Old Leica Screwmount Silver Lettering

[John C. Ling]

Can anyone tell me how Ernst Leitz Wetzlar accomplished their silver lettering on black-painted Leica cameras and lenses made in the 1920s and early 1930s? The lettering was raised and not engraved (i.e. filled-in with white paint). It was raised and not engraved with filled-in silver paint. Does anyone in Germany or Europe able to duplicate this technique nowadays?

 

[splitimageview]

Wismut (bismuth)

Cameraworks-uk.com can do this

 

[Dralowid]

As said they used Bismuth. I understand that the item was painted, then engraved and the engraving filled with bismuth (also called Wood's metal) . The secret is that the bismuth has a lower melting point than the paint.

There is a risky procedure that can bring the lettering back a bit. It involves heating the object (from the back if possible), so that the bismuth softens and reforms without melting the paint. I have seen the results of this and it does work but to you'd need to practice on something first and I don't think any of us have a pile of old black Leicas on which to try...

Do Camerworks really do this?