation state."
Interesting, thanks for the info!
does coffee work on D2 steel?
I haven’t tried it but I’d be a little concerned that the composition of D2 might not lend itself well to coffee etching. The coffee might not be strong enough. You could give it a shot and if it doesn’t work, use something stronger like ferric chloride acid.
@@StarkKnives i tried lemon and vinegar only made a mild change so d2 might be an odd 1, ill try coffee if not then ferric chloride, thanks for the help.
@SirPraiseSun yeah I know D2 has some stainless properties so it’ll likely need something pretty strong to have a real effect on it.
Can i do this process to a knife that i bought. I want it to pop like this
It depends on the knife and what steels it is. You could give it a shot though!
@@StarkKnives they are damascus. Just not deep color. I was thinking i could dip them standing up so i dont get handle in the mix?
That could work!
Trying it now. Deff etched it better. Now its in the coffee
What's your secret to get such perfect bevels by free hand grinding? Even With a jig, i can t have this result ! By the Way, very Good job bro'
I wish I had a secret, but I always just recommend practice and using fresh belts. It helps a lot! Eventually I’ll try to do a more in depth video about bevel grinding too. I’m glad you liked it!
@@StarkKnives thank you for the answer mate ! Best regards from France 🙏😁
He one handed a perfect bevel 🤯
Haha I do basically everything with two hands! Just film a couple clips with one. 😉
I shared this. We have coffee hackers making every excuse possible to be pricks.
Hey there! I keep trying to do this and after a few hrs either the 15n20 darkens too or it turns yellow. Any remedies?
I know a lot of people use something like a Sunshine cloth that has a tiny bit of polishing ability and rub that with it.
What is this dark liquid, can you answer me?
4:06
That’s just water!
@@StarkKnives
Water🤔
3:42
is that real damacus? whys the patten only on half the bladE?
It is real. The pattern is on the entire blade, so not sure what you mean exactly. If you mean under the handle, it’s just harder to see since I didn’t polish it as much since it would be getting covered by the scales.
first
Must have the notification bell on. 😉
Any relation to Arya Stark?
Haha I don’t think so, more likely Tony Stark. 😉
Is it just me or is it hard to hear him.. ?
I haven’t had any issues when I have rewatched the video. Some clips might be slightly quiet if I wasn’t close to the microphone. Hope you could still understand the information, if not let me know and I can answer any questions!
@@StarkKnives think it was that you weren't close to the mic at times... but great video none the less!!
Yeah probably! I’ve tried to have it a bit louder in my latest videos. Thanks for letting me know and glad you enjoyed the video!