FWIW, I considered myself a good friend of Oscar's. I probably averaged a visit per month and we did hunt together (with Dolly).
What I didn't do was ask him much about the color case process, mainly because I thought I had enough to do and the process was his to distribute not mine.
He did show me how to Niter (nitre) blue one day and it stuck in my mind like glue. I firmly believe that he was correct, it is an oxide. I do have anecdotal evidence to back this up. I had niter blued a trigger guard and quenched it in what I now believe was water that was to cold and the niter blue flaked of just like some of the old Winchester blue.
I'm going to post a picture of a Fox that I did many years ago that Oscar color cased for me. Its hard to describe the colors but they are lovely and transparent - best I can do for a description.
Oscar did indeed have an ego - don't we all! He was, however a professor of electrical engineering and computer engineering at the University of Illinois when he retired and was at the top of his game when it came to firearm metal finishes at the time. He also had a wonderful but dry sense of humor.
