Plomb With Green Tint

[Provincial]

I have a Pebble Plomb #5649 3/4" ratchet that has a phosphate finish that has a distinct green tint. I have wondered why they used green instead of gray or black phosphate. Recently I was looking at the Wikipedia entry for Parkerizing, and noticed the comment in the Appearance and Use section:

"Some parkerized guns, particularly of WWII vintage, have almost OD green color. This was caused by contaminants in the acid solution and not cosmoline as is commonly believed."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkerizing

So it looks like the color wasn't a choice, rather it was determined by the chemicals available during WWII. It may be a way to date Plomb tools to wartime production.

 

[TRWham]

We have 4 USGI rifles, ranging from an Eddystone 1917 to a 1956 Springfield produced M1 Garand, and all show some green, with variations across different parts. The 1917 was re-arsenaled at Augusta GA during WW2 and would have been Parkerized then. It shows a mixture of black, gray and green. Our 1943 Underwood M1 carbine is mostly gray, but on the green side. The '43 Remington 03A3 shows plenty of green, and the Cold War Garand is just as green as its older WW2 cousins. So that's 4 rifles built in very different places and all show some green, so I think it may just be a result of aging.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I have WF ratchets, and some Lectrolite wrenches with a significant green hue.