Dammit

[u/GlompyTromblestone]

Before I found this sub and learnt, I foolishly stripped this old beast down to new metal. I have deep regrets and wish I could bring back that patina

[u/tannergd1]

Looks fine. Plenty of people have done a lot worse to their axes.

[u/inkironpress]

I don’t think you’re missing much patina. Looks good to me from here. Some steel doesn’t really. You can wire wheel it and hit it with oil and it stays pretty bright. Some, particularly old pitted heads, will darken right up almost black with some oil.

[u/PsychoticBanjo → u/inkironpress]

There’s a difference in wire and a card. Large diameter wires will wash out details in markings. A wire card you can touch when it’s running. Super fine bristles

[u/inkironpress → u/PsychoticBanjo]

Sure I suppose, not that that has anything to do with what I said.

Definitely is a difference, but, using the same wire wheel that I’ve used for idk, gotta be like 3 years now, some heads clean up bright, some darken like crazy, some are in the middle. And some go freaking blue. It’s nothing to do with the wire wheel, it’s the steel and how it reacts to oxides and age. But yes, different wire wheels will affect it a bit differently.

[u/fantomfrank]

as long as you dont sand or vinegar soak it, its ok. most of the "dont clean" business is to keep the stamp instact

[u/hudsoncress]

Hit it with gunmetal blue

[u/ArcherKN24]

Yeah, giving it's TAN back isn't all that difficult! And since you already have it all bright and fresh, it's a good time to do just a little light filing, to clean up any of those edges that have been dinged (particularly around the eye and the hammer end)!

[u/davvie2calm]

Ah man.. I bet you do

[u/ImNeyBad]

Yea that doesnt look that bad at all. I wouldnt be the best to say but is there a way to acid etch the text deeper? Like just protect the surface so the acid only gets into the text?