Nickel Silver or all steel

sceva

sceva

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
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Any preferences out there in regard to all steel liners / Bolsters or Nickel Silver / brass ones. I have had and used all steel ( Like the GEC #14 Lick Creek or my Schmidt Ziegler Barlow ) my preference is for Nickel Silver bolsters and brass liners. While I don't really believe there is a strength difference in them If steel bolsters my preference would be stainless ones; while I like carbon blades and the resulting patina I like mt bolsters shinier.


The requisite photos.

Steel Bolsters




Nickel Silver Bolsters




Stainless Bolsters

 
I vastly prefer all steel over the alternatives. The reason being is that, in my opinion, steel ages better and is far more forgiving in terms of the marks that come from use, mishaps, and yes, abuse at times. I like the coolness of its tones, the heft it gives a knife, and the worry free element when it comes to unintentional scratches. It also patinas with the blade and I like the uniformity of the aging process in that regard. Nickel silver will show the smallest abrasions and though it will age in its own way, I just like steel better.

Here are a few I have - I have others and will definitely be adding more in the future.

ySqbexv.jpg
 
Pàdruig said:
I vastly prefer all steel over the alternatives. The reason being is that, in my opinion, steel ages better and is far more forgiving in terms of the marks that come from use, mishaps, and yes, abuse at times. I like the coolness of its tones, the heft it gives a knife, and the worry free element when it comes to unintentional scratches. It also patinas with the blade and I like the uniformity of the aging process in that regard. Nickel silver will show the smallest abrasions and though it will age in its own way, I just like steel better.

Here are a few I have - I have others and will definitely be adding more in the future.

ySqbexv.jpg
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You seem to to get more eloquent by the hour young man! :cool: Nice pic Dylan :) :thumbsup:
 
Pàdruig said:
Thank you, Jack. I suspect many here believe I am too verbose for my own good but it is what it is 🤷‍♂️. I hope you are keeping well, my friend.
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Heathens! :rolleyes: Who's going to write the sagas of Porchingdom, it's not the un-verbose is it?! :rolleyes: You speak well my friend, here and elsewhere :) I'm fine thanks mate ;) Miss you :thumbsup:
 
In terms of GEC knives, their all steel efforts show remarkable tightness & high quality finish on the back springs. Brass being softer, is easier to manufacture and can offer attractive contrasts, trouble is, it stinks.....;)
 
Very interesting thread to read, and I'm surprised at the overwhelming preference for steel. When I was a wee lad (sometime in the mid to late 1970s) I was told that brass liners with nickel silver bolsters was a sign of a good knife, and steel liners and bolsters was a sign of a cheaply made knife. I think that's probably kind of true for older knives (with plenty of exceptions, I'm sure). But it's quite obviously not true for currently manufactured knives.

But because of that, I prefer nickel silver. if I have to get modern on my traditional, I'd probably rather have titanium than steel. So I guess my approach is "Steel bolsters: too modern and not modern enough".
 
Bigfattyt said:
I love my all steel GEC!!

I have a 25, 36, 46 in all steel.

The bolsters just age different. They patina like the blades do...

(Ignore the finger knife).
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Sadly the TC's are no longer with me.
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if that tc is the one im thinking of, it has moved to BigBiscuit BigBiscuit and eventually to LastRodeo LastRodeo . it was modded during bigbiscuit's custodianship and lastly remodded one more time with a blade swap to clip.

but back to the original topic, all steel please, even the scales!
 
akaMatt said:
Me can be pretty eloquial, too, Jack!

… ok, maybe not! ;)

I prefer all steel, if for no other reason than some knives just look “off” to me with silver bolsters and brass pins. That and the whole verdigris thing on stag and light bone.
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that was one of the tough things about carrying the 2014 bladeforums knife. some how it would get verdigris on the stag. ive kept my last remaining one mint and it shows verdigris even in the paper. I gotta get some silica packets.
 
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