A lot of Indian companies are selling blackened maille these days. Anyone know what they are using and if it is possible to remove the blackened finish with either solvents or mechanical means (like sand and a bucket)?

Thanks!

Just wear it for a while. The coating won't last long.

Sand and a bucket is great if you can then work out a way of removing the sand, which will have stuck into every nook and cranny. If you can't wear it all the timer then put into a canvas sack and tumble it about as much as you can. Don't use hessian or burlap, you'll be forever picking threads out of it.

Maybe send it to a nitrocarburizing shop and they'll remove the old black and put a much nicer one on :) Won't come off and will resist corrosion and abrasion much better.