We've been doing metal finishing for over thirty years now and we've had a number of inquiries about this subject, so we thought we'd leave a post for everyone.
While we typically do three levels of bluing, flat, factory and high polish, these all use the same bath. The difference in the three finishes is the level of polish done prior to going into the bath.
We do have a separate bath though, that is run at a lower temperature. When asked for Parkerizing, this bath is used. We have done literally hundreds of component parts for those who's gun originally had Parkerizing and when compared side-by-side, there is no difference and it is far less expensive.
When a bluing job is completed, we include a care sheet with the return shipment. If the directions are followed carefully on this sheet, the bluing job never need be repeated, so this is a pretty terrific investment!
I hope this helps when you are trying to make a decision as to which finish you need!
Hot Salts Bluing vs. Parkerizing
