What Is It: Red Oxide(?) Coating for Steel?

[darkzero]

I'm wondering what this coating is. My google fu not working for this one. I keep thinking red oxide but when I think red oxide I think of red primer. Kind of looks like a dull anodizing but as far as I know steel can't be anodized. It's not paint or some type of plating cause evaporust will remove it as it will for oxide. I don't have a clue of what to search for.

I've only seen this coating on China tooling. Top one was from Shars I think. Bottom one is no name brand, I forget, it was item where the seller sent me the wrong one. Both have just been sitting in a drawer. Not important, just curious really & everytime I see these I start wondering again.




This blade had the red coating too. Evaporust removed it pretty quickly & then I cold blued it.



I know nothing about real black oxide process. Would they have just added red iron oxide? If yes, why? Is there anything different about it vs black oxide? Just for the color?

Thanks

 

[Aukai]

Could it be the difference between hard anodizing and"soft", or plane anodizing, but you said steel does not take it, so I dunno.

 

[darkzero]

I have no idea but I'm pretty sure it's not anodizing. I have/had lots of flashlights that are HAII & HAIII, aluminum of course. I've got a couple of Maglites that I got HAIII (natural). The HAIII is pretty hard for anodizing, this red coating is not. Can easily scratch it.

 

[Aukai]

My other thought was electroplating? I'm going to quit now

 

[darkzero]

That crossed my mind too but it does not look like plating. Plus Evaporust removed it easily which wouldn't happen with plating.

 

[Aukai]

 

[darkzero]

I'm thinking it's some type of cheaper/lower cost alternative to black oxide? Judging by where they come from, why would they spend extra effort and/or cost to make it red? I suppose it would look cool on certain things.

I think I remember trying to apply cold blue to it before but nothing happened.

 

[mmcmdl]

Could it be this Will ?

https://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-EMC200007-Metal-Anodized-Color/dp/B000994BUM

 

[darkzero]

I've used that paint before. That is basically just a red clear top coat. Have to paint over a silver base. These tools are definitely not painted.

 

[francist]

This isn’t the greatest photo in the world but it’s the only one I can get right at the moment, just getting ready for work. It shows metal dyes supposedly good for steel as well as other metals. Might be something like that on your tools? My first thought does go to a dye, or even something like a metal layout dye, because of the reaction you’re getting with Evaporust.

-frank