Strawing Question

Pistol · 12-22-2009, 10:34 PM

Should a matching gun like this be re-strawed?

Can you tell from the photos the % straw and blue?

FNorm · 12-23-2009, 07:57 AM

If it were mine, I'd leave it along. Looks fine to me.

FN

alanint · 12-23-2009, 08:15 AM

Agreed,

This is honest wear and the gun looks very nice to me. An overly done strawing will stand out against the condition of the blue and make it suspicious to any buyer-collector.

Dwight Gruber · 12-23-2009, 01:16 PM

Your Luger is in very respectable condition. Any refinishing will reduce its value by more than half.

--Dwight

lugerholsterrepair · 12-23-2009, 02:07 PM

I hate to go against the grain here but what would be the problem with restoring the pistol to it's original condition?
It's already been reblued once. The straw covered over with blue.
The strawed parts being blue look bad to me. I would restraw them.

Jerry Burney

Norme · 12-23-2009, 02:25 PM

Hi Jerry, I don't think the strawed parts have been blued. They still look straw to me, with the exception of the safety which has turned gray. These aren't the best pictures so I could be wrong.
Seasons Greetings, Norm

Ron Wood · 12-23-2009, 02:31 PM

It may be just my old eyes, but the only strawed part that appears blued is the thumb safety, and that may be just a quirk of the lighting. And, from the photos it doesn't look like a re-blued gun to me. I would need some better quality photos to say for sure, but right now I tend to line up with the leave it alone idea.

lugerholsterrepair · 12-23-2009, 06:13 PM

If the pistol has NOT been reblued, and I agree with Ron..it dosen't appear to be I would leave it be. Looks like some of the small parts are blue...

The grips look pretty durn nice! Do they match?

Jerry Burney

alanint · 12-23-2009, 10:09 PM

I think the pistol is 100% original.

I have found that safeties tend to turn dark from constant contact with acid from fingers flicking it on and off over countless years.

MFC · 12-23-2009, 11:32 PM

The tip of the ejector looks like it's broken off. They aren't numbered, so you can replace it with another original that hopefully has matching straw finish on it.

Pistol · 12-24-2009, 10:13 AM

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I don't think it has been reblued. In fact, I'm 99.9% sure it has not. This is the gun I originally posted about back in August. See thread for more photos: You can see the halo efffect in the serial numbers. Another cool thing I have learned from this very informative site.

Jerry - this is the one with the AWM 1911 Holster I emailed you about on the best way to protect and/or clean. I took your suggestion and it now appears to be a dark brown to burgandy color. I also cleaned the grips using the method recommended in a Lugerforum thread. They look new. The grim cleaned off nicely.

Thanks everyone. I'm just trying to learn more about the gun and lugers in general. And this forum has been great. I still have an unexperienced eye for determining blue and straw percent, but I figured the remaing straw was low due to the graying on some parts.

Pistol · 12-29-2009, 10:19 PM

Here are a couple more photos. The safety is mostly gray, but you can see a hint of straw. Mag release button is pretty gray as well. Sorry photos are not the best.

Since my post I read other old posts about strawing. Probably best not to re-straw in this instance.

12-22-2009, 10:34 PM	#1
Pistol User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: TN Posts: 430 Thanks: 451 Thanked 221 Times in 100 Posts	Strawing Question Should a matching gun like this be re-strawed? Can you tell from the photos the % straw and blue? Attached Images Last edited by Pistol; 09-29-2020 at 08:57 PM.

12-23-2009, 02:07 PM	#5
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,775 Thanks: 4,995 Thanked 3,133 Times in 1,439 Posts	I hate to go against the grain here but what would be the problem with restoring the pistol to it's original condition? It's already been reblued once. The straw covered over with blue. The strawed parts being blue look bad to me. I would restraw them. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

12-23-2009, 02:31 PM	#7
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,035 Thanks: 1,106 Thanked 5,242 Times in 1,719 Posts	It may be just my old eyes, but the only strawed part that appears blued is the thumb safety, and that may be just a quirk of the lighting. And, from the photos it doesn't look like a re-blued gun to me. I would need some better quality photos to say for sure, but right now I tend to line up with the leave it alone idea. __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

12-23-2009, 06:13 PM	#8
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,775 Thanks: 4,995 Thanked 3,133 Times in 1,439 Posts	If the pistol has NOT been reblued, and I agree with Ron..it dosen't appear to be I would leave it be. Looks like some of the small parts are blue... The grips look pretty durn nice! Do they match? Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

12-23-2009, 11:32 PM	#10
MFC User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Louisiana Posts: 1,237 Thanks: 183 Thanked 281 Times in 162 Posts	The tip of the ejector looks like it's broken off. They aren't numbered, so you can replace it with another original that hopefully has matching straw finish on it. __________________ Mike C.

12-23-2009, 07:57 AM	#2
FNorm Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 978 Thanks: 68 Thanked 127 Times in 108 Posts	If it were mine, I'd leave it along. Looks fine to me. FN

12-23-2009, 08:15 AM	#3
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	Agreed, This is honest wear and the gun looks very nice to me. An overly done strawing will stand out against the condition of the blue and make it suspicious to any buyer-collector.

12-23-2009, 01:16 PM	#4
Dwight Gruber User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,908 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1,330 Times in 435 Posts	Your Luger is in very respectable condition. Any refinishing will reduce its value by more than half. --Dwight

12-23-2009, 02:25 PM	#6
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,417 Thanks: 226 Thanked 2,607 Times in 933 Posts	Hi Jerry, I don't think the strawed parts have been blued. They still look straw to me, with the exception of the safety which has turned gray. These aren't the best pictures so I could be wrong. Seasons Greetings, Norm

12-23-2009, 10:09 PM	#9
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	I think the pistol is 100% original. I have found that safeties tend to turn dark from constant contact with acid from fingers flicking it on and off over countless years.

12-24-2009, 10:13 AM	#11
Pistol User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: TN Posts: 430 Thanks: 451 Thanked 221 Times in 100 Posts	Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I don't think it has been reblued. In fact, I'm 99.9% sure it has not. This is the gun I originally posted about back in August. See thread for more photos: You can see the halo efffect in the serial numbers. Another cool thing I have learned from this very informative site. Jerry - this is the one with the AWM 1911 Holster I emailed you about on the best way to protect and/or clean. I took your suggestion and it now appears to be a dark brown to burgandy color. I also cleaned the grips using the method recommended in a Lugerforum thread. They look new. The grim cleaned off nicely. Thanks everyone. I'm just trying to learn more about the gun and lugers in general. And this forum has been great. I still have an unexperienced eye for determining blue and straw percent, but I figured the remaing straw was low due to the graying on some parts. Last edited by Pistol; 09-10-2023 at 11:50 AM.

12-29-2009, 10:19 PM	#12
Pistol User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: TN Posts: 430 Thanks: 451 Thanked 221 Times in 100 Posts	Here are a couple more photos. The safety is mostly gray, but you can see a hint of straw. Mag release button is pretty gray as well. Sorry photos are not the best. Since my post I read other old posts about strawing. Probably best not to re-straw in this instance. Attached Images Last edited by Pistol; 09-10-2023 at 11:50 AM.