Put the vinegar and hardware pieces into a container together. If you’re in a pinch and want to age your brass hardware with something you already have on hand, use vinegar! This is how I aged our brass knobs, and it worked beautifully. Then, rinse them in water and dry them to halt the aging process. (My favorite is this one on Amazon!) To age brass hardware, just soak them in the solution until they reach your desired darkness. There are several companies online that sell brass aging solutions. Then, remove the lacquer with sandpaper.ģ Ways to Age Brass Hardware 1. Soak the hardware in a paint stripper overnight. If you already bought lacquered hardware, don’t worry! It’ll just require a little prep work before you artificially age it. If you haven’t yet purchased brass hardware but you want the look of patina, be sure your pieces are labeled “unlacquered” or “unvarnished.” Otherwise, you’ll have to remove the varnish yourself! This aged look is called patina, which is what most people are after when they purchase aged or unlacquered brass hardware. Unlacquered brass is unsealed, so it will darken and develop signs of aging over time. Lacquered brass is sealed with a thin coat of varnish, which prevents aging. The type of brass hardware you buy will determine how it ages.

Adding patina to brass