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Silver vs. Nickel vs. Sweaty fingers ?

Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2023-05-14 11:28

Perhaps on the soprano clarinet , the matter of which of these two standard plating metals is most resistant to corrosion from sweaty fingers is not that much of a muchness , but on the bass with its requirement for greater finger pressure to play, a single playing session can leave the touch pads quite heavily tarnished ....so much so that a quick rub with a silver polishing cloth does not cut the mustard . This upkeep strikes me as being more of a issue with silver that with Nickel .

This matter also got me wondering a bit ,if there exist metal purity differences in platings . Is silver plating always pure silver ? .....is Nickel plating always pure Nickel ?

My bit of research into the matter of sweat corroding metals seems to suggest that the notion I've heard a few time that some people's sweat it extra acid is untrue . While sweat does contain Folic acid ,the differences in PH between the sweat of one person and another are apparently negligible. The principal corrosive component in sweat is offered as being salts, which are concentrated and remain deposited as the moisture evaporates , so how much ones hands are sweating is presumably the key factor .Well ! .....Plus length of exposure to the metal and also finger pressure it appears .

If anyone can can fill it any blanks or make any related observations on this issue I'm all ears .

Thanks . Julian .

Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853

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