Paints › Mr. Hobby › Steel Red › vs Rusty MetalSteel Red vs Rusty Metal
Brand Mr. Hobby Range Aqueous Hobby Color Code H-38 Type a metallic Swatch #483340 (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range True Metallic Metal Code 77.158 Shade Type a metallic Swatch #423d37 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 14.3, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Rusty Metal is more muted than Steel Red.
Can I use Rusty Metal instead of Steel Red? Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 14). Rusty Metal is more muted than Steel Red.
Can I use Steel Red instead of Rusty Metal? The same difference applies the other way round: Steel Red is more saturated.
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 Steel Red on the colour wheel See Rusty Metal on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Steel Red Other Mr. Hobby paints close to Rusty Metal All matches: Steel Red equivalents · Rusty Metal 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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