Brass: how much tarnish is OK?

S

Scott321

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Jul 20, 2016
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So my Buck collection has left me with a few brass versions which by now are showing signs of brownish tarnish (past the yellow tarnish look). Will it hurt the brass to let it get to this level?

I don't mind the tarnish (as a matter of fact, I have a few high-dollar all brass door handles that have that great tarnished look), but am wondering if letting it get to or stay at that level might be harmful. If so, it would also give me an excuse to do a little modding to my FG 112.

Note: I have polished a couple of my Bucks before, I just don't want to do it if I don't have to.
 
I don't polish my brass anymore. I had more than enough of that in the Army, thank you very much.

I kinda like the tarnished brass. It isn't a fingerprint and smudge magnet like a polished brass is.

I've never seen tarnish permanently damage brass or nickel silver.
 
I get the dislike for polishing brass. I still believe cleaning it from acidic sweat and blood etc is a good idear. just soap and water. dry completely. it wont make it shiny but will protect the zinc part of brass from corrosion more than not doing it.
 
I'm a brass polisher personally. Severe tarnish (verdigris) from long term storage in a leather sheath will erode the bolster. I'll see if I can find one to photograph but mostly I don't not store in the sheath.
 
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I took my 112's out for inventory and noticed quite a bit of difference in color..a few were dark chocolate toned that looked good to me.
 
I never have and never will polish mine. Verdigris is corosion, and would get cleaned off, but tarnish is patina, not damaging anything.
 
I'm a fan of tarnished brass. The one thing I don't like it the in between stage when it gets the rainbow tint. I like polished brass as well but it never stays that way since I don't polish it...
 
Heck, I barely clean my brass when I'm reloading (just enough to check for cracking). I never polish my Svea, nor my Trangia. Nor my Bucks.
 
I wipe the brass bolsters with a clean cotton cloth every few weeks or so an$ that seems to hold off the tarnish.
 
I like a nice shiny brass frame. When I had only around 15-20 110’s, I pulled em all out of the case and shined em up. 2 things about it: even though Wrights polish works easy peasy, it’s more tedious work than it is worth and they don’t stay shiny long enough to bother with it.

That being said, I picked up this 5th 3rd years ago on the bay


I sent it for spa and it came back like new. I sent it to good ole plumbrdv in thanks for all the knives he sent me and my daughter. Unfortunately, we lost our good friend to cancer. Last year, his son Ken was going through Dave’s collection and came across it with my name on it. He was kind enough to send it back to me as a keepsake. That spot of corrosion had returned and looked exactly the same. I don’t know if had corroded to deeply or something was spilled on it, causing the blemish. In any event, now if I see any green patina, I clean it just in case.
 
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