[TheForge] Staining stainless

[Phlip]

This discussion originally started on my EKMetalsmith's List, and I thought
I'd ask you guys, since you're such a pool of know-it, er, I mean, knowledge
;-)

One of the things I find utterly jarring in the SCA is the usage of
stainless steel for armor- aqs you know, it kinda glares out at you. I
understand why they do it, they're trying to minimize equipment maintenance,
but I was hoping you guys might have some ideas to make it look more like
Real Steel (tm) without losing its stainless/rust-proof characteristics. One
suggestion was to use a light coating of ferric chloride- any others?
Caution should be used with anything involving heat treatments, since the
most obvious piece of armor involved are their helms- standard is 12 guage-
and we need to protect the few brain cells the fighters have left ;-)

Phlip, who kinda wonders about people who deliberately go out to get beat on
by big sticks in the name of "Fun".

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....