Nickle silver

[john]

Bottom bolster was as shiny as top.

It may be my screen the top looks more shiny and the bottom one looks very dull.

[Scotchman]

It's the knife. For some reason the bolster turned dull. Maybe I touched it more than the top?

[Scotchman]

It was my first stiletto I ordered in years, so I played around with it for a little. Big regret.

[Scotchman]

What I meant was years ago when I was in Fla. I bought my very first Italian stiletto.

[whippersnapper]

No reason for regret. The knife isn't worth much and can easily be polished. You might as well play with the thing.

[Scotchman]

I need to pay attention, try this again. I may have touched the bottom bolsters more as to why they are dull (I have played with it a bit )? I don't know if some of my other posts got posted? This knife is my second Italian knife I have ever had. The very first knife I had was one I bought in Fla. years ago when I was much younger. I don't have it anymore.

[Scotchman]

God!!!! Sorry.

[Scotchman]

Thanks Whippersnapper.

[Scotchman]

Didn't mean for double posts.

[john]

No reason for regret. The knife isn't worth much and can easily be polished. You might as well play with the thing.

I'd clean it. I bet it will look awesome! It's a nice knife! Use a quality metal polish and neutral shoe polish on the horn.

[Scotchman]

Thanks John.

[john]

You're welcome

[tr4252]

I think Bill's right; it looks like stamped steel to me. edit: It's still cool, in my opinion.

I also agree with John, nickel looks good polished. I'd like to add that it doesn't tarnish as rapidly as many other metals (think about all those antique nickel plated guns; they did it for a reason). I used to do a lot of gunsmithing, and would use Canadian nickels for small inlays (American nickels didn't contain much nickel, actually) A Canadian nickle, you could pick up with a magnet. I just took a look at a flint rifle I built back in the 70's; the nickel inlays are still nice and bright, the brass is tarnished to beat hell.

Nickel silver is mis-named; it has no silver content. I used to buy it from various knife making supply companies, but became disgusted because it always looked too much like brass to me. Not silvery enough for my liking.

Tom

edit: Knew you'd all be anxious to know; from Wikipedia-

Nickel silver, Mailechort, German silver,[1] Argentan,[1] new silver,[1] nickel brass,[2] albata,[3] alpacca,[4] or electrum[5] is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc

No wonder it looks so brassy! And zinky too, now that I think about it.

"Hey! Is that nickel silver?"
No, dolt. It's ELECTRUM!

[john]

Nickel silver, Mailechort, German silver,[1] Argentan,[1] new silver,[1] nickel brass,[2] albata,[3] alpacca,[4] or electrum[5] is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc

No wonder it looks so brassy! And zinky too, now that I think about it.

Thanks for the info!

[JimBrown257]

A good magnet will give a little tug to NS bolsters because there is actual steel behind it somewhere. But the magnet will snap onto a steel bolster and pick the knife up off the ground. Get a knife that you know has NS and one with SS to test the difference.