nickel silver vs brass

[billlip]

I have quite a few knives with nickel silver bolsters. Also have a ducks unlimited schrade with brass. Anyone know the pros or cons of either. I'm petty sure the brass is softer. I'm guessing the longevity wouldn't be as long. I really like the look of the brass with the wood scales. Was wondering why no one else uses brass.

 

[chouse]

I think the nickel silver is a little tougher and less prone to tarnish than the brass.

 

[eisman]

The cost is (or has been) pretty much the same, and yet the brass seems to have a stigma of being "cheaper". Considering that it's harder to afix to steel, and designs need to take into concern the very visable contrast, the silver is more likely to be used.

 

[knarfeng]

Brass:
Pro: It makes a beautiful contrast to steel.
Con: It corrodes. (tarnish is surface corrosion) So if not used it gets dull.

Nickel Silver:
Pro: It does not corrode.
Con: It does not contrast with the steel.

 

[Peter Parker]

While I greatly like my Buck 110 and Case Mako, I could be even happier if they would have used nickel silver instead of brass. What about weight? Isn't brass a little heavier?

 

[kc custom]

To my understanding "nickel silver" is white brass. 15, 18, or 21% Nickel added to brass. Someone with more on it than myself may chime in.
Ken.

 

[300Bucks]

Just happen to have this copied from Wikipedia.

Nickel silver, also known as German silver, paktong, new silver or alpacca (or alpaca), is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc.[1] In fact, all modern, commercially important nickel silvers (such as those standardized under ASTM B122) contain significant amounts of zinc, and are sometimes considered a subset of brass.[2]

Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but contains no elemental silver unless plated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_silver

 

[tomcrx]

Nickel silver (or nickel brass) has twice the tensile and yield strength of most brass alloys. It is also harder per Rockwell testing and stretches less. So in most applications it is a stronger alloy. The densities are comparable

 

[sunnyd]

Nickel silver (or nickel brass) has twice the tensile and yield strength of most brass alloys. It is also harder per Rockwell testing and stretches less. So in most applications it is a stronger alloy. The densities are comparable

..

.. And(NS) is just pure classsssssssssssss in the aesthetics department! :thumbup:


Anthony

 

[Will Power]

I have to disagree with knarfeng about the appearance of nickel-silver. I feel it contrasts BETTER with steel than brass,particularly with neatly patina covered carbon steel. It also contrasts very well with a lot of bone and all stag.

Brass does tarnish very fast, and it smells....

Still, it's all up to how you like your knives to look.

 

[knarfeng]

I have to disagree with knarfeng about the appearance of nickel-silver. I feel it contrasts BETTER with steel than brass,particularly with neatly patina covered carbon steel. It also contrasts very well with a lot of bone and all stag.

Brass does tarnish very fast, and it smells....

Still, it's all up to how you like your knives to look.

Yes sir.
I see no difference from a functional standpoint.

 

[Ice Tigre]

I found in knives I made, that well polished brass doesn't show 'pocket wear' or small scratches as easily as NS... but darkens faster, and visa versa, NS will, and does tarnish.. just not as noticeably.

I depends on handle material to me.. or if the blades are carbon/stainless, shiny/dark... Some knives I think would look great in brass because the NS is too darned bright for he other materials... and visa versa too.


I like brass liners with NS bolsters, more than with brass bolsters. But not sure if I'd like brass bolserson NS liners....

I'd LOVE to see copper used... better color than brass.
((My dream combination is copper bolsters, SS or NS liners, bronze cable damascus blades and springs with the steel pattern part blued, With a deep rich brown bone with a gunstock checkering jig in a color between A&W root beer, and Dove milk chocolate, and a shield in NS or SS to match the liners. Contrasts, but matched contrasts with style.))

G.

 

[Robert.B]

I think a pro with brass is when it ages in a regularly carried knife it gets that stunning patina...I avoid polishing brass. Nickel silver is just a classy product but it does tarnish too, just takes longer.

PS. to the above post about copper, on a small bolster thats thin i think it'd look great! get the aged penny look going.

 

[arty]

I have some old Gerber pocket knives with brass handles and ebony inserts. The Sportsman II held up fine when used for fishing. It has never loosened up.
The brass tarnishes, but work well.

 

[neeman]

I like brass