Nickel Silver Question

[afishhunter]

Besides "Don't carry it." what's the best way to keep nickel silver shinny and bright, without having to polish it every week with Mother's Mag Polish or Brasso?

 

[Wowbagger]

You could lacquer it.
Don't do it.
Probably the best you could do is carry the knife in a nice pocket slip.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Nickel silver doesn't tarnish near as readily as brass.
You must be scratching it up.

 

[afishhunter]

Wowbagger
Thanks. Laquor is not an option.
Would waxing the bolsters help?
One of the knives in question is a Buck 112, which after just two weeks of carry (in the supplied distressed brown leather sheath/pouch) needed the bolsters polished.
I polished it today with Mother's, and put it in the cigar box (out of the sheath) until I can figure out how to avoid the NS getting hazy.
On a "user", I normally don't worry about it, since the NS bolsters are less of a fingerprint/smudge magnet once they are hazy. But I want to keep the 112 "pretty", even though it is a user.

 

[afishhunter]

Nickel silver doesn't tarnish near as readily as brass.
You must be scratching it up.

Actually, I find NS tarnishes just as quickly as a brass bolstered knife when I carry it.
Maybe I'm just caustic to both materials?
Oh, no scratches on the 112 ... yet ...

 

[Wowbagger]

Wowbagger
Thanks. Laquor is not an option.
Would waxing the bolsters help?
One of the knives in question is a Buck 112, which after just two weeks of carry (in the supplied distressed brown leather sheath/pouch) needed the bolsters polished.
I polished it today with Mother's, and put it in the cigar box (out of the sheath) until I can figure out how to avoid the NS getting hazy.
On a "user", I normally don't worry about it, since the NS bolsters are less of a fingerprint/smudge magnet once they are hazy. But I want to keep the 112 "pretty", even though it is a user.

Heck I don't know. Mr DeShivs is the true expert.
Wax will fill the scratches a little and might look good right away but wax rubs off very quickly especially when it is warm (from body temp).

An alternative . . . fill the checking account before you embark on this . . . is to have the NS bolsters replaced with stainless steel bolsters. Some alloys of stainless steel looks like nickel silver, kind of a slight brown or grey cast to it compared to chrome plating which is brighter and whiter.

Gee . . . if you don't care about the nickel silver look you could get the existing bolsters chrome plated and reinstalled. =more scratch resistant than SS but = $ $ $ $
Starting to make a tube of metal polish or a jeweler's cloth look pretty attractive hmmmm ?
Sorry . . .

Buy two . . . one to look at and one to carry.

 

[afishhunter]

Heck I don't know. Mr DeShivs is the true expert.
Wax will fill the scratches a little and might look good right away but wax rubs off very quickly especially when it is warm (from body temp).

An alternative . . . fill the checking account before you embark on this . . . is to have the NS bolsters replaced with stainless steel bolsters. Some alloys of stainless steel looks like nickel silver, kind of a slight brown or grey cast to it compared to chrome plating which is brighter and whiter.

Gee . . . if you don't care about the nickel silver look you could get the existing bolsters chrome plated and reinstalled. =more scratch resistant than SS but = $ $ $ $
Starting to make a tube of metal polish or a jeweler's cloth look pretty attractive hmmmm ?
Sorry . . .

Buy two . . . one to look at and one to carry.

I bought 2 of the 112's (SK Blades Lil' Jack) but had one sent to my nephew/god son in Florida for his High School Graduation (with honors) present.
I know he put in a lot of work to graduate this year, and with honors, to boot.
He is eleven years old.
Home schooled since he was six or seven months old.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Wowbagger
Thanks. Laquor is not an option.
Would waxing the bolsters help?
One of the knives in question is a Buck 112, which after just two weeks of carry (in the supplied distressed brown leather sheath/pouch) needed the bolsters polished.
I polished it today with Mother's, and put it in the cigar box (out of the sheath) until I can figure out how to avoid the NS getting hazy.
On a "user", I normally don't worry about it, since the NS bolsters are less of a fingerprint/smudge magnet once they are hazy. But I want to keep the 112 "pretty", even though it is a user.

I have a Buck 111 w/nickel silver frame, bolsters & caps. A while back, I'd also become frustrated with fingerprints, etc on the nickel. So, I used a green Scotch-Brite pad to 'satin' the finish on the nickel. The blemishes are much less visible within that fine satin finish, and it maintains a pleasant, even silvery-grey appearance. Works like a charm, and doesn't take long either; maybe ~ 5 - 10 minutes.

If the knife gets carried or used at all, I'd not give much hope to keeping the polished nickel pristine and unblemished entirely, UNLESS you are willing to polish it up occasionally. Even coatings like lacquer or wax will need to be refreshed from time to time, if the knife gets handled or used much.

For nickel or brass-handled knives that I don't use, but keep stored in their leather pouches, I've often just wrapped the knife in a plastic bag, before putting it in the sheath.

 

[tiguy7]

Nickel Silver is basically a white brass containing 60% Copper, 20% Nickel, and 20% Zinc. There is no Silver in it. Yellow brass is about 65% Copper and 35% Zinc. Both alloys will corrode and do better in cloth sheaths than leather ones (think Verdigris). Puma makes some folders that have Zinc (die cast) bolsters that are plated with Satin Nickel. Custom Platinum or White Gold bolsters will solve your problem.

 

[afishhunter]

Nickel Silver is basically a white brass containing 60% Copper, 20% Nickel, and 20% Zinc. There is no Silver in it. Yellow brass is about 65% Copper and 35% Zinc. Both alloys will corrode and do better in cloth sheaths than leather ones (think Verdigris). Puma makes some folders that have Zinc (die cast) bolsters that are plated with Satin Nickel. Custom Platinum or White Gold bolsters will solve your problem.

Yeah, much as I like the leather sheath, I think I need to find a nylon sheath for it.

I knew NS is AKA: "White Brass" and contains no silver ... just think how fast and bad silver tarnishes!!!

I'm too poor to have the bolsters gold plated.
I can't even imagine the cost for 5 or 6 not troy ounces of gold ... I know it would be at least 100,000 times more than I am worth.
Platinum costs more than gold, so it is out, too.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to polish once a week or so, or just live with it tarnished.