Hi everyone, I saw on the Copley and Boegli catalog, that they offer sterling silver tuning slides opposed to their standard brass or nickel silver. Does anyone know the advantages of a silver slide?
Haddon
The experts here will know more than I, but my understanding is that it doesn’t build up the same kind of sticky tarnish that brass can, and is hypoallergenic.
This is what the Olwell price list from a few years ago said about tuning slide options:
“The tuning-slide is available in either sterling silver or nickel. While the difference in sound between the two is very slight, the difference in the action of the slide is more noticeable. Nickel tends to get dirty more quickly and as it does, the slide may stick, requiring more frequent cleaning and application of grease. Silver will remain smooth in its action for longer (although it too will need to be cleaned eventually).”
Thanks for the responses, I have a brass tuning slide on my flute, and it does tend to get stiff, and needs regular cleaning. The sterling silver slide is good the keep in mind.
Haddon
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I’m allergic to sterling, not that it makes a bit of difference in the slide (or the keys for that matter).
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I have long been allergic to nickel, but now sterling seems to be setting me off, too. Truly annoying…I like silver jewelry!
I’ve had sterling tuning slides and non-sterling…I’ve never had an issue with a slide and never have had to do anything with one (except for a brief period I refurbed a few antique flutes I got off of eBay). If you want silver, go for it, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem either way.
Eric
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What makers call nickel is nickel-silver, which is an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc, roughly 60-20-20. So it’s 60% copper. Sterling is 7.5% copper, so I suspect your issue might be with copper. I’ve always suspected my sensitivity to sterling is copper. I don’t have any sensitivity to stainless, so I’m okay with nickel the element.
(This is all based on earrings, which are in contact with the skin continuously.)
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Interesting! Thanks Chad!
Very interesting. I hadn’t thought of a copper allergy making sterling a possible allergen. Mostly because I am not allergic to copper and definitely allergic to nickel. Sorry for my misinformation.
ETA I have resorted to Google out of curiosity, so take this with a grain of salt:
Makes me wonder if there would be an alternative for someone allergic to both? Probably not the most common instance though.
According to Google, sterling silver is 30 percent heavier than the surgical stainless steel. So in theory if you had a fully lined head joint with surgical stainless, the weight wouldn’t really be a problem.
Google makes a good point, you wouldn’t ever be in contact with the nickel in stainless steel. 300-series stainless forms a monolayer (single atomic layer) of zinc on the surface. (Sorry, the surface scientist in me can’t keep its mouth shut.)
Don’t apologize! I’d rather have information from a person who actually knows than depend on Google.