There seems to be some grounds to the rumor that the armour of Edmund, Prince of Wales, was actually finished with a black
polish . Although he was not given the name "the Black Prince" until after his death, it is possible that this represents a finish used during the 14th century. However, there are hundreds of manuscript illustrations from the 14th century, and they almost always depict the armour as satin or gloss finished. During the 15th century black finishes on armour become commonplace in manuscript illustrations, although it is unclear whether this is paint or some kind of controlled oxidation process. Modern
armourers have used black oxide finishes done through commercial houses to approximate this effect, but I have only seen one actual piece with something approaching this finish, a
gothic composite harness held in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art , C. 1480 or so. I do not know whether the finish is original or not. It is also possible that this is a rough finish direct from the
hammer or from heat treating, left on low-quality munitions pieces to reduce costs.
