[Mart Shearer]

[Mike Ruhala]

3227.a includes a recipe for case hardening mail which will turn it dark and/or multi-colored. Other manuscripts depict mail in various colors along with colorful helmets that are generally accepted as having been painted. It's unlikely the mail was painted but the colors can be achieved by forming oxides at various temperatures and sealing them with baked-on oil. It's durable, I use it on my fencing weapons.

[Richard Miller]

Well, Mart... As I said evidence is to be interpreted. Nothing either of has shown is conclusive and neither should be considered as such.
There are examples that could be explained by tarnish, as well as others that couldn't possibly be the result of oxidation.
Clearly, the images are drawn by the same hand (look at the faces of the knights) yet the difference in color of the mail is obvious. Shiny mail was meant to shine brightly and it still does. blackened mail was meant to be dark and it still is.
As far as some kind of "how to" manual for darkening armor, I would be surprised to see any armorer foolish enough to actually write down what would be a very closely guarded trick of his trade.
You asked for evidence... I provided it. Believe if you wish or don't. As an art student, I interpret art.

[Richard Miller]

Shoot... I forgot to mention the comment from Mike R.
The differences in the color of mail, even back in the day, may have had little or nothing to do with the intended appearance of the armor. Hardening processes, metal impurities as well as chemical reaction to cleaning materials would, over time, certainly alter the appearance of the mail as well as the artistic depictions of it.
Thanks to Mart and Mike for great input.... keeps me thinking.

[Eric S]

[Mike Ruhala]

Yes. We were discussing something along these lines in another thread and it's interesting to see what appears to be evidence that at least some cultures did in fact value anti-rust coatings on mail and that they are reasonably durable in that application.

[Richard Miller]

Since this thread began, I've been having a bit of an epiphany regarding darkened armor during the high middle ages. Whenever I thought of darkened armor, my mind drifted to an image of Edward the Black Prince. There is of course the debate as to how Edward got his nickname as to whether it regarded his penchant for black armor, or his alleged nasty disposition or his conduct toward his defeated (commoner) foes.
As we discussed the topic, I began to look at the issue of darkened or blackened mail as one of utility before fashion. Then as now, fighting men wanted to survive long enough to have a reputation, or just plain survive the battle. Then however I started looking more toward the practical.
There is another thread that is delving a little bit into the cost of armor. Whether the figures being tossed around are accurate isn't what interests me, but it does remind me of how expensive armor was back in the day. I'm sure that good armor was a wise investment and that it was also wise to look after one's investment.
I'm now even more convinced that darkened or blackened mail was present in the middle ages, but perhaps not for the reasons I thought. I'm thinking now that perhaps, blackened mail wasn't so much to do with looks as with preserving the mail over time. Not a big epiphany, but another track I want to take as I research the matter.
Thanks, Mike.

[Eric S]

[Mart Shearer]

In Europe, the documentary evidence shows the opposite was concluded. Armor was expensive, so it was worth paying men to clean, repair, and refurbish it.

[Mike Ruhala]

Actually quite a bit of European plate armor is known to have been painted or blackened. Armor cleaning and polishing was a real service that was offered but it's also a consumptive act, every time it's done your armor is a little thinner. There is no practical way to "refurbish" the lost metal.