Vintage hand tool clean-up. Paint or not?

[GrayFlattop]

Like many here, I'm drawn to pick-up old wrenches and hand tools at garage sales and flea markets. Typically, if they have deep rust I'll give them the requisite evapo-rust treatment to stop the corrosion from getting worse.

Of course some of the tools were originally painted (black, mostly) and the paint has seen better days. I'm just wondering what the consensus here is on the idea of repainting that which was once painted? And if so, is there a preferred paint?

I swear I read a similar topic here once, but the thread search was less than optimal - or more likely, my search syntax was flawed.

Part of me (the lazy part) says leave it. And part of me says I should do my best to protect the tools for the future and make them look as they appeared when new. It's not as if we're talking about using touch-up paint on a '29 Ford Coupe, but there is something to be said for the original patina - it tells a story of the life the tools led.

 

[bsg1]

It's not as if we're talking about using touch-up paint on a '29 Ford Coupe, but there is something to be said for the original patina - it tells a story of the life the tools led.

^^^ there ya have it. honest wear wears well.

 

[Gmonkee]

I might go extreme on the really rust pitted **** but good examples will be left as found.

I have welded new metal ot nroken open ends to restore form and ground past rust pitting on zero collector value specimen and painted the shank black as display pieces
But only on common stuff where logos had long since been rusted away.

Uncommon stuff has turned out to be early Bonney metrics for OEM tool kits and a 1910 Armstrong probably supplied with a drop forge when that was the main product. Identified for NOT getting agressive in cleaning efforts.

When in doubt leave it be. Trace markings can be lost forever.

 

[woody 73]

As a collector I leave them alone for the next generation to enjoy; but I see no reason if you find some common garden variety wrench and paint it black. Worse case scenario, the next guy that owns it can give it a lite chemical bath and take the black color off.

 

[DadsTools]

^^What these guys said.

However, if you do want to paint them black, the wood plane restorers that don't want to go through the process of replacing the original genuine "japanning" usually use black engine paint. Plenty tuff.