Klarinet Archive - Posting 000272.txt from 1996/06

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Reed Knives
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 23:56:53 -0400

On Mon, 17 Jun 1996, Steve Prescott wrote:

> Are you stating that nickel is what gives (stainless) steel its properties?
>
> Stanless steel has chromium, not nickel.
>
> Please read the excerpt below, quoted from Microsoft Bookshelf Encyclopedia:

I can assure you that I claim no qualifications as a metalurgist. I have
it on what I consider good authority that whatever is put into steel to
make it "stainless" also gives it qualities which make it unsatisfactory
for razor-sharp knife edges.

Here are excerpts from a couple of other encyclopedias:

>From the World Book Encyclopedia:

Some 30 grades of stainless steels have been developed that have
different combinations of strength, ductility, and resistance to
corrosion and heat. ..... Chromium is the chief metal alloyed with iron,
carbon, manganese, and silicon in making stainless steel. The more
common stainless steels usually contain about 8 per cent NICKEL.

>From Grolier's Software Toolworks Encyclopedia:

Stainless steels are iron-based alloys that have a very high
resistance to rusting and corrosion because of their chromium content.
NICKEL, molybdenum, and other elements are also used, in addition to
chromium, to prodece stainless steels with a great range of properties.
The most widely manufactured stainless steel is the alloy known as
"18-8," containing 18% chromium, 8% NICKEL, and 0.15% carbon.

I'm afraid I have no way of determining the content of the alloy in a
reed knife - I only know whether they work.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu