Help...Please.

[malikai]

Well my friend thought it'd be wise to stick my hunting knife into our bonfire last night...Well he got it red hot, and then when it cooled, the tip of the knife was all black, (no longer steel colored). So now my favorite and ONLY hunting knife is tarnished with this black crap. And I've tried everything to get it out, scrubbing etc... Do any of you guys know how to get rid of these stains???

Thanks,

Joe

[buckee]

I hate to say this, but he also took the temper out of the steel by doing that
You'll probably find it doesn't hold it's edge now, as good as it used to.

[malikai]

God dangit, Now I gotta buy a new knife. Im never letting anyone else touch my hunting equipment again.

So its hopeless right?

[buckee]

I'm not a steel temper expert, but to temper steel, it has to be heated up to glowing red, and then quenched in a coolant of some sort like water, oil, etc. Some tempers are so hard, you can't hardly file it. The rate at which it cools is what tempers it. If it's just allowed to cool in the air, the metal becomes soft and loses what temper it did have..
Your friend ain't to bright...LOL I'd say He owes you a knife But don't be too angry with him. He probably didn't know any better.

[LifeNRA]

I'm not a steel temper expert, but to temper steel, it has to be heated up to glowing red, and then quenched in a coolant of some sort like water, oil, etc. Some tempers are so hard, you can't hardly file it. The rate at which it cools is what tempers it. If it's just allowed to cool in the air, the metal becomes soft and loses what temper it did have..
Your friend ain't to bright...LOL I'd say He owes you a knife But don't be too angry with him. He probably didn't know any better.

Yes, this is true. I used to heat temper steel while being a machinist in my early years. But instead of you buying a new knife, make him buy you a new knife and give him the old one!

[malikai]

Hahah yeah Ill probably do that. He deserves it haha. Thanks for all the help guys.

[dlriggins]

if you know a blacksmith he would be able to help you with the temper as far as just getting the stain out of your knife go to the local parts store and get a sheet of crocus cloth for about a dollar at Car Quest wet polish the knife until color comes back and finish polish with a good paste metal polish like Meguires billet or Noxon this should bring the color close to what it was from the factory. The temper on the other hand is a whole other matter it has been a while but if memory serves me heat the blade until red remove from heat and quickly wire brush as the metal cools you should see color lines that are blue brown etc. when the metal at the cutting edge turns brown quench with water (not oil as this can cause flash fire)
Hope this helps if not your buddy should buy you a new one (unless your friends are like mine in which case you should buy your own)