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How Does Elmas Make Their Etchings Black?


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On the Elmas pipes inside of the etchings you will notice they are black. Looks badass how the etchings are black and the pipe is brass.

I know you can use liver of sulphur and a few other methods to get the brass to oxidize black but I want to know what Elmas does as it seems to work the best and does not rub off. I found the following photos on their site but don't know much about metal so if anyone can figure out what exactly they are doing in these photos I think it may point me in the right direction.

[img]http://www.elmasnargile.com/en/img/galeri/maks/IMG_0320.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.elmasnargile.com/en/img/galeri/maks/IMG_0321.jpg[/img]

It looks lke they torch some sort of charcoal onto the pipe and then probably shine the outside of the pipe leaving the black inside in the etchings.

Anyone know anything about this sort of stuff?
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The black is just oxidation or patina as far as I can tell. Most of it polished out when I used a dremel with a felt wheel and some metal polish. Some people like the look of the black, but I don't, so I polished it off.

If I had to wager a guess, I would just say elmas pipes are mostly dirty. My Papatya wasn't when I got it, my 628 was. Papataya was shiny, highly detailed, etc. I just think that their normal pipes don't get as much care and attention as the nicer ones do.
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Interesting... I did not know the inside of the etchings were made black intentionally? On the one I owned (the same one I sold to you), there was a black dust on the entire outside of the shank. I thought I had washed all that off pretty good...
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From my findings and research it seems as though it is done intentionally.

In order to get black oxidization on brass, it takes quite a while even more than 4-5 years. I have some pipes that are 7-8 years old and the brass just looks dull, nothing anywhere near black. I believe it is done intentionally to make the etchings and designs show more. BUT, the pipes I mentioned that are old don't have etchings in them. I was thinking maybe moisture and debri gets stuck in the etchings causing quicker oxidization maybe?

If it were dirt it would just come right off, if you pick at it or dig at it with a toothpick nothing comes off, it seems to be in tight contact with the brass so I doubt it's dirt.

But after surfing the web there are tons of solutions and stuff you can put on brass to oxidize it black instantly, then you can shine off the exterior leaving the black inside the etchings.

I ask because my 618 has it but my 628 doesn't have any of it on it and I think it looks far better with black inside the etchings. The 639 I have coming in the mail has it as well.
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The 618 I sold you has it? Hmmm... Got any pics? I do not recall this. I just recall the pipe being super dirty when I got it! Hands were all black and shit.

EDIT: Looking back at my pics, I guess I see what you're talking about:

[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/IMG_1436.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p40/INCUBUSRATM/Hookah/IMG_1435.jpg[/img]

I guess it just wasn't super noticeable enough to me to really think much of it...
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Yeah, and with the camera the flash (or if flash is off the way the camera takes in the lighting) hides it quite a bit. It looked and still currently looks way darker than those photos do.

The 639 I got has tons of it in the ethings, I would ask Eric b/c I am sure he knows but he is so darn busy he never responds anymore.
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[quote name='mattarios2' timestamp='1338937930' post='548661']
Yeah, and with the camera the flash (or if flash is off the way the camera takes in the lighting) hides it quite a bit. It looked and still currently looks way darker than those photos do.

The 639 I got has tons of it in the ethings, I would ask Eric b/c I am sure he knows but he is so darn busy he never responds anymore.
[/quote]

I didn't use any flash with those photos. I hate flash- it washes out images. I only use it when I absolutely have to in poor lighting conditions. All my hookah photos you see will have never been taken using flash. :) As for them being darker, that looks about the same as when I had the pipe, but then again, I couldn't really remember what you were talking about at first. :P

Yeah, he's a very busy guy... Making all this new stuff, yet none of it stays in stock anywhere! He would know something about it, though, I'm sure. He knows everything. :lol:

Also, perhaps Hassouni knows a thing or two about this...
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Yeah I said if the flash was off, naturally the way a camera lens pulls in light is always different than actually viewing something in person. I am looking at the pipe right now and inside the etchings is really black.
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Oh trust me I am, I love that style so much like i've said 10 times in this thread i also got a 639 which is just a bigger version of the 618.

The elmas pipes hit the best in my opinion, not too open, not too constricted like a lot of Syrian pipes, it's perfect. I will def keep my KM's and Syrians but no question the rest of my vases will only be getting elmas shanks.

With that said, you can tell on the tray rest how the etchings are dark.
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As an artist I can tell you, when you want coloration only in the deeper portions of anything (like the Elmas etchings), you coat the entire object with either paint, or something that will cause oxidation if left alone for a time. Then you wipe it down lightly, leaving the paint or coating only in the deeper portions and removing it from the raised portions. In furniture it's considered antiquing. Not a big deal and actually very easy to do. And yes, it could just as easily be dirt that never got cleaned out of the grooves.

'Rani
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[quote name='dzigner' timestamp='1339002706' post='548724']
seems related
[url="http://www.ehow.com/how_4505747_make-brass-look-old.html"]http://www.ehow.com/...s-look-old.html[/url]
[/quote]

I read that article, I need a torch or antiquing solution just don't know which one to get there are so many of them.

Tried vinegar and it was alright but not what I was looking for.

I really wanna know what Elmas uses. You can see on the 628 photos on mahir's website here:

http://www.nazarhookah.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=94_107_108&products_id=681

how dark that specific one is, in between the etchings it is super dark which really brings out the design.

Could be natural oxidization, but from what I've read it takes a ridiculously long time for brass to turn black.
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I ordered liver of sulphur, I'm gonna coat the entire thing in it obviously mixed with water then shine the exterior leaving the black inches in the grooves. I'll post pics at some point, the liver of sulphur will be here on Thursday!
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  • 2 weeks later...
[quote name='mattarios2' timestamp='1339294693' post='548922']
I ordered liver of sulphur, I'm gonna coat the entire thing in it obviously mixed with water then shine the exterior leaving the black inches in the grooves. I'll post pics at some point, the liver of sulphur will be here on Thursday!
[/quote]

If you haven't done it yet, test it out on the down stem to make sure you can actually polish that stuff off.

I'm guessing you dont want to end up with an all black pipe.
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Unfortunately all I have atm is my cell phone, but the process is as follows:

mix a drop of liver of sulphur into hot water, not boiling but hot, the water will turn yellowish green. Dump the solution into a spray bottle and spray down your pipe. leave it for a few min then scrub the solution all over the pipe so it is evenly distributed, after about 10 min wipe it off. Continue to do it over and over until you are happy with the color. Once it is the color you want, use q tips and metal polish to really polish the designs that stick out leaving the etchings black. Now as the pipe oxidizes the etchings will always be darker than the designs that stick out leaving you with the look most elmas's come with. My 628 unfortunately did not come that way so I had to figure out how to do it :-) My 639 has the black etching look too, but it came that way from elmas. Here are a few photos, they suck but it gets the job done.

[img]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll16/mattarios/0620121742.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll16/mattarios/0620121742a.jpg[/img]

A few more spots need polishing but for the most part looks perfect.
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