Hey everyone,
If you were among the 1250+ members who joined the pre-order drop for our Massdrop x Ferrum Forge Buc, then this knife may look familiar. The Buc has just finished shipping to members, and so far it’s getting 5-star reviews from nearly every member who has posted - thanks, we’re glad you like it!
The Buc and Dao share a nearly-identical handle frame design, with a few subtle differences - namely, the Buc has a lanyard hole while the Dao does not, and the backspacer on the Buc protrudes from the spine slightly while the Dao’s backspacer sits flush. The big difference between the Buc and the Dao is the blade shape; the Buc’s oversize cleaver / saber blade has a spine that continues to rise from the handle, while the Dao’s drop-point blade has a spine that mirrors the handle curvature, creating a very balanced look and feel.
For our sixth collaboration with Ferrum Forge, we kept many of the design cues that have been popular in the community - titanium frame lock, S35VN steel, blue and bronze anodizing. Based on the popularity of milled patterns on the Crux (which were not available during the first / pre-order drop), Elliot came up with some great designs for this handle. The Tech Saber pattern already had a name, but when I saw the pattern with lines and circles it reminded me immediately of a circuit board. We spent a long time working with Chris Williamson and the WE Knife team on a way to get two-tone anodizing in green and gold that recalls the tones found on a real circuit board - what you see here is the result of a multi-stage process in which the whole scale is anodized green at a higher voltage, then have the top surfaces polished clean, and finally are re-anodized gold at a lower voltage.
Thanks for checking this out! It’s hard to believe this is already our sixth project with the Ferrum Forge guys - thanks to everyone who has joined drops for the past five models and made this possible!
Carry On! -- Jonas
JonasHeinemanLooks great!
I love that green/gold ano especially on the circuit board milling.
The bummer is that the milling is only on one side, such an awesome pattern would look wicked on both sides.
And it is just me, but I am a little board to see s35vn blades... Nothing wrong with them, it is a great steel, I just can't look at the "s35vn" label anymore. If I was making one, I would go to s90v or Elmax, simply cause it is just a little better to my taste and it sounds better (did I say already I can't see "s35vn" writing anymore???) , for some unknown reason (I am looking at you Jonas :P).
JonasHeinemanFirst, this looks awesome. You are seriously creating an addiction and bankrupting me!
Please let us know if we are going to see a similar pattern of knife after knife excellence with the Gavko colabs as well...I need to take out a home loan for my growing knife collection.
JonasHeinemanDamnit Jonas, you heard my pleas and delivered; every design for both handed carry. I feel like I need to get this blade just from you guys making sure of that. Thank you.
Thorn74All credit to @FerrumForgeKnifeWorks for the designs. We don't have anything else in the works with Mike at the moment, but I can let him know there's interest and we'll see about getting another one done next year. Thanks!
megical_bananaThanks, glad you like it. Milling on both sides is great, but the patterns would have been interrupted by the lockbar, and it also adds a fair amount of cost. Same thing for the steel - nice stuff, but really hard for most people to sharpen, and a lot more cost as well as production time to get that steel ordered and shipped. The knife you're describing would have to be priced closer to $200 and taken 2 more months to deliver. Hope that sheds some light on the design and production aspect of this and other knives, thanks for the suggestions - it would be great if you and others can let us know if something like that would be worth the difference in time and price so we can think about it for future runs.
JonasHeinemanI sure do get that, I just think that most people buying this knife probably have already a few in the inventory and might be seeking for something different, not because they need it, because they want it.
JonasHeinemanThanks for the quick response. I noticed it after I posted. Thanks for the awesome custom collaboration drops. Just got my prism yesterday and WOW.
JonasHeinemanLimited to 1200 serialized units overall (btw, that should be included in the description, not just in comments), but is there a limit per style?
I know it doesn't matter so much, but some collectors care about the size of a limited run. Like, if each style topped out at no more than 250 serialized first run pieces that might be more valuable to some than if you have 1100 green circuit board orders
Also asking because I'm probably in for this, but want to take my time deciding which to get if there are no limits to individual styles
DougFLA123In fact it might often be blue or black as well, and it really depends on what scheme you look at, I actually saw lots and lots of golden electrical pathways. :)
DougFLA123I sure do agree with you, same as the Massdrop x Reate collabs had RWL34 wich is a great steel imho, cause they have tons of it (I actually have no offense at all to RWL34).
But just as well WE knives has m390, and I know they worked with other steels as well,
It is just a pet peeve of mine that I am starting to "like less" knives with s35vn, they might be great, and in fact they really are!
But there are just way too many releases of s35vn frame lock flippers at the same time. For example it would be more interesting and purchase-approving for me if there were some periods that had slightly different knives, I don't mind to see more frame flippers, but it just gets me tired to see that the market is flooded with s35vn knives, particularly from chinese manufacturers, because they deliver great quality for relatively low prices, but most of their production becomes monotonous in terms of features.
megical_bananaI agree. I’m a little tired of S35VN as well. I own several WE knives, and they use M390 blade steel all the time, so they may have piles of M390 laying around too.
I like the Ferrum Forge collaborations (I’ve been in on all of them) but they are all starting to look the same to me. Same materials, similar design, similar look, etc. This knife seems to have a Buc handle with a stretched out Falcon blade. Ferrum Forge should be a lot more creative with their designs. I just bought the Ferrum Forge Fortis 2.0 and all it is, is a bigger version of the FF Falcon.
DougFLA123That's precisely why I haven't really looked at the Fortis.
I like that it exists, for people who wanted a larger version of the Falcon, but that's literally all it is at twice the price.
I happen to be carrying my Falcon today, and the smaller size is what I like about this one anyway :)
JonasHeinemanThe picture showing the clip side of each option is great. I also like the picture of the four knives with the more intricate show side designs laying down next to each other a lot. It helps when trying to choose between them.
DougFLA123To be fair a stretched falcon blade with a slim handle and geared backspacer is exactly what people started clamoring for as soon as the falcon dropped, so this seems to be pretty much exactly what the majority requested. I have a crux and I enjoy this design so so much more, and I'm pretty partial to the crux.
DougFLA123You make a strong point lol
I was going to use that credit to help convince myself to join in for the Orca.....but last night I had to order new rotors, pads, and tires for all four corners. I have to decide in the next couple of days if I'm doing shocks and springs at the same time, while it's all apart anyway..... So... Yeah... I guess I'm passing on the moku ti Orca 😞
DougFLA123Lol haven't given my car much love lately, if I do the new shocks and springs at least that will be an upgrade (as are the tires), the brakes are just needed because it's time, and inspection is overdue 🙄
I was hard on the fence about hitting the $300 mark on a pocket knife already though
KavikI know what you mean. They lured me in with a $105 Falcon and an $80 Gent and now I’m buying a $300 Orca. Although, the more I read and hear from guys who know a lot about custom knives and mid tech knives, the more I think that these high(-ish) end knives are a good deal and are worth it.
DougFLA123Yeah, I was coming around to the same conclusion, that that one would've been an okay investment as a collectors piece with a good resale value down the road.... Just not sure that's the kind of collecting I want to get too deep into
KavikI bet there are no limits to individual styles...just 1200 units, period.
Are you leaning one way or another? I’m having a hard time deciding...as usual. This will be my 30th knife drop since I joined a year ago, almost to the day!
I kind of wish there was a blue/bronze or bronze/blue Circuit Board and Tech Saber.
I also wish they would post the stats on each collaboration of the number of each style being ordered.
DougFLA123I dunno, they've gone both ways in other colabs in the past...
It's between the plain and the circuit board in grey for me. Not really interested in the tech sabre.
And I finally picked up a 120vdc power supply so I can do my own anodizing 😁
Still experimenting with it, but i think I'm getting some pretty cool results so far.
Solid colors are easy and consistant. Playing around with sponges and stuff for patterns and have a few ideas to send to the vinyl cutter for a couple of my current knives.
I like the idea of the circuit board on this one, but I think the pattern is a bit bold, and not sure I'll like the feel of the grooves, if I go plain I might try a similar theme on the flat surface with finer lines
Next up, i need a tumbler, so I can do these 2 tone weathered finishes as well
Eek. I'm up to 32 knives bought here in the past 8 months lol (plus 4 or 5 I've bought elsewhere since getting back into this hobby as a result of finding MD)
KavikThat’s very interesting. I need to watch some more videos on anodizing. I’ve seen solid colors on flat surfaces but never multiple colors on milled surfaces. I would be very interested in seeing how they did the Circuit Board Green w/Gold. Some of the guys on this site have gotten excellent results with their anodizing.
32?....I’m having a tough time keeping up with the Kaviks!
I’ve been looking at OTF (Out the Front) knives lately, but I’m afraid if I bought one it might just end up being a cool, expensive letter opener. Benchmade OTF are over $300. They seem way overpriced for what you get....just like Integral knives seem way overpriced to me.
DougFLA123I believe it was Jonas who commented on how they did it, but basically they would do the green first, then and down the flat surfaces again, and anodize the gold second, as it's a lower voltage and won't change the green.
Same for the 2 tone weathering. Do the higher voltage first, throw it in the tumbler to wear down the edges, then do the whole thing at a lower voltage to fill in the bare spots
Twice the work, which is why they're charging more on this one for the anodized drive it's twice the anodizing with an extra step in between, but on an individual level it wouldn't be so bad.
Lol don't try keeping up, it's a sickness, not something to aspire to 😜
That said, it has been tapering off lately, and I do have a few i should try unloading instead of hoarding ones I didn't love
Integral has some interest for me, but I'm not sold yet at the prices. OTF just doesn't pique my interest at all for some reason
KavikI just watched a video where a guy put a piece of titanium in solution and varied his power supply from 0 to 120 volts slowly, showing all the different colors along the way. Very cool.
RayFI don’t know why people would think I was lying. If you go to YouTube and search for “How to Anodize Titanium” you get about a million hits, with a million videos on how to do it. 🤓
DougFLA123Lol don't mind him, he just likes to be difficult haha
Personally, I'm just making myself a color chart with bits of titanium wire I strung up. Tedious and time consuming, but better for me as a visual reference than just keeping notes of what voltages for what colors
KavikWow! So cool!...and organized!
I saw a guy clip the negative side of the power supply to a spoon, and place the spoon into the solution, and someone commented that a steel spoon is a bad choice because it will affect the anodization process, and that the guy in the video should have used aluminum as the conductor. Have you found a difference in what type of conductor to use, whether it’s steel, aluminum, copper, etc?
DougFLA123I haven't tried different cathodes yet
I have a solid titanium golf club head I was going to try, but I'm just using the method of a stainless steel bowl with the negative clipped to it, a strainer inside to avoid contact with the piece, and the whole thing set in a larger plastic bowl to keep me from touching the outsides (in addition to big rubber gloves, i have no desire to feel 120v running across my chest if I touch both somehow)
DougFLA123The most important thing, from what I've seen, is that it's a good conductor and that it has a larger mass than the piece you're anodizing
Larger surface area is good too, so I roughed up the inside of the bowl with sandpaper to increase surface area
I do use titanium wire for connecting the positive to the piece though, never letting the positive clip touch the water, so it doesn't corrode
DougFLA123Ha--no link! As I suspected, you're a lying liar with his pants on fire!
Of course I'm kidding you twit. On the other hand, when one references a video, common to the interests of the audience at large, particularly when attempting to make or prove a point, it is both customary and polite to leave a damn link to the video you are referring to!!!
So while I can't prove that you are lying, YOU have proved that you are incapable of providing that link, and therefor you have also proved that you are unhandy when it comes to computers--and that's nearly as bad!
RayFBack in the late 90's i saw a video of a cat yawning.
Sorry, I can't remember the link
🤣
Here you go. Literally the first thing that came up when I typed "anodizing titanium" into YouTube
RayFLoL! I’m a twit?!? You must be a Brit! That’s some pretty rough language! I know how to copy paste a link you twit! (I like using the word...twit! ) Thanks for that! : )
KavikI told my new best friend @RayF he could easily find the video on YouTube. I didn’t think he seriously wanted me to paste the link here. He called me a twit! The nerve! : )
KavikI thought this was interesting. I took a screen shot of a video on YouTube, where he did what you did...he made a chart of the colors achieved at various voltage settings. I need to get a variable power supply!
DougFLA123Me too. I just can't justify the cost for a couple knives. I've been searching around for affordable 120VDC variable power supply. Maybe Santa Claus will get my letter and bring me one.
DougFLA123Actually, I'd seen that video a few months back and a couple of others too, but it's the principal of the thing: reference a video--post the link. To do otherwise is simply bad form!
RayFLoL. I’m still not sure if you’re serious or not. It’s so easy to find this stuff on YouTube. I’m starting to question YOUR googling skills! I will paste the link here just to prove to you that I can do it! My googling, and copy/paste skills are legendary!
DougFLA123Very nicely copied and pasted: exceptional clarity and color rendition, theatre-quality audio reproduction--an outstanding performance (10 out of 10 points awarded)!
We look forward to hearing you acceptance speech at the Oscar presentations this coming March!
DougFLA123@Gunnersmate2 This is the one I got:
TekPower TP12001X 120V DC Variable Switching Power Supply Output 0-120V @1A, Digital Display With Back Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PX90PIU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_43SIBbFNSSCDK
Not cheap at $140, but far from the high end of the spectrum. Hoping it holds up as long as the higher end ones
It's the same brand as my buddy has in a 30v unit, he's been using it hard for close to a year for etching steel, and it's still running strong
JonasHeinemanI’d take the price jump for an improved steel. I’m not much of an S90V or Elmax guy, but there’s plenty of others I’d like to see. Namely 20-CV, 204-P, or M390. That would be worth the $75+ price hike.
Oh, and for the love of god, will you please use your cool guy connections and finally get me a BBM?!
KavikThanks for the info. I'm hesitant on getting one for fear of becoming even more obsessed with titanium knives and having my obsession turn to all things titanium.
Gunnersmate2It doesn't have to JUST be about titanium.....you can also use it to etch other metals, or do some electroplating 😁😁
Lol i get your point though
JonasHeinemanJonas my man, Elmax is very good with edge retention but still not a true hastle to resharpen. Worth any price hike, in my humble opinion.
BenjaboolyEven though it's not much more expensive than S35VN, WE doesn't normally use it, so it would probably end up being a much bigger price hike than the difference in performance warrants. Like $50-60 more, which to me doesn't seem worth it given the overall satisfactory performance of S35VN.
DougFLA123I also would like to see some different blade steel options. Not for performance, S35VN is great steel, just for something different. Plus I like to do my own comparisons between the different steels. Gives me a reason to slice and dice.
OmniseedBrother, I always meet you here, and always seem to feel the need to agree with every word you type. Also, (and I mean this all in a very respectful way). But for the new guys, seriously take in what this man says. We’ve done this collecting thing for a while, and I can definitely 100% say that Omni has quoted the nearly identical price bump you would see if WE custom ordered in Elmax (as it’s not an on hand steel they keep inventory on)
DougFLA123I have a spyderco native 5 with S110V steel and its awesome. Compared to another spyderco with vg10 it is noticeably harder and retains an edge for a remarkably longer time. It is harder to sharpen but I have diamond stones so it's not an issue. I haven't had any issues with corrosion on any of the new "super steels".
Gunnersmate2I forgot that I purchased the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 Blue/Purple with CPM-S110V a couple of months ago, so the only steel blade I don’t have is S90V. I‘ve been wanting a blade in every steel since I started collecting knives, so I’m getting close!
DougFLA123I want(need) to obtain S90V, Elmax, and M4. There is so many new super steel's out there I don't know if I'll ever get them all. I will enjoy trying. I'm waiting on a spyderco delica with "super gold" steel that dropped a few months back.
Gunnersmate2I have knives made with RWL34 (Reate), Elmax (ZT) and M4 (Benchmade). I like them all a lot. They all came razor sharp so I’ve never needed to sharpen them. I’m not a hard use guy, I’m a slice paper, flick ‘em open and closed while I watch tv, and admire them kind of guy. I have some beaters, but Reate, ZT and Benchmade are not beaters (to me).
DougFLA123I just got the Tashi Prism with RWL34 and it came surgical sharp. I feel the same regarding my knives. I have a Byrd, Kershaw, and a Benchmade for my work knives. My other knives are works of art to me. I do use and carry them but I always have a work knive with me.
DougFLA123They [manufactures] must buy in bulk.😏
I wonder if the different steels require any special or different equipment to work. I'm sure the tempering/heat treatment process is different between the various steel
OmniseedMy man, can i refer you to my idea over here (https://www.massdrop.com/talk/9351/would-anyone-else-like-an-italian-collab) of a lionsteel or viper collab? They are both amazing as manufacturing and have easier access to Elmax. Honestly I am just biased to that one steel, and have no idea quite why. I only have it on a zt 0562 and 0770.
DougFLA123It was a pain in the ass, but thanks lol
Still have a few more to do, will add them as i go, but life's been busy.... Haven't reviewed the Buc or Prism yet even 🙄
Gunnersmate2Yes, WE uses M390 as much as they use S35VN, so I don’t know why some of these Massdrop x Ferrum Forge x WE knife Co collaborations don’t use M390 once in a while.
KavikIn the photos do you notice anything interesting about the Tech Saber to explain the minor price difference? I'm wondering if that $5 over circuit board is for contouring or something else I'm not seeing.
OmniseedHaving connection issues, so sorry if this message is a duplicate
But I think (hard to say for sure with these mid-resolution pics) it looks like the vertical lines on the Saber are domed, as opposed to the straight cut lines in the circuit board.
I'm guessing that makes it a two step milling process, possibly with two different bits required?
OmniseedAre you in on this Dao drop? I’m having such a tough time deciding. I already own a Buc that has a gray handle w/blue pocket clip & backspacer, so the plain gray is out, and maybe the plain blue is out. I think the Tech Saber is out because the Circuit Board design looks cooler to me. I don’t know! 😳
KavikThat could do it, the circuit board pattern is definitely done with pretty straightforward cuts, so having domed striations or ridges would be a neat trick.
@DougFLA123 not yet, still taking my time trying to decide between the two milling styles. The Buc is my favorite so far and I'm definitely getting one of the two in green and gold.
It looks like maybe the Tech Saber is blasted like the blue Buc and gray Crux, while the Circuit Board looks to be smooth like the bronze Buc and blue/bronze Crux.
Also the Grampus looks like a variation of the Lion, which is an awesome beater knife and I bet the Grampus is just as good.
DougFLA123Well, I finally joined.
Ended up just sticking with the plain grey....have a couple ideas for the custom anodizing, and PLENTY of time to finalize the designs lol
KavikThat’s great that you have the flexibility and the ability to anodize! I was torn...I have a gray Buc, so the gray Dao was out, because the two knives look very similar to me. I wanted one of the milled handles, but wasn’t all that wild about the green and gold (I really wish there was a bronze and blue or blue and bronze milled option). So, anyway, to make a long story short, as if that’s possible at this point, it was down to the plain bronze w/blue clip, the gray circuit board or the green and gold circuit board. I ended up going with the green and gold circuit board. I hope I don’t regret it. I don’t normally go for the golds and the greens when it comes to handles, I usually go for bronze, blue, gray or black handles. I’m sure I’ll like it. It will definitely stand out among my other knives! 😳
DougFLA123Well, the great thing about titanium is that you can always easily have it stripped and anodized a different color down the road if you really can't stand it 👍
I'm actually a real big fan of the green with bronze undertones (as seen in pic #9)...but I didn't love the boldness of the circuit board pattern in the end.
I think they should've offered that as a color choice on the plain.
I think that will end up being the base colors for mine, with some main design piece worked into it on the flat
Now I just need to buy a vibratory tumbler too, to create that same aged/weathered look LOL
KavikIt’s funny that you mention the green with bronze undertones in pic #9, because that‘s the pic that sold me on getting the green with gold. I thought if that’s what the green looks like then I may end up liking this knife a lot. I think you’re right that they should have offered the knife in that green. It’s a very cool looking color/effect.
KavikI finally ordered a variable dc power supply and I'm excited to experiment with anodizing titanium. I'm glad this forum is here. I would have never tried my hand at customizing my knives without seeing everyone's outcomes with it. So to everyone who has posted pics of their work, thank you.
Gunnersmate2Good for you on getting a power supply! It should be fun experimenting on strips of titanium and aluminum...before you get to actual knife handles. I really like the way black anodized aluminum looks.
DougFLA123I haven't looked into aluminum anodizing tooooo much yet, but from watching a couple brief videos, it's a very different process using dyes, not just electricity like titanium is
@Gunnersmate2Have fun man, and share pics. But above all, BE SAFE!
These things get into lethal levels of electricity. Be sure to understand and follow reasonable safety measures 👍
KavikI didn’t realize that the anodizing process for titanium and aluminum were so different!
When you made the anodized strips of titanium “necklace”, did you buy the titanium in strips or did you buy a piece of titanium and cut it into strips?
KavikSafety first. No joke! Thanks for the info regarding the ti wire and for the inspiration. Do you use the rust remover to clean the titanium before anodizing? If not what's your prep process before anodizing?( if you don't mind sharing info)
Gunnersmate2I can't take the credit, I'm sure I must have seen it done somewhere else lol
I'm really not an expert to be giving out too much advice yet, still learning as I go
But yes, I have used the Whink rust remover to prep surfaces, and to strip previous anodization attempts, if going for a matte finish.
You can also do things like scrubbing with a scotchbrite pad for a more satin/brushed finish.
You can wet sand and buff for polished finishes.
Sand blasting, paint stripping disks, wire wheels, rock tumblers.... All these things can be used for different effects, I've barely scratched the surface on the different methods I want to try
KavikWhink rust remover, I couldn't remember the name of it. Thanks. Practice makes perfect and I have sand paper, buffing wheels, tumbler with a plethora of different media. I'll just have to experiment and find what I like. (I'm going to be divorced soon if i keep at this)lol
Gunnersmate2Lol don't let it get that far haha
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with though 👍
I'll be investing in a cheap tumbler and a dedicated buffer soon myself
Gunnersmate2Did a quick "proof of concept" experiment today, just thought I'd share
Etched in Whink to remove the last experiment, then anodized the whole piece at 65vdc
Then hit the edges with a pretty frayed old steel wire brush chucked up in the drill press, running slow at around 600rpm, real light touch on the edge of the wheel
Cleaned off with glass cleaner
Then re-etched at 11vdc to fill in the scratch pattern
search
Needs some fine tuning. You can see I hit way more in some parts than others (sometimes intentionally, but mostly not lol)
I might try a larger diameter wire wheel, or using the lathe instead of the press for a lower speed and more control. And might also be easier to control the amount of scratches if I plucked the wheel a bit so there are way fewer wires hitting with each rotation.
But, again, just as a proof of concept, it has potential for a different effect then the usual tumbled look I think.
Gunnersmate2Agreed 😁
I think it'll be worth starting with a new wheel and "destroying" it by cutting out about 3/4 of the wires, but keeping the rest straight.
One of my biggest issues was the wires that were splayed out around the edge of the brush would hit and grab at the edges, or leave unpredictable, curved scratches instead of nice, controlled, parallel lines
Then again......maybe just a hand held wire brush would be easier to control than a wire wheel
KavikDo you know if you can 1) anodize the entire handle to give it a base foundation, 2) cut out a design in some kind of masking/etching tape, 3) apply the tape to expose only what you want to anodize next, 4) use whink on the cut out portions to strip the previous anodization, 5) anodize the cutout portions a different color. I‘ve never anodized so I don’t know if any of that is possible.
DougFLA123I don't know if tape/vinyl holds up to etching in Whink or not, haven't tried that yet
But it is done all the time for the anodizing bath, yes.
My sister has a Cri-Cut machine. I had her make me a vinyl cutout of the Kizer logo to try something on the Alter Ego, but I haven't settled on colors yet, so I haven't tried
You have to think a little differently though.
Higher voltage will color over lower voltage, but lower won't color over higher.
So, say you want a purple (65v) handle with a gold (11v) smiley face in the middle of it
(don't quote me on those voltages, I'm not home where my anodizing stuff is)
You would do the whole handle on the lower voltage first, 11v Gold.
Then you would mask off (cover) the area you want to KEEP gold, then do the whole thing again at the higher voltage, 65v Purple and it will color everything that isn't masked
If you wanted the opposite, 11v Gold handle and 65v purple smiley face, you would still do the lower voltage first on the whole handle, then mask off everything BUT the smiley face, and dip it again at 65v
Of course, this is where it starts getting to be problematic, masking a whole handle with curves and edges and getting ZERO gaps
So, you could use a vinyl/electrical tape mask you make to cover just around the area to get a clean pattern, then use something like nail polish to paint the rest of the handle
OR....... You could switch things up completely.
Use the bath method to do the whole handle for the base, then change over to....I don't know what to call it, so I'll just use the term "painting method"
With a bath the water is negative and your piece is connected to the positive.
To "paint" directly onto a piece you connect the positive directly to the handle, then connect the negative to a wet sponge, or qtip or whatever, and you can control where it touches, vs dipping the whole thing
Here's a screen shot to better explain. This guy is etching a maker's mark in steel, with a template cut out from tape, but it's the same concept:
KavikThat’s pretty cool. The reason I asked was because I’ve etched printed circuit boards (a long time ago), where you apply a temporary mask that protects the lands/paths that you want to keep. You then apply acid to remove the unwanted/unprotected copper from the circuit board. Then you pull off the tape/mask and you’re left with the desired copper lands/paths that you wanted to keep.
With the Dao, how do you think they achieved the gold on the flat surface, and the green in the milled out sections? They do the green first I imagine, then the gold? I wish they would show the process of achieving the green with gold. It’s very interesting. I can’t imagine them spending a lot of time masking off hundreds of these handles.
Gunnersmate2I would assume it was an alligator clip on a lead, holding the sponge
You wouldn't want to have a hidden wire buried in the sponge because you never want to risk touching the lead directly to the metal
DougFLA123No mask needed there
The green is a high voltage color, the gold is lower
So they do the whole thing in green, then machine or sand or polish off the flat surface, then they can dunk the whole batch back in at the lower voltage to get the gold without affecting the green
Still a multi step process, which explains the additional cost of those models... But yeah, no masking required
DougFLA123We should probably break some of this out of this individual knife thread and start a discussion post just about DIY anodizing, where we can all share pics and info and ask questions....and get more exposure on the topic
I know there's a few other people here that do their own, but gonna have to do some digging to remember who they are and tag them in
I'll try to find some time to do that in the next few days
KavikI agree. I always feel bad about going away from discussing the knife being dropped and talking about something that’s totally unrelated. Even though I do think a lot of people enjoy learning about the anodization process.
@Bflying did an incredible job anodizing his Zero Tolerance knives.
Here is some of his work that was on display almost 6 months ago when they dropped the ZT0801BW and here I am using up space unrelated to the Dao drop.😟
JonasHeinemanSo I missed the original drop which I'm really bummed about because I was waiting to get paid and completely slipped my mind. If I order after they drop but still pick one up before you sell 1200 will I get one that is serialized?
Jacob_sIf you're still interested, due to some unforeseen circumstances I'm going to have to sell mine as soon as it comes in. I ordered a green/gold saber pattern if you're interested. I think I could even change my shipping address so it goes straight to you