Material, patina and verdigris
The material we use to make our products depends on the purpose of use and the durability required for it. For all garden tools, with the exception of the dibber Svarog, we use a copper alloy - bronze, which is an alloy of 86% -94% copper, the rest is tin. Bronze is an strong material that meets the requirements of physical work on the soil and with plants, and tin in the alloy does not interfere with the effects of copper that we want to achieve. We must also emphasize the excellent property of bronze, that by using it in the garden, it gains more and more in strength. Therefore, all products are hardened by forging. All rivets used in the manufacture are made of brass. The only garden tool made of 100% copper is the dibber Svarog, which is made to have wood inside, so its shape remains supported and unchanged. OJ garden loops, which are designed to prevent plant infections with mold, are also completely copper.
100% electrolytically pure copper is used to make OJ tongue copper scrapers and OJ copper bracelets.
Patina
is a darkened layer, greenish or reddish-brown in color, composed of carbonates and sulfates and is the result of a chemical reaction of copper that protects the material from decay and from the verdigris. The removal of patina is therefore not recommended, as it enables longevity and good anti-corrosion of copper and copper alloys. Patina is non-toxic and does not cause negative effects on the environment.
The verdigris
has nothing in common with the patina. It occurs in an acidic chemical reaction when copper comes in contact with acids such as: acetic, fruit, uric or sulfuric. If tool contact with acidic compounds is avoided, there is no danger of verdigris formation on copper and bronze garden tools OJ Bron.