There is a world of difference in the appearance of case hardened parts and color-case hardened parts. Case hardening is used to give a part an extremely hard finish, while color-casehardening is done mostly for the beauty and unique colored patterns left on the steel. The colors in color-case hardening will vary by the types and ratio of organic charcoal used in the process, as well as the composition of the steel being color-casehardened. The quenching method will also vary the colors and patterns of the process. Most manufacturers gave their color-casehardened parts a lacquer coating to intensity the colors. While not a particularily durable finish, the color-casehardening is hard to match for beauty.
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