My 1900 American Eagle Test

Pete Ebbink · 06-10-2007, 09:04 PM

Vern,

From the variety of photos I 'borrowed' off the Simpsons LTD site, I was trying to show the variation in the extent of the "lines" one can see on factory original rust-blued Lugers.

In some extreme cases, both "lines" are very fuzzy and wide in parts. In others the shape of the "lines" become very narrow and sharp.

Ron Wood has even mentioned in a past posting seeing almost no "lines" on guns in his collection that are factory-finish as well.

I would still support the "hunch" that some silver soldering occurs to hold that piece in place on the frame rail and that a varying-degree of sanding occurred at DWM before the bluing treatment.

As some of the more high end, commercial guns such as carbines and presentation pieces may have gotten more time in the pre-blue prep. stages of getting a gun ready for bluing, those "lines" are less pronounced.

I think the degree of width and fuzziness one sees from gun-to-gun at these "lines" makes sense if a varying degree of residual silver solder along the brazed joints was left during sanding/polishing prep. and that the silver solder left did not take the blueing process as the surrounding areas of metal.

On refinished pieces, I see one or both "lines" totally sanded away to the point where no silver solder remains and the more modern-day re-blue covers it more completely.

The "refinished" Borchardt in the photo I posted above is a pretty obvious attempt by someone to "add back" the lines...probably with a few strokes of a very narrow and fine jeweler's metal file.

If one follows the idea that this part is only pressed into place on the frame rail (i.e. not soldered into place...), how would one explain the wide variation in shape, width, and fuzziness one sees on these two "lines" from gun to gun with factory original finishes ?

06-10-2007, 09:04 PM	#28
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Vern, From the variety of photos I 'borrowed' off the Simpsons LTD site, I was trying to show the variation in the extent of the "lines" one can see on factory original rust-blued Lugers. In some extreme cases, both "lines" are very fuzzy and wide in parts. In others the shape of the "lines" become very narrow and sharp. Ron Wood has even mentioned in a past posting seeing almost no "lines" on guns in his collection that are factory-finish as well. I would still support the "hunch" that some silver soldering occurs to hold that piece in place on the frame rail and that a varying-degree of sanding occurred at DWM before the bluing treatment. As some of the more high end, commercial guns such as carbines and presentation pieces may have gotten more time in the pre-blue prep. stages of getting a gun ready for bluing, those "lines" are less pronounced. I think the degree of width and fuzziness one sees from gun-to-gun at these "lines" makes sense if a varying degree of residual silver solder along the brazed joints was left during sanding/polishing prep. and that the silver solder left did not take the blueing process as the surrounding areas of metal. On refinished pieces, I see one or both "lines" totally sanded away to the point where no silver solder remains and the more modern-day re-blue covers it more completely. The "refinished" Borchardt in the photo I posted above is a pretty obvious attempt by someone to "add back" the lines...probably with a few strokes of a very narrow and fine jeweler's metal file. If one follows the idea that this part is only pressed into place on the frame rail (i.e. not soldered into place...), how would one explain the wide variation in shape, width, and fuzziness one sees on these two "lines" from gun to gun with factory original finishes ?