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Shiny hardware's just not going to work on a few builds I have coming up. But I also don't want to go the relic route. Brushed chrome or black is too modern looking. I want patina, but don't want it to look like its trying to be from a guitar that's seen 60 years of playing. Perhaps gun bluing is the solution?

Gun bluing is for steel. It’s a kind of controlled oxidation (or at least that is what I’ve always understood it to be). Most guitar hardware has very little iron content. I doubt it would “blue”.


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In the banjo community a lot of folks have used Jax products.

https://jaxchemical.com/product-category/blackeners/

Different products for different base metals.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

Cool! It would be nice to see some results.

Pat

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Pat

Cool, I'll keep that Jax stuff in mind.

I just bought some of the B&C super bluing stuff, it says its for steel, but nickel is also listed on the back. From what I've found online it won't touch chrome, but there should be some effect on nickel plated hardware. I just tried it with a nickel pickguard screw I had lying around and it definitely darkened it. But hard to get any kind of perspective on how it will look on a bigger item. I'll get my courage up later to actually try it on the bridge, and post some pictures when it's done.

So, it's hard to see in the pictures, and probably not as striking or as dark as I was hoping for, but I like how it took the "new" edge off the hardware without going the dull grey route I've often seen when people try and relic hardware with vinegar fumes.