Aging A Brass Hilt

[Jas. Hook]

I have a 1740's hanger with a brass hilt and don't know what type of brass that was used in its construction. Once cleaned of the factory coating it just didn't seem to age any and stayed too bright to suit the subdued appearance I sought.

I was experimenting with a liquid gun bluing on a cutlass blade and some of the solution dribbled on its hilt and darkened the brass. I re-cleaned the hanger's hilt and applied the gun bluing to the hilt and the brass began to darken. It's a bit messy but tne results achieved were quite satisfactory and I now have a hanger more suitable for a formast hand than the swabs on the aft deck.

Jas. Hook

[Captain McCool]

Cool! I've also heard that brass will age very nicely if you let it sit just above a tub of amonia for a while. It depends on how green/crusty you want it though, versus just dark and brownish.

[Matty Bottles]

Yeah, you have to put it in a sealed container, though. A large rubbermaid tub will do, with the ammonia in a small uncovered container, with the hilt suspended above it. Bilgemunky taught me that trick.

[Captain McCool]

I've really got to try that trick. I learned it over on Keep to the Code.

However, Sophisticated Finishes also works pretty well, if you don't mind cheating a little. You can pick it up at places like Michael's.

[wes1761]

Rub the brass with cleaning patches you have run through your Black Powder guns, the fouling does a nice job on brass....

[Jas. Hook]

Cool! I've also heard that brass will age very nicely if you let it sit just above a tub of amonia for a while. It depends on how green/crusty you want it though, versus just dark and brownish.

I'm in the process of using the amonia trick to dull some brass buckles... uffah it sure works quick.

Two days and they look as if they've been around saltwater for months.

As Matty says I used a rubbermaid canister with an old pill vial to hold the amonia.

Jas. Hook

[hurricane]

I'm not sure how that adds to the period nature of the piece. I have had a brass hilted cutlass for 30 years now. It has been dropped into the salt water, been buried in the sand, been left out in the weather, left in the bilge of a ship - just about anything a regular weapon would have undergone and the hilt is still brass in color. If I recall, it was the duty of all sailors (pirates, et al) to keep their weapons in top condition, which would mean 'like new' in most parlance.

Am I missing something here?

-- Hurricane

[Jas. Hook]

I'm not sure how that adds to the period nature of the piece. I have had a brass hilted cutlass for 30 years now. It has been dropped into the salt water, been buried in the sand, been left out in the weather, left in the bilge of a ship - just about anything a regular weapon would have undergone and the hilt is still brass in color. If I recall, it was the duty of all sailors (pirates, et al) to keep their weapons in top condition, which would mean 'like new' in most parlance.

Am I missing something here?

-- Hurricane

I consider it removing or toning down the newness of an item rather than making it look like ancient crap.

Besides the Purser didn't ship along any brick dust.

Jas. Hook

[hurricane]

Gotcha, that makes a lot of sense, Jas. Thanks for the clarification. Love the tips by the way. I have some other pieces that I don't like the shine on and don't want to wait for time to take its course.

-- Hurricane

[MarkG]

I'm not sure how that adds to the period nature of the piece. I have had a brass hilted cutlass for 30 years now. It has been dropped into the salt water, been buried in the sand, been left out in the weather, left in the bilge of a ship - just about anything a regular weapon would have undergone and the hilt is still brass in color. If I recall, it was the duty of all sailors (pirates, et al) to keep their weapons in top condition, which would mean 'like new' in most parlance.

Am I missing something here?

-- Hurricane

That's a big reason that a lot of nautical gear was brass. It doesn't corrode like iron does. So, even it cost more, it was more economical in the long run. Still, there is a difference between shiny brass an brass with a bit of oxidation. Anything more than that looks neglected to me.

Mark

[Jas. Hook]

Gotcha, that makes a lot of sense, Jas. Thanks for the clarification. Love the tips by the way. I have some other pieces that I don't like the shine on and don't want to wait for time to take its course.

-- Hurricane

Hurricane -

I'm a bit ignorant as to the actual chemical reaction between the brass and amonia, it's a bit different than normal oxidation... more deeper. However, a bit of elbow-grease with a scrunge pad and it polishes to a soft luster. I am curious to put a piece of brass in for a week or so and see what happens. Maybe I'll end up with an ancient artifact,

Jas. Hook

[captscurvy_nc]

I have a cutlass with a "simulated" brass hilt. You probably know the one I men. It has a sailboat etched into the curved hilt like a tried sculpture. Don't know what the metal underneath the simulated brass is but I'd be interested to try the amonia trick on it just to see what it does. Would this work for aging a blade as well?

[Captain McCool]

Amonia will eat away the "simulated" brass completely, leaving the copper, pot metal, or whatever it is bare underneath. Or so I've heard.

[captscurvy_nc]

Guess I'll skip that experiment then

[Hawkyns]

I guess I'll start by saying that the only aging a piece needs is use. False aging looks like false aging. Blackening a brass hilt will give an all over patina, it will not show the wear points where your grip would keep the brass polished.

Sweat from your hand will take the newness out of the brass, as well as putting the appropriate wear on the hilt. Use it. If you don't have a battle ready blade or a partner to work with, suspend one of those pool noodles and use it as a practice target for a couple of hours a week. You'll not only age the hilt, but you'll get an idea of just what swinging a cutlass is all about, and build up your arm strength at the same time. If you have a battle ready blade use an old car tire. That will also put some nicks and scrtaches on the blade.

The wear on a blade should not be patina. All steel blades should be kept clean and free of rust and corrosion. The wear you would see on a blade would be scratches and small nicks. Larger nicks would be filed out so as not to create a weak point where the blade will break.

Hawkyns

[hurricane]

As always Hawkyns, good stuff. I've used the noodle idea myself a time or too.

-- Hurricane