Paints › Mr. Hobby › Metal Black › vs Oily SteelMetal Black vs Oily Steel
Brand Mr. Hobby Range Aqueous Hobby Color Code H-28 Type a metallic Swatch #231f20 (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Model Color Code 70.865 Type a metallic Swatch #3e3c45 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 14.6, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Oily Steel is noticeably lighter than Metal Black.
Can I use Oily Steel instead of Metal Black? Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 15). Oily Steel is noticeably lighter than Metal Black.
Can I use Metal Black instead of Oily Steel? The same difference applies the other way round: Metal Black is noticeably darker.
ΔE is the colour difference between our two swatch estimates: under about 6 is close, over about 15 is loose. Real paints also differ in finish, coverage and how they thin, so test before you commit.
See Metal Black on the colour wheel See Oily Steel on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Metal Black Other Mr. Hobby paints close to Oily Steel All matches: Metal Black equivalents · Oily Steel equivalents
© 2026 AK Tabletop Studio. Swatch colours are estimates and will differ from the real paints; cross-brand matches are close, never exact.
Chart-listed matches come from the Two Thin Coats Paint Comparison Chart 2024, the Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic conversion chart, the AK 3rd Generation Acrylics equivalence table (2021) and the Herrick Games hobby paint comparison chart; the rest are a nearest-colour calculation.
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