Old Patina

by Jeff
(Stow, Ohio USA)

Can a opened bottle of black patina loose it's effectiveness after a while? My pieces don't look real black, more like a gun barrel sorta, dark silverish kinda. Not a bad look, but not pure black by no means.

Answer

That's a difficult question to answer. By opened bottle, do you mean the lid has been left off or dod you mean it is a partially used bottle with the lid securely on?

If the lid has been left off, yes, there will be evaporation that would affect the strength of the patina. If the lid has been on, then it should be okay. Try adding a teaspoon of salt to an ounce of black patina and see if that makes a difference.