Matt I am sure that many potions were often applied to a great many potent artifacts weapons being one. In the cases we see on weapons like this it is iron scale which incidental also protects against rust but is most probably used in a decorative manner firstly and perhaps to not reflect sun light?
This has nothing to do with the subject but on other weapon sites people often sign off with a ditty so I will say "was it fate that Jackson's second name rhymed so well with b------s"
