Restored Damascus

[Bruce Day]

Original Parker color case hardening.

The original colors are difficult to duplicate although I have seen it done. Bone charcoal case coloring does it best although a skilled applicator with the cyanide process can come very close. Cyanide processes do not have to result in tiger stripes and gaudy colors. I am not familiar with other coloring processes.

Highly engraved surfaces do not hold the colors as well as non engraved surfaces, but regardless there is a tendency to get the colors too thick and heavy so that they look painted on. Jay Shachter showed me some of Brad's work at the UP shoot that Jay had on display and I thought it was pretty good.

Its very hard to judge case colors from photos and without the gun in hand, as so much depends upon lighting. For example, the B shown below can under some light conditions look dark whereas it looks light in the below photo.