Anyone who hasn't done so should take a look at San Diego Fred's post. And then eightbore's. Collectors are very interested in the legacy of the original for want of a better term. There is a dilution of that legacy by even the more reputable restoration efforts so it's understandable why tinkers, fools, and mercenaries who "know better" aren't encouraged. Three major points have been made again and again in the many discussions of case color restoration here. 1) Traditional case hardening processes produce a surface appearance incidental to the rationale for hardening. 2)Supposedly accurate and correct replicaton of those processes at the present day are seen to produce distortion, subsequent problems of fit, and possibly changes to the molecular structure in frames rehardened. 3)The Ithaca/Perazzi heat/chemical "imitation" as well as Dr. Gaddy's method are frequently alluded to but not spelled out in specifics.
Now about that third "attractive and harmless" alternative. Is somebody or some interest suppressing it? Does it really produce results worth the trouble? Faced with a shiny expanse of Chromox, I've dug out the Oxpho-blue and the hair dryer. A few grey puddles are an improvement in my opinion but I'd like something a bit more colorful (authenticity aside) which doesn't involve the nominal bargains at Ohio Color Case, the very dear work of Mr. Turnbull, or the frame-frying heat-colors of the torchies.
jack
