Klarinet Archive - Posting 000345.txt from 2001/01

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] New Clarinets
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 22:40:53 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan the rubber band man" <saxman105@-----.net>
Subject: [kl] New Clarinets

> Is there any major significant difference between nickel and silver
plating
> on a buffet r-13 besides looks and weight? I know that the nickel doesn't
> last quite as long or look quite as shiny, but are there any advantages to
> them. I'm sure if silver was totally superior to nickel Buffet would
> probably not sell nickel anymore. Thanks!

Some people feel that one is more slippery than the other but I forget which
one. It doesn't make a big difference to me.

Silver, unless protected, tarnishes much faster than nickel. I've seen
nickel keys sit for decades with very little tarnish. Just look at all
those old metal horns on eBay. Silver can become severely tarnished in a
matter of months under some conditions. Silver alloys tarnish in shades of
gray or black while nickel alloys tarnish shades of brown.

Some people find that one holds up better for them than the other as far as
wearing through. Nickel is, in general, more durable than silver.

Silver is slightly more expensive.

In the plating process, some of the material remains in the solution. When
the solutions are discarded, those containing nickel are considered to be
environmentally less friendly and are more strictly regulated.

>From a practical standpoint, I would pick nickel but if I ever can afford a
new horn, I just might get silver for its beauty. Right now I don't have to
worry about it. My old Leblanc has solid nickel silver keys (a nickel alloy
that has no silver despite its name) and so I don't have to worry about
tarnish, wear through, or that plating solutions might have been dumped into
the enviroment since these keys are unplated.

Dee Hays

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