Brass framed AWS Ek1

[gregM]

Both of the crosses That I posted show signs of the cores being
IMO chemically treated. In my photo that started this thread,
you can see remnants of the black paint in the outer corners of
the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock arms. The core is brown but you can
on the high points of the "W" and the crown when bare metal is
showing through. Whatever / however it was treated, it is a very thin
layer. It does show any signs of flaking off like paint would.

My AWS type2 has a non-magnetic core and has large areas where
the paint has flaked of.

[Miro O]

Both of the crosses That I posted show signs of the cores being
IMO chemically treated. In my photo that started this thread,
you can see remnants of the black paint in the outer corners of
the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock arms. The core is brown but you can
on the high points of the "W" and the crown when bare metal is
showing through. Whatever / however it was treated, it is a very thin
layer. It does show any signs of flaking off like paint would.

It is quite correctly observed and described result of chemical blackening. It is indeed a very thin layer of black iron oxyde.
It is in fact chemically treated surface of iron itself, which is the reason why it never flakes off.

Morning I did some reading, and I have found out that chemical blackening is not only the method for optical finish of the iron (as seen on guns and rifles), but sometimes is used as a basic preparation of iron for further painting - as AWS probably did.

As a side note, chemical blackening (either hot or cold) is different from natural blackening as was used on 19th century crosses. These cores were treated with natural resins, which could sometimes leave a thicker layer, and this layer can be also sometimes seen flaking off.

[ww1czechlegion]

I was lucky to see and hold this one in person on Saturday after Greg purchased it.

It was great to see you and your wife again Greg! Congratulations on adding this rare cross to your wonderful collection!

Best Regards,

Alan

[gregM]

Thank you Alan.

[streptile]

Thank you as always Miro for your excellent explanation and research.

Hi Trevor,

Naked iron has silver colour, very similar to stainless steel. Each different colour it takes, is a result of chemical or thermal process. For example iron profiles, like tubes, I-profile, L-profile etc, are always black when they come from production line, but it is result of thermal forming. It is only "skin" of the metal. If this skin gets rust and you mechanically clean that rust, it is not black again, but silver.

If you recall some - mostly TR crosses (from the top of my head 24 comes to mind), when the paint flakes off, you see silver white surface. And if you check the Deschler thread in Crosses of Wehrmacht section, steel plate for iron core is clearly silver - see posts Nr 16,17, 18 - here is the link to the last one
http://wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/s...0&postcount=18

Of course, it can be argumented that AWS could use steel plates covered with that skin. But I think it is not the right argument. At first, this skin would crack to silver basement at least on vertical areas of the relief during stamping.

At second, I have or had AWS pieces which show blackened (dark brown) surface, while the others flake off to clearly blued ones. Here is one example of blued AWS. Letter W is completely without paint, but it is still clearly blued, as well as other areas without paint.

(blackening and blueing is in fact the same process, but by using few different steps and temperature you receive different results in colour and gloss)

[Miro O]

Thank you as always Miro for your excellent explanation and research.