Need help with finishes on C96

[alvin]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

Ollie, nice work! A silk purse created from the proverbial sow's ear!

In memory, I remembered an English phase talking about the relationship between purse and ear... but I could not remember the exact phrase... This must be the one!!

In Chinese, a phrase says "Embroidery on top of hemp made bag", probably carries the similar meaning.

But this base gun was not very bad one to begin with. It did not have serious rust nor pits, its edges were crisp, and its markings were clear. There are many C96s in much worse condition, probably more on "proverbial sow's ear" or "hemp made bag" side. Relatively speaking, this base gun in its original shape was not that bad at all.