Restauration of Pamor

[David]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

In the worst case I will start experimenting myself with the chemicals I have.

Well, as i state before, there is a bit of material in our archives on staining keris blades, including many suggestions on alternatives to using arsenic. Give a search and see what you find.

[Rafngard]

Is anyone doing this in the U.S? I have a blade or two that could use an etch. I mentioned the possibility of trying this at home to my significant other, and her eyes got wide, and, well, let's just say I'm glad she didn't have a keris handy.

Thanks,
Leif

[semar]

hello depends ware you will go when you go to yogyakarta ik can help you with that i know 2 tukang maranggi

regards semar

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by semar

hello depends ware you will go when you go to yogyakarta ik can help you with that i know 2 tukang maranggi

regards semar

Thank you for your assitance!

Yes, I will go to Yogyakarta in May and I can take the Wedhung with me to have it etched.

So, any more information will be welcomed!

Best regards,

Marius

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Rafngard

Is anyone doing this in the U.S? I have a blade or two that could use an etch. I mentioned the possibility of trying this at home to my significant other, and her eyes got wide, and, well, let's just say I'm glad she didn't have a keris handy.

Thanks,
Leif

Buy Selenium Dioxide on Amazon. Cheap, reliable, safe, perfect blueing for guns and knives.

[David]

Originally Posted by ariel

Buy Selenium Dioxide on Amazon. Cheap, reliable, safe, perfect blueing for guns and knives.

Ariel is no doubt correct that Selenium Dioxide will raise the pamor on your blade. It won't give you the correct traditional coloring that arsenic will render. So in the end it all depends on your preferences and how authentic you want your blade to look in the end.

[mariusgmioc]

... it doesn't work!

I already tried it and yes, I can get a very nice black blade but no pamor visible. I also tried different concentrations but still the results are quite dissapointing. I also tried Nital and Ferric Chloride that I normally use for etching wootz blades, but with pathetic results. So, what works for etching wootz or blacking steel, apparently doesn't work for revealing the pamor... or at least I didn't know how to make it work.

PS: Selenium dioxide in diluted form works also fine for revealing the watering pattern of wootz.

[ariel]

That's interesting! How much do you dilute it?

[semar]

hello Marius with date you are in Djogya en ware you stay

reagads semar

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by ariel

That's interesting! How much do you dilute it?

I started from Perma Blue which is based on Selenium Dioxide and Nitric acid, which I already had diluted to about 20%. (At this concentration I etched an Indian Katar that I didn't manage to etch with the classic Nital and Ferric Chloride (even this concentration blackened the Katar completely but upon gentle wiping with Pre-lim, I got a very nice an visible watering wootz structure).) Then I diluted this even more to about 10%, but I only got a nice and uniform grey patina that didn't reveal the pamor even after selective cleaning with Pre-lim.

PS: I used undiluted Perma Blue for blacking an antique Japanese Tsuba with stellar results, and that's how I had it on hand to experiment with the Wedhung.