Klarinet Archive - Posting 000140.txt from 1994/05

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: Metals, alloys ...
Date: Fri, 6 May 1994 08:42:12 -0400

On Fri, 6 May 1994, Roger J. Shilcock wrote:

> As far as I know, "nickel silver" is just a high-falutin name for an alloy of
> copper and nickel, much used formerly in this country for making cutlery, and
> highly suitable for plating with silver. It is also a common alloy for coins.
> Roger Shilcock (no metallurgist !!!!)

I'm no metallurgist either, but am pretty sure that nickel silver contains
a lot more than copper and nickel. It includes non-trivial amounts of
zinc, lead, and tin, as well as some manganese and iron. "Nickel silver"
is the perfectly proper designation for this copper based alloy, not just
trade hype.