Aluma-Brass???

[Brokennock]

Any readily available chemicals or products that will turn aluminum brass colored?

I have a really nice knife with a tang through design and metal end cap. I wasn't sure the material, was hoping it was steel so I could blue it and rub it back to grey. It's aluminum. Tried same technique with B.C. "Alumi-black" but it won't "rub back", it just rubs away, back to where I started.
Brass color would match the brass finger guard.

 

[BrownBear]

It's aluminum.

Any bets on pewter rather than aluminum? Much, much more common on knives.

 

[Brokennock]

No, too light weight for pewter. And, alumi-black turned it black instantly. If pewter it could have a nice grey color, this almost looked chromed to start with, it was so high polished.

 

[BrownBear]

Dunno how you'd determine it's light on the knife, but it's your knife, so carry on.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Any readily available chemicals or products that will turn aluminum brass colored

Krylon. :wink:

Material could also be pot metal.. Aka zinc alloy

You could try brass leaf sheets... :idunno: https://letterheadsignsupply.com/imitation-gold-brass-leaf

 

[Black Hand]

Why are you wanting to change the color?
If needed to make the knife PC/HC, just buy another knife and use the first elsewhere. Seems like a far easier solution, as it is very likely that no matter what you do, it won't be correct anyway.

 

[Artificer]

The other option is to dismantle the "through tang" handle and put a correct one on it. However, it is a very good chance if someone used aluminum in the handle, then it may not or probably won't be a correct blade style, anyway, depending on the period.

Gus

 

[Zonie]

Any readily available chemicals or products that will turn aluminum brass colored?

...

Not that I know of.

Anodized aluminum can be colored any color in the rainbow and many colors that are not but, the process is not cheap or easy and it is only done by a major manufacturer who has the big bucks to pay for the process.

 

[Brokennock]

Thanks to all.
Admittedly, it is not a period knife. But the knowledge base here, where I already frequent, is too great to not utilize.
I just find the mirror bright polish of it obnoxious, and it is an otherwise exquisite higher end knife. Blade is excellent, convex grind and edge are perfect. The handle is great, fits my hand nicely.
It's just that end cap, it makes the knife get left home.

 

[44-henry]

A couple hundred years ago aluminum was one of the rarest metals on the planet, the King and Queen of England dined on aluminum dinnerware while their guests had to be content to eat on silver. If that nonsense doesn't sell you on it I would probably sell or trade it for something that you do want.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Many moons ago there was a method of dying aluminum with water soluble and in-soluble dyes. After a good bit of searching I found you success may depend on locating a copy of "Dyestuffs", Vol. 41, No. 8, December 1956! Oh yeah,,,great help, but good luck! :wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Thanks to all.
Admittedly, it is not a period knife. But the knowledge base here, where I already frequent, is too great to not utilize.
I just find the mirror bright polish of it obnoxious, and it is an otherwise exquisite higher end knife. Blade is excellent, convex grind and edge are perfect. The handle is great, fits my hand nicely.
It's just that end cap, it makes the knife get left home.

hotoSmile:

 

[Stumpkiller]

If it is by chance a Van Adestine knife DO NOT MESS with the aluminum.

They are VERY collectible.
http://www.yostaction.com/vanadestine.html


Someone mentioned earlier Aluminum used to be a rare metal. Nah. It's an element and there is no more on Earth now than there was millions of years ago. Just in a slightly different form. ;-) Before electric furnaces it was difficult to get large pieces of good purity.

 

[Brokennock]

Sorry, haven't replaced photobucket yet.

 

[Brokennock]

It's a Bark River limited edition prototype "Nomad."

Really nice knife, great steel, fantastic edge, they do such a great job on a full convex grind. Very handy size, almost feels delicate, but ain't.

I knocked the shine back with some 1,000 grit sand paper and steel wool.

 

[Brokennock]

Just for giggles, let's see if this works, s1167.photobucket.com/user/Brokennock/library/Bark River Limited Edition?sort=2&page=1

 

[Brokennock]

Assuming the link works when copied and pasted, that is the knife as received from the original owner who clearly never used it. The sheath was an insult to the knife and Bark River replaced it with a much nicer sheath at no cost even though I'm not the original owner.