Question for Collectors

Which metal do you prefer for hardware?

  • Ni Silver

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • White Bronze

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Sterling silver

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
Sterling is very nice indeed but expensive. I actually like stainless steel too... NiSilver patinates too much, and not nicely IMHO.
 
Nickel silver, given the choices. Sterling requires waaaaay too much maintenance.

Stainless is cool to me.
 
Sorry, Stainless for me, too. I see no good reason to use N/S in todays world. I place that just above brass on metal I don't want on a knife. Of course, if your name is Loveless N/S is OK!

Win
 
I like sterling on some knives. My last Bowie that I ordered from Daniel Winkler last year, I had him use sterling and it turned out nice.

I'm not sure about bronze.
 
Don't get me wrong, I love sterling silver on knives. It's the upkeep I can do without. I once owned the sweetest little walrus ivory handled Spanish bowie from Bailey Bradshaw and it had a very nice sterling silver sheath. I swear, that sheath tarnished just looking at it!
 
I like fine silver on some knives. I'm not quite sure what white bronze is, so can't say what I think of it. Stainless would be my preference over nickel silver.

After saying all that, on high end knives I usually go with high contrast damascus, wrought iron or fine silver. I figure, if I am going to spend big bucks on a knife then the guard and fittings should be made of something special.
 
Mark,I'm pretty sure you could make aluminum foil look great on one of your customs after you were finished manipulating it,but I prefer silver,second choice stainless steel.
 
I agree with leatherbird.

Of the three I would go with sterling. Having dealt with sterling, NS and stainless I prefer stainless, but like Keith said if the choice was mine I would go with damascus. Blued or Browned finishes work good also if they go with the knife. The brown finish you put on the hawk I got from you a while back is very unique and goes great with the overall design.

I have a knife from David Broadwell in antiqued burnished bronze. It looks great, but I am not sure how it would hold up on a user.

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nickel silver has a few different grades, the kind with high nickel content does not turn yellow with age.

Stainless can offer problems too, as I have seen hardened 416 rust.

The 300 series on the other hand, cant be hardened, and a few types are a bear to get scratches out of. :o
 
Thanks for all the input Guys.

I'm having a very difficult time making my mind up on a knife in progress. This will hopefully be my best work to date,(definately the biggest :) ) and I wanted it to have worthy fittings to go with this blade.

I think silver would be best suited of the 3 choices . The way I want my knives to look , tarnish would be a bonus.

Thanks again.
 
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Mokume-Gane is always nice. If you can't decide on one metal, why not have three?


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Here's one of my Winkler knives with sterling fittings from the buttcap and ferrule to that little thingy on the blade(the guard is Damascus). It hasn't tarnished at all. I wonder if Daniel treated it. I do keep that knife oiled pretty good with Breakfree oil. Maybe that's preventing tarnishing.

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Depending on the style of knives, 2 of my favorite guard materials are wrought iron and bronze.
 
My favorites are stainless, wrought iron, and bronze. I do like sterling, nickel, and nickel silver, just not quite as much.
 
For white metal I prefer stainless. I don't mind nickel silver at all, but would specify stainless if I were ordering a knife. Like Danbo, I'm too lazy to deal with sterling silver. For non-white metal I like high-contrast damascus (heat coloured or not), wrought iron and browned steel. I'm okay with bronze, so long as it doesn't look like brass, which I don't like at all unless the knife is made by C. Robbin Hudson.

Roger
 
For historical, period, or rustic knives nickel is perfect. Stainless would be my high-end choice. It may clash with warmer materials. Daniel Winkler's piece is WARM and sweet. :D

Mark, or anyone: got a photo of white bronze? Can't say I know what you're talking about.

Coop
 
Silver would go great with your style Mark. I know a few guys who go out and purchase old silverware forging it down and working with it. Go for it.
 
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