Dave12

Thank you for the reply,I was actuall thinking more along the lines of chemical or dip type treatments. I have tried cold black oxide,and while it does give a good result it does not stand up to repeated handling very well,the finish wears off quite quickly,it's also quite expensive.

Being a complete novice at this game I have picked up quite a few things to try from the above posts,so thanks to all for the tips. What I was wondering though is,are there any other methods for colouring steel that do not give a black finish; basicly,any colour you like except black ?.