My cabinet finisher did a sample of this for me on a cabinet knob. He roughed the knob up with some sandpaper (it was very fine grade, and the kind that is a sheet but has a spongy feel), then he took some of the glaze he was using on our cabinets (it's his own concoction but as far as I can tell, it's sort of like a very runny stain, and is definitely oil based) and sort of dry-brushed it on. Just dipped the tips of a nice big natural bristle brush in the glaze, then dried them off a bit, and then just touch touch touch all over the knob till he achieved the look. It was absolutely amazing, he made a much too shiny satin nickel knob look like an antique pewter knob. This will work with brass too. He said he was going to put two coats of spray lacquer on it.

Another possibility is to send it to a metal replating place. We have one here. They can coat it to be any color and finish you want. They told me it would be $8-15 PER PIECE! That's a lot when you're talking over 50 cabinet knobs and pulls. Let me know if you'd like their name, I don't know if they work long-distance.

Thanks for the great idea. We have some metal plating places here - and I will definitely look into this!