Etching mixture

A. G. Maisey · 20th June 2011, 11:30 PM

Henri, you do not need such large quantities of either lime juice or arsenic.

You do not need water as part of the mix, and you do not need steel wool as part of the mix.

Before you begin to stain the blade MUST be perfectly clean and white.

Not even the tiniest speck of rust. One tiny speck of rust can turn into a very ugly patch of yellowish green under the black stain when the job is complete.

Use tahitian limes, strain the juice. For one blade a quantity sufficient to fill two egg-cups is enough.

Take a very small quantity of arsenic--- about enough to cover a fingernail is sufficient, add a few drops of lime juice and mix to a cream. Gradually add lime juice mixing as you do, until you have a good suspension. You will not get a solution, but the suspension must not have gobs of arsenic floating on top of it.

Put this suspension to one side for a while, say half an hour to an hour.

Continually apply the solution to both sides of the blade, alternating application.An old, soft toothbrush is a good applicator.You only use a very little bit of the solution on the brush, just enough to dampen it.

Choose a position that is open to skylight, but not to direct sunlight.

As you apply the solution the blade will become sticky, eventually it will become very sticky and the colour of the blade will darken.

When the blade darkens, rinse it of under running water, dry thoroughly, lay it in the sunlight for a while, and begin again.

You repeat this process until such time as the blade has come to the colour you want.

The biggest mistake of beginners is to make the blade too dark. However, this is not a problem, because you just clean off the stain with sink cleaner and steel wool --- or scotchbrite pads--- and start again.

20th June 2011, 11:30 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,019	Henri, you do not need such large quantities of either lime juice or arsenic. You do not need water as part of the mix, and you do not need steel wool as part of the mix. Before you begin to stain the blade MUST be perfectly clean and white. Not even the tiniest speck of rust. One tiny speck of rust can turn into a very ugly patch of yellowish green under the black stain when the job is complete. Use tahitian limes, strain the juice. For one blade a quantity sufficient to fill two egg-cups is enough. Take a very small quantity of arsenic--- about enough to cover a fingernail is sufficient, add a few drops of lime juice and mix to a cream. Gradually add lime juice mixing as you do, until you have a good suspension. You will not get a solution, but the suspension must not have gobs of arsenic floating on top of it. Put this suspension to one side for a while, say half an hour to an hour. Continually apply the solution to both sides of the blade, alternating application.An old, soft toothbrush is a good applicator.You only use a very little bit of the solution on the brush, just enough to dampen it. Choose a position that is open to skylight, but not to direct sunlight. As you apply the solution the blade will become sticky, eventually it will become very sticky and the colour of the blade will darken. When the blade darkens, rinse it of under running water, dry thoroughly, lay it in the sunlight for a while, and begin again. You repeat this process until such time as the blade has come to the colour you want. The biggest mistake of beginners is to make the blade too dark. However, this is not a problem, because you just clean off the stain with sink cleaner and steel wool --- or scotchbrite pads--- and start again.