Nickel silver bolsters

[Lucentcrow]

Hi folks just wondering why some nickel silver bolsters are more gold than silver ?

I like the colour by the way just saying

Joe

[Lucentcrow]

182EC2A9-C6A6-4CD1-9631-33866599388D.jpeg (76.57 KiB) Viewed 3811 times

[Bill DeShivs]

Different amounts of nickel in the brass mix.
Different stages of oxidation (tarnish) can also look more brassy.

[thom]

AGA's seem to have that brassy look over time.

[Lucentcrow]

Bill

Ah ok I kinda like the look I haven’t done much to them just took the green oxidation off when I got it.

Cheers mate

[Lucentcrow]

Thom

Cool

[john]

Hi Joe,
Nice knife the horn is way cool!
Until not to long ago I thought there was a small amount of silver mixed in with the nickel. I was wrong. Nickel silver is typically made using 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. The metal has many names and is also known as German silver, Alpaca silver, Argentan silver or nickel brass.
The discolored nickel silver is caused by oxidation which can be cleaned with any goo quality metal polish.

[thom]

John, Can you tell us which brand you use? I have tried silver polish and doesn't seem to work.

[thom]

Hi Joe,
Nice knife the horn is way cool!
Until not to long ago I thought there was a small amount of silver mixed in with the nickel. I was wrong. Nickel silver is typically made using 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. The metal has many names and is also known as German silver, Alpaca silver, Argentan silver or nickel brass.
The discolored nickel silver is caused by oxidation which can be cleaned with any goo quality metal polish.

What brand metal polish do you use?

[Bill DeShivs]

The old standard is Simichrome polish. Mothers and Flitz also work-as does NeverDull wadding.

[rock-n-roll$$$$$$]

I have a two part polishing cloth,one side takes the tarnish off,the other side polish's,I got it on amazon,works very well.

[METALGOD]

i myself use a 2 part system so to speak first use simichrome then i use the Renaissance wax , Bill had suggested these shit 20 years ago and ive been using them ever since, both are applied with a microfiber cloth then wiped with microfiber cloth works awesome .

[john]

I use Simichrome and Flitz cleaner/polish and then I top it off with a coat of neutral shoe polish. A long time ago I bought large tub of Renaissance wax; I swear it’s the same as neutral polish.

[Lucentcrow]

I quite like the look when they are left alone.

Cheers fellas

[METALGOD]

i was going to add that if that is a vintage knife why did you want to polish it ? it took probably 30-40 years to get that patina look but i guess some collectors like the new/polished look and some like old look , me personally dont polish them at all well not my really old knives anyways