Can you darken Brass Talon zipper into antique brass color? How?

[Kfz]

If anyone tried? If yes how to keep chemical from soaking into leather? What’s the results? Pictures? Thanks

 

[Guppy]

Time.

 

[navetsea]

I tried on brass pen and belt buckle, with mustard and salt, just put mustard on the metal and sprinkle a bit of salt, let it sit in the sun for few hours and wipe it off, I have no idea how if its done on zipper or how to protect to not darken the leather around it. I guess you can carefully use qtip to apply the mustard. on separate project I got a good result "antiguing" copper rivets into dark brown on my denim jacket by spraying the jacket with dettol antiseptic as a way to keep it sanitary with less washing, perhaps it might work on brass too

 

[handymike]

It has to be solid brass, but if it is you can rub nail polish remover on it to remove the lacquer. It will then tarnish over time (pretty quickly with handling). There is also a chemical “darkener” available.
https://brassager.com/product/brass-darkening-solution-2

 

[roadking04]

Time.

I don't think brass stays shiny very long. My new jacket that I got on Jan 21 is already starting to look dull. My hardware was bright and shiny when I first got it.

 

[handymike]

Some of the repro versions will shine forever. Waldes makes a version in un-laquered solid brass that tarnishes beautifully.

 

[Bamaboots]

Boiled eggs will do it but not sure how it could be applied to a zipper.

 

[Nykwil]

bowl of vinegar with a bit of salt

brush a lil vinegar and salt solution on the brass parts you want to darken.

Edit: you can search for videos about this on youtube if you're skeptical.

 

[handymike]

I discovered this stuff yesterday:

 

[Claybertrand]

The Vinegar + Salt method DOES work after leaving it in the sun a few times I have antinqued a set of 3 NOS Brass Talon zippers. It takes a few days I would say. BUT these were uninstalled zippers so it was very easy to apply the vinegar and salt then place them in the sun. No issue with the leather potentially being damaged. The Mustard Method sounds like the same method but the emulsified mustard as more of cream would cling to the metal better than a liquid solution.

I wonder if you might be able to use the Mustard Method (by the way----I call dibs on 'The Mustard Method" as a future band name......) but sort of mask off the rest of the jacket carefully with some painter's tape---i.e. Frog Tape or at the very least the Blue tape. These types of tapes have different glues so that they can be removed from painted surfaces and not peel the paint off. They also leave little to no glue residue if removed within a day or 2.

Of course, you may risk walking around smelling like a Hot Dog Cart........ But then again, maybe some chicks are into that!!??? Just sayin.......

@handymike's product could be very helpful if it leans toward more of a cream or gel consistency for use on a zipper that is on a jacket. If its watery---its the same sort of thing as using the vinegar and salt---you can't keep it on the metal for sure.

 

[robinsongreen68]

bumping this thread, did anyone ever try this? i find the brass zipper on my aero a bit bright. i had the idea i'd get all the hardware swapped out but then realised how much that would cost.

 

[Nacho]

bumping this thread, did anyone ever try this? i find the brass zipper on my aero a bit bright. i had the idea i'd get all the hardware swapped out but then realised how much that would cost.

Give it a try, brother. Just buy some cheap brass hardware and get down and dirty. You don’t need to wait on others for the confirmation. Go find out for yourself and report back if you’re so inclined. That’s how you learn and gain experience in this hobby. For everything in life really.

 

[MrProper]

bumping this thread, did anyone ever try this? i find the brass zipper on my aero a bit bright. i had the idea i'd get all the hardware swapped out but then realised how much that would cost.

Just wait a little while. It won't take long and they will darken on their own.

 

[Aloysius]

Horrified to read of someone above distressing NOS brass Talon zippers to look fake vintage.

 

[robinsongreen68]

Just wait a little while. It won't take long and they will darken on their own.

this thing is 20 years old! (but hasnt been worn much). i suspect it wont dull much further by itself

 

[robinsongreen68]

Give it a try, brother. Just buy some cheap brass hardware and get down and dirty. You don’t need to wait on others for the confirmation. Go find out for yourself and report back if you’re so inclined. That’s how you learn and gain experience in this hobby. For everything in life really.

i meant the zipper that is on the jacket right now. just a bit wary of messing around and staining the leather!

to be clear, i'm not looking for a fake vintage effect as such, more just dulling the brass shine. everything else i wear is silver so the brass hardware triggers my ocd a little. but as for so much in life, perhaps the answer is just not to worry about it

 

[Edward]

Horrified to read of someone above distressing NOS brass Talon zippers to look fake vintage.

It wouldn't be my choice, certainly. Horses for courses, of course - as long as it doesn't lead to a jacket later - and in non-TFL hands, obvs - being passed off as older than it really is.

I've had Aeros with both the antique brass, and the shiny. The former I think have some sort of lacquer treatment to achieve the effect (or had; they were pre-2012 purchases, so Ken may have changed that). They do have that 'dulled down' look that some desire, though tbh it looks too pronounced to be 'real' to me. Reminds me of when I was a Saturday Boy in a hardware store, selling door brasses, letter plates, that sort of thing. The 'antiqued' stuff never looked quite 'real', more like a thin layer of a darker lacquer had been sprayed over it. Then there was a lot of stuff that had a 'bright' finish - raw brass which had been clear-lacquered to keep its shine. That stuff looked great for a few years ,but in a coastal village the salt air did a number on the lacquer, and there were times people came back a few years after original purpose and wanted to replace for that reason, or sometimes bought a stripper to take the varnish off so they could just polish it. My Aero bright zip on my HWM (an Apprentice Made model, 2012 - before they had the AM Robin Hood label; mine carries the blue label - from the period when Ken took on a bunch of new trainees as he rebuilt the company post the Lauder Years) has, over time, dulled a little such that it looks genuinely older, but not "fake seventy-years" old.

TL/DR: if it's untreated, raw brass, leave it alone and let nature take its course.

If you really must accelerate the process, something designed for use in the film & theatre industry is probably your best bet in terms of not causing damage to the leather as well. With some hardware, I suppose you could try the old trick we used back in the day with wargaming miniatures we wanted to "antique" rather than paint: coat the desired metal in black gloss acrylic paint, leave to stand for one minute, then buff off the higher areas with a soft cloth to desired effect. I don't think I'd risk this with zipper teeth, though, lest it gum them up and degrade functionality.

 

[robinsongreen68]

^thanks i might give that acrylic paint thing a go! i should've specified its not the teeth that bug me, just the tab/pull thing. so a very small surface really

 

[Nacho]

i meant the zipper that is on the jacket right now. just a bit wary of messing around and staining the leather!

to be clear, i'm not looking for a fake vintage effect as such, more just dulling the brass shine. everything else i wear is silver so the brass hardware triggers my ocd a little. but as for so much in life, perhaps the answer is just not to worry about it

Ah I see. Little thing like this is fun to try out on your own. You’ll learn a thing or two.

But if you have serious jacket problems involving time and money, fee free to ask questions. People here are happy to help with that for sure.

I see that you’re new here. Welcome to the Lounge, friend.

 

[MrProper]

this thing is 20 years old! (but hasnt been worn much). i suspect it wont dull much further by itself

Interesting. Mine was new and it went relatively quickly. It's not quite as dark as the artificially aged ones, but I also like it much better.