Armor retains hue.
Armor smelts to resource it was crafted from (valorite plate smelts to valorite ingots.)
Weapons do not retain hue after crafting, this is by design.
Weapons smelt to iron, this is by design.
Angel Island has never had colored weapons.
Also, with the introduction of craftable magic weapons, having them smelt to iron increases the rarity of the resource from which it was derived.
(This is not the RP explanation, just the design choices.)
The RP would go something like: The higher heat need to fashion a bladed weapon is sufficiently high to destroy the luster (and reusability) of the resource. This is why they are superior weapons.
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