This is my custom ESEE 5. The original markings on these are only paint deep. So i etched the markings into the knife. Using the paint as a template. Then i aged the spine with bleach.
I also swapped out the square micarta scales for more ergonomic g10 scales. And i swapped the allen head screws for traditional phillips. As finding and keeping an allen wrench in the field is problematic. But i always have a phillips screw driver on my Leatherman.
The sheath is custom from Nays of Wyoming. Hes on etsy. And does amazing work. He did it for $35. And just a bit more for another custom holster for my Beretta .22 pistol.
I am about to pull the trigger on the ESEE 4hm. Which is a much better bushcraft knife. But i still love the ESEE 5 for its old warhorse abilities.
I like everything about that knife. And the sheath looks amazing
Quote from: flybynight on July 31, 2021, 05:45:16 PM
I like everything about that knife. And the sheath looks amazing
I could have done a better job aging it. I didnt put enough Vaseline on the blade.
I dunno, it looks nice and uniform in color and depth to me.
I did a forced patina on a Mora companion heavyweight recently with boiling vinegar that isn't as uniform in color
Quote from: flybynight on July 31, 2021, 07:53:37 PM
I dunno, it looks nice and uniform in color and depth to me.
I did a forced patina on a Mora companion heavyweight recently with boiling vinegar that isn't as uniform in color
There's another guy that did what i did. Before me. He used bleach. And vaseline to mask what he didn't want aged. I did the same. But i didn't glob enough vaseline on the lower part of the blade. Thus the age spots on the lower part. But i think it turned out ok. I like the etched markings tho. As once the paint wears off so do the markings.
Y'all're halfway to rust bluing your knife blades. :)
Quote from: boskone on July 31, 2021, 08:21:49 PM
Y'all're halfway to rust bluing your knife blades. :)
Ive researched that extensively. Instead i went with caswells black oxide. Which i regretted in the end. Hot blue or park is where its at. ;)
I tried forcing a patina on a kukri I picked up in a trade once.
I used regular French's mustard and it turned out horrible. Not sure if I didn't leave it on long enough or I didn't put on enough, but it was awful.
I later sanded off the crappy patina and just keep the blade oiled. I may try to blue it using some of that Birchwood-Casey PermaBlue stuff, but I'm not sure about it.
Quote from: Moab on July 31, 2021, 08:58:43 PM
Quote from: boskone on July 31, 2021, 08:21:49 PM
Y'all're halfway to rust bluing your knife blades. :)
Ive researched that extensively. Instead i went with caswells black oxide. Which i regretted in the end. Hot blue or park is where its at. ;)
I've been thinking about trying a rust blue on and old, single-shot 20ga I have. I'll do it right after all the other projects. :P
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on July 31, 2021, 09:08:40 PM
I may try to blue it using some of that Birchwood-Casey PermaBlue stuff, but I'm not sure about it.
That stuff's pretty terrible, really, for anything other than quick touchups. You can get a decent blue after several rounds of application and buffing, but it's probably the least durable possible one.
Honestly, if I wanted a quick and dirty "blue" I'd probably:
- Grab some Krylon Fusion, or...
- Just oil blacken it, or...
- Have it Duracoted or Cerakoted, or...
- Say fuck it, and not bother with anything.
The last there being the most common. :)
Quote from: boskone on July 31, 2021, 10:26:24 PM
Quote from: Moab on July 31, 2021, 08:58:43 PM
Quote from: boskone on July 31, 2021, 08:21:49 PM
Y'all're halfway to rust bluing your knife blades. :)
Ive researched that extensively. Instead i went with caswells black oxide. Which i regretted in the end. Hot blue or park is where its at. ;)
I've been thinking about trying a rust blue on and old, single-shot 20ga I have. I'll do it right after all the other projects. :P
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on July 31, 2021, 09:08:40 PM
I may try to blue it using some of that Birchwood-Casey PermaBlue stuff, but I'm not sure about it.
That stuff's pretty terrible, really, for anything other than quick touchups. You can get a decent blue after several rounds of application and buffing, but it's probably the least durable possible one.
Honestly, if I wanted a quick and dirty "blue" I'd probably:
- Grab some Krylon Fusion, or...
- Just oil blacken it, or...
- Have it Duracoted or Cerakoted, or...
- Say fuck it, and not bother with anything.
The last there being the most common. :)
I have to agree with you on the birchwood casey cold blu. Having built many rifles myself. And played around with different bluing. That stuff kind of blows. I would try to get something hot blued or parkerized. 07 Gun builders do that and can do it for you. I guess a gunsmith could. But seems rare for them to offer that. Bluing and park take some time and expertise. Id leave it to the pros. Even black oxide takes some technique. But blows for a rifle or knife protector. It looks good tho.
More than likely I'll just leave the blade alone.
It probably wouldn't be worth it to have it Cerakoted or blued professionally since it's basically a BudK kukri. Pretty sure it'd cost me more to get the blade blued or Cerakoted than it's worth.