Thread: Sterling Silver Pins

I was wondering if anyone has used sterling silver for pins. I have much easier access to silver than I do brass. I remember reading a while back that there might be a reaction between steel and silver, is this true? or is it so tiny that it should not affect the blade.

Hi! Sounds interesting - might silver be a bit soft, though? I have used the nickel/silver rods - they are quite hard, though. I don't really know about any reaction that might take place other than electolytic reactions, but these need a carrier solution - I think - like water and the noble metal (silver) is OK but the other metal is reduced or oxidised. As the razor is dry for 99.9% of the time, it might not be a problem at all. The old WW1 german Iron Crosses were iron circled by silver, and most of them I have seen have been in fine shape!

Regards,
Neil

+1 with Neil I use the nickel silver pin rod on about 40% of my restores...

I have used actual solid 99.98% pure sterling silver for a couple of wedges with no reactions.. But never thought of using it for actual pins just because of the wear factor...

I have used it and I think it is just great.

I couldn't find decent pins in the UK and I think the prices charged for razor pins are over the top and so I looked around for another way.

I purchased a meter of 1.5mm diameter Soft condition Sterling Silver Round Wire and some Silver Bead Grommets sized 2.0mm. and bingo, I make my own pins. I drill a 2mm hole in the scales. You then cut and peen the wire. It all fits together like clockwork.

I cut the silver with ordinary wire cutters and then file the head flat and peen one end. Fit the pin in the scales with the grommets in place and then cut the unpeened end . You need to make the cut so that after filing, the end stands about half a millameter proud when refitted. This cutting to size takes a bit of practice. Then peen the scales together.

I purchased the silver here.

Palmer Metals - Bullion, Findings and Jewellery Supplies

If you can peen brass, you can use this stuff and it makes a really neat flush and smooth job. I have applied for a patent on this pinning method, but while I'm waiting for it to come through, you guys can use the technology.

Maybe it will wear out quicker than steel but I don't think it will be in my lifetime. Anyway if it does, I'll just tap another pin into place.

Hope this helps.

Incidentally, you could use gold if you can afford the material costs

I did a 7-day set with sterling silver pins and some sterling domes for the washers. I used some urethane tube as bushings in the pivot to prevent the silver from contacting the steel. The two different metals are pretty far on the galvanic table, meaning if water gets into the pivot it'll act like a little battery and corrode away the steel where they make contact. Can't really see what is going on in there after a razor is sealed.

It does tarnish a bit, being sterling silver. You can get Argentium Sterling silver which doesn't tarnish, just not sure what you'll use for the washers. I used sterling on both and got my stuff here:
Metalliferous | Metals, Tools, Beads, Supplies for Jewelry-making

They also sell little washers. Though they're fairly large at 1/4" O.D. I used some bead caps on the ones I did and just had to ream out the center of the bead caps a little bit.

The 1.5mm Round Rod is just slightly smaller than 1/16" round rod and is what I chose to use.

1.5mm = .05906"
1/16" = .0625"

Bead caps can be found all over, I got some here: Wholesale Beads and Jewelry Making Supplies - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
I also got some lapis lazuli for the spacers there, just a cabochon that I ground down to fit using a DMT and some other diamond tools on a dremel.

I put some pictures in the gallery of the Erik Antonberg 7-day set that I finished with this stuff.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Hi! Sounds interesting - might silver be a bit soft, though? I have used the nickel/silver rods - they are quite hard, though. I don't really know about any reaction that might take place other than electolytic reactions, but these need a carrier solution - I think - like water and the noble metal (silver) is OK but the other metal is reduced or oxidised. As the razor is dry for 99.9% of the time, it might not be a problem at all. The old WW1 german Iron Crosses were iron circled by silver, and most of them I have seen have been in fine shape!

Regards,
Neil

Nickel silver does not actually contain any silver. It is an alloy of nickel and copper (and sometimes zinc). It is named for is color (much the same as "silver steel", which is just a high carbon steel).

Quite true. The higher the nickel content, the more resistant to tarnish and corrosion. Sterling silver tarnishes easily due to hydrogen sulphides in the air, nickel silver does not, plus it is harder and so a good choice for pinning - that's why I metioned it. There's a theory that before the industrial revolution silver tarnished very, very slowly and in pre-industrial times it remained as lustrous as gold does without having to be polished.

Regards,
Neil

Fine silver (99.9%) actually doesn't tarnish, it's the copper or other base metal in sterling silver (92.5% silver) that causes the tarnish. Argentium sterling silver is a newer alloy that is said to not tarnish like the old sterling mixed with copper. I was going to use argentium but couldn't find anything to use as washers with it so I went with regular sterling. Fine silver is pretty soft, but sterling can be pretty hard and when you peen it it actually gets harder through the work you're applying with the hammer. I haven't had any of my pins loosen up on me at all, still all tight.

I think some places sell it soft as most jewelers will anneal the silver to harden it... here's a table on riogrande for annealing silver.
https://www.riogrande.com/home/tips/metalworking.aspx

The round rod where I bought it was hard enough to use as pins, most sell it coiled as wire though which is softer as it's coiled I think.

Originally Posted by bevansmw

Fine silver (99.9%) actually doesn't tarnish, it's the copper or other base metal in sterling silver (92.5% silver) that causes the tarnish. Argentium sterling silver is a newer alloy that is said to not tarnish like the old sterling mixed with copper. I was going to use argentium but couldn't find anything to use as washers with it so I went with regular sterling. Fine silver is pretty soft, but sterling can be pretty hard and when you peen it it actually gets harder through the work you're applying with the hammer. I haven't had any of my pins loosen up on me at all, still all tight.

I think some places sell it soft as most jewelers will anneal the silver to harden it... here's a table on riogrande for annealing silver.
https://www.riogrande.com/home/tips/metalworking.aspx

The round rod where I bought it was hard enough to use as pins, most sell it coiled as wire though which is softer as it's coiled I think.

I dont use Argentium silver as it is more prone to firescale. Annealing is to soften metal not harden it. The best way to harden the wire is to clamp one end in a vice and grab the other with pliers and then pull and twist at the same time, even with some sharp pulls inluded as this will harden and straighten the wire.

Sorry bevansmw, I have to disagree, being a phtographer! Black and white photography is based upon silver salts, and without oxidation/reduction there would be no image formed. Agreed, sterling silver tarnishes quicker due to the high (relatively speaking) percentage of copper forming sulphides when exposed to H2S, but silver also decomposes to form silver sulphides, with or without the addition of copper. The oxidation (tarnishing) of pure silver is a very slow process, unless external factors subject it to abnormally high concentrations of the tarnishing agent, but it does, nevertheless, tarnish.

Arkady is right about annealing, too - it is not done to harden but rather to soften the metal. Some people heat brass rod to anneal it and make it softer, prior to peening it. You only have to heat it to a dull red colour then plunge it into water.

Regards,
Neil