Anchor Stranded Cotton

273 — Beaver Grey Very Dark

Blacks family

Anchor 273 — Beaver Grey Very Dark — has hex #302D28 and RGB 48, 45, 40. This dark, subdued black thread sits alongside its closest Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler matches below, with 8 similar Anchor shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex

#302D28

RGB

48, 45, 40

HSL

38°, 9%, 17%

Lab

18.6, 0.3, 3.7

Lightness

17%

Very dark

Saturation

Neutral

Hue

38°

Family

Blacks

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 273

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 273 Beaver Grey Very Dark

Sullivans

Beaver Grey Ultra Dark 45241 86% Good

Pewter Grey Very Dark 45397 83% Good

Brown Grey Very Dark 45428 74% Approx

Pewter Grey Dark 45089 70% Approx

Ash Grey Very Light 45121 68% Approx

Cosmo

895 84% Good 156 76% Approx 312 76% Approx 601 58% Fair 718 57% Fair

Classic Colorworks

Balsam Fir 86% Good Sticks & Twigs 75% Approx English Ivy 72% Approx Muddy Puddle 69% Approx Hickory Sticks 69% Approx

Weeks Dye Works

Onyx 1304 77% Approx Okefenokee 3940 76% Approx Tatanka 1272 57% Fair Molasses 1268 57% Fair Chesapeake 3950 47% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Storm Clouds 0981 85% Good Cast Iron Skillet 1060 75% Approx Witching Hour 0391 57% Fair Lagoon 0980 48% Fair Island Blue 0940 20% Fair

Valdani

Pewter Grey very dark 8122 66% Approx Brown Grey dark P9 52% Fair Coffee Brown ultra dk 1645 51% Fair Ash Grey very light 893 51% Fair Avocado Green dark 199 50% Fair

Crescent Colours

Black Coffee 004 71% Approx

Balsam Fir 157 54% Fair

Spinach 029 49% Fair

Camouflage 063 49% Fair

Wavy Navy 075 43% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 273

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Anchor 273 Beaver Grey Very Dark

Beaver Grey Ultra Dark Anchor 1041 Near identical ΔE 1.8 Shell Grey Very Dark Anchor 401 Very close ΔE 4.85 Pewter Grey Dark Anchor 400 Close ΔE 5.34 Beaver Grey Medium Anchor 8581 Noticeable ΔE 5.52 Pewter Grey Very Dark Anchor 236 Noticeable ΔE 5.69 Khaki Green Dark Anchor 846 Noticeable ΔE 6.47 Beaver Grey Dark Anchor 1040 Noticeable ΔE 6.99 Brown Grey Dark Anchor 905 Noticeable ΔE 7.17

Working with Anchor 273

On white fabric

13.7:1

On dark fabric

1.5:1

Temperature

neutral

Closest to

charcoal

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.

Backstitch & outlines

Anchor 273 (Beaver Grey Very Dark) is dark enough to define edges: stitchers reach for shades like it when a design needs crisp backstitch outlines or readable text.

Blending & gradients

Anchor 273 (Beaver Grey Very Dark) sits a hair from Anchor 1041 (Beaver Grey Ultra Dark) (ΔE 1.8) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 273

Anchor threads that pair well with 273, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary

Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast

273

922 Antique Blue Dark

Analogous

Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions

273

1041 Beaver Grey Ultra Dark 401 Shell Grey Very Dark

Triadic

Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced

273

400 Pewter Grey Dark 401 Shell Grey Very Dark

Monochromatic

Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

273

399 Steel Grey Light 391 Beige Grey Medium 390 Beige Grey Light

Blacks Family

Anchor 273 in context with nearby shades from the blacks color family.

273 Beaver Grey Very Dark 273 235 Pewter Grey 235 1040 Beaver Grey Dark 1040 8581 Beaver Grey Medium 8581 400 Pewter Grey Dark 400 1041 Beaver Grey Ultra Dark 1041 236 Pewter Grey Very Dark 236 403 Black 403

About Anchor 273

Known as Beaver Grey Very Dark, Anchor 273 is a dark, subdued shade sitting in the blacks family. It has a dramatic and quiet feel that suits crow motifs and gothic accents particularly well. Designers often pair this shade with shadow textures or outlines for balanced palettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anchor 273 — what color is it?

The color of Anchor 273 is Beaver Grey Very Dark — a dark black thread (hex #302D28, RGB 48, 45, 40). It shows up most in wrought iron and night skies.

What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 273?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 273 (Beaver Grey Very Dark) is DMC 3371 (Black Brown) with a 79% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 844 (Beaver Grey ultra dark, 72%) and DMC 3799 (Pewter Grey very dark, 66%).

Which Anchor threads are close to 273?

The closest Anchor threads to 273 are 1041 Beaver Grey Ultra Dark (ΔE 1.8), 401 Shell Grey Very Dark (ΔE 4.85), and 400 Pewter Grey Dark (ΔE 5.34). These are useful substitutes when 273 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Anchor 273 good for?

Anchor 273 (Beaver Grey Very Dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring wrought iron, night skies, silhouettes, calligraphy. Its dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 273.

Is Anchor 273 (Beaver Grey Very Dark) good for backstitching and outlines?

Yes — very dark shades like 273 are among the most-used backstitch and outlining colors. Work it in a single strand over one for crisp edges, lettering, and fine detail.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion