Tombac is easy and soft to work by hand: hand tools can easily punch, cut, enamel, repousse, engrave, gild, or etch it. It has a higher sheen than most brasses or copper, and does not easily tarnish. Historically, it was used by the Javanese as a faux gold finish for objects d'art and ornaments.
Most commonly, tombac in modern society is used in medals and awards of lesser importance, such as the German Oldenburg Long-Service Medallion for their Gendarmerie.
The Pickelhaube and cuirass of the Imperial German and Prussian Army were at one time made of tombac.
German, particularly Prussian, field uniforms (which were also sold to equip the White Russians), had buttons and decorative fittings made of tombac.
Currently, tombac foils are used in arts and crafts for decorative articles, especially as an economic alternative to very expensive gold leaf.
Industry uses tombac foil for heating foils and etch applications.
Gilding metal is a type of tombac which is one of the most common jacketing materials for full metal and hollow-point jacketed bullets.
The 1980 Olympic 'Bronze' medals were actually tombac.
During World War II, Canada minted 5-cent pieces (nickels) in tombac in 1942 and 1943.
The German military used it for some combat medals during World War II.
Brass alloys, including Tombak, are occasionally used in architecture, such as ornaments, roofs or outside wall plating. It withstands corrosion well.
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