The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Faux Color Case Hardening refinish for vaquero

Oliver Sudden · October 16, 2023, 10:45 AM

There’s a lot of misinformation about color case hardening, it doesn’t fade in sunlight or require exotic materials to do. Bone and wood charcoal with water to quench in is the basic supply’s. Details in how you mix the charcoal, shielding, water temperature, furnace temperature and time has to be controlled for predictable results. I’ve done a fair number as part of my hobby with a lot of experiments in the process. Leather, peach pits, chemicals in the pack or quench water aren’t going to change the results.
Some examples all done with these basic materials,

2015-04-29 001 2015-04-29 001 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

2015-08-20 001 2015-08-20 001 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

AA0149F3-4E50-45BB-8CAC-B4D4D9909E96 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

October 16, 2023, 10:45 AM	#16
Oliver Sudden Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 273	There’s a lot of misinformation about color case hardening, it doesn’t fade in sunlight or require exotic materials to do. Bone and wood charcoal with water to quench in is the basic supply’s. Details in how you mix the charcoal, shielding, water temperature, furnace temperature and time has to be controlled for predictable results. I’ve done a fair number as part of my hobby with a lot of experiments in the process. Leather, peach pits, chemicals in the pack or quench water aren’t going to change the results. Some examples all done with these basic materials, 2015-04-29 001 2015-04-29 001 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr 2015-08-20 001 2015-08-20 001 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr AA0149F3-4E50-45BB-8CAC-B4D4D9909E96 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr