# Why does bronze metal have a certain "smell". It's not shedding molecules I can inhale

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bronze-metal-have-a-certain-smell-its-not-shedding-molecules-i-can-inhale/521718>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 18, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bronze-metal-have-a-certain-smell-its-not-shedding-molecules-i-can-inhale/521718 "2009-12-18T05:16:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bronze-metal-have-a-certain-smell-its-not-shedding-molecules-i-can-inhale/521718/1 "2009-12-18T05:16:11Z")

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I have a small solid cast [bronze bust of Johns Hopkins,](http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/7581/p1010016zy.jpg) the founder of the University bearing his name, and if I hold it close to my nose I can detect the unique odor of bronze metal. Why does bronze metal have a smell at all? I thought there had to be free molecules of a substance in the air for a “smell” to be detected. So far as I know the bronze metal isn’t shedding molecules.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bronze-metal-have-a-certain-smell-its-not-shedding-molecules-i-can-inhale/521718/2 "2009-12-18T05:22:50Z")

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> **[The smell of metal](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=136177)**
>
> Some metals smell like…metalic. Brass musical instruments have the smell, keys, coins and surgical steel all have the smell. How can metal have a smell? I find it hard to imagine molecules of copper or copper oxide wafting off into the air to land...

I’d guess the oxidation hypothesis for something as old as you describe.

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**Author:** ![Fastidiots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fastidiots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fastidiots)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bronze-metal-have-a-certain-smell-its-not-shedding-molecules-i-can-inhale/521718/3 "2009-12-18T05:29:46Z")

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[Not smelling metal.](http://www.physorg.com/news82229855.html)

> [@](#):
>
> “We are the first to demonstrate that when humans describe the “metallic” odor of iron metal, there are no iron atoms in the odors. The odors humans perceive as “metallic” are really by-products of the metals reacting with skin or impurities in the metal itself,” said Dietrich.

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-bronze-metal-have-a-certain-smell-its-not-shedding-molecules-i-can-inhale/521718/4 "2009-12-20T05:39:02Z")

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There is a famous brief phrase in Joyce’s _Ulysses_ with an astounding wealth of synasthesia (it has been used as a book title, I believe) that is relevant, I think, although not with metal. The phrase is lovely to unpack.

[As Bloom walks by a church]: The cold smell of sacred stone called him.

Cheers