I had been considering purchasing the Windlass Estoc for some time, and after I came across Sean Flynt's workbench article, I decided to go for it. I was a bit dissapointed with the blade because of its relative thinness and flexiblity, but quite satisfied with the overall construction.
I didnt like the Windlass grip, so after reading Flynt's how-to, I decided I would modify mine as well.

In addition to regripping the sword with dark leather and more risers, I would also like to blacken the hardware. i've attached some photos of what I have in mind. Unfortunately I have no idea of what this process entails (blueing? Tarnishing?), and was hoping for some advice!

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Blackened hardware

Mr Philip,

For blueing/blackening, you can use a cold blue solution which is sold at just about any sporting goods store. It's usually located near the gun cleaning and maintenance materials.

I recommend you rough up the fittings slightly and clean them to get any sort of oils or finishes off of them. If I remember right, Windlass has a nasty habit of putting a sort of lacquer on both their blades and hilt furniture. After you get all that stuff off, just apply a few coats of the bluing solution and buff it with some very fine steel wool.

Respectfully,

Andrew