Antique Brass
Antique brass is a finish applied to raw brass to simulate age. An antique brass finish is typically a deep brown with slight variations throughout. Areas of high use like edges are intentionally worn through revealing the underlying golden brass undertones. It’s not a bright, shiny finish but instead its beauty lies in its mellow antiquity.
When naturally occurring, brass reacts with oxygen to create an oxide layer called tarnish. Unlike rust, tarnish is a surface phenomenon that is self-limiting. Only the top few layers of the metal react, and the layer of tarnish seals and protects the underlying layers from reacting. Once this process is complete it is then called patina which takes many years to develop under natural weathering.
For our hardware, a patina is deliberately accelerated by applying chemicals with heat. With proper control this process replicates a natural patina almost exactly.
