Nickel Silver is the generic name for any of a range of non-precious bright silvery-grey metal alloys, composed of copper, nickel and zinc. Despite its name it contains no real silver. It is also commonly called German Silver.
 
Nickel Silver gets its name because its colour matches that of silver reasonably, and because it was used as a low status substitute for silver in the 19th century. (There was then no effective trades description legislation to prevent confusion of this alloy with sterling silver).
 
Nickel Silver was (and still is) widely used for the commercial production of industrial components, housewares, flatware and cutlery, and as the metal substrate for silver-plated goods, hence the term EPNS = Electro-Plated Nickel Silver.
 
Nickel Silver was formerly widely used in costume jewelry and as the substrate for silver and gold plated jewelry. Due to the high propensity of nickel to induce dermatology problems and allergy, recent legislation in the EU has restricted the use of nickel in jewelry. The European Nickel Directive
 
There are many different formulations of alloys which fall within the general term of "Nickel Silver". All contain copper, nickel and zinc, while some formulations may additionally include antimony, tin, lead or cadmium. A representative formulation (Alloy No.752) is 65% copper, 18% nickel, 17% zinc. Due to the copper and zinc content all nickel silvers tend to corrode or at least discolor after a period of months or years.
 
German Silver - The early alloy formulations of nickel silvers including "German silver" were trade secrets and the true German silver formula is not certain. But the apparent physical attributes are the same as that of nickel silver alloy 752. The German silver rod and reel components of the classic age exhibited a slow turning tarnish that tended to be golden color, and good scratch and corrosion resistance. 18% nickel bearing alloy 752 with only 17% zinc has these characteristics, but it is also rather difficult to machine as noted below. It is currently used only in the finest rod and reel construction.
 
The US 5 cent coin, known as the "nickel" (introduced in 1866) is minted from an alloy of 75 per cent copper and 25 per cent nickel.

The family of nickel silver alloys has been known since the early 18th century and were initially developed in the far east. European traders brought back metalware goods which were described using the Indian word Tutenag or the Chinese word Paktong. This new alloy with its properties of strength, relatively easy working and silvery colour began to be used for a range of consumer goods, but it was not until the 1840s that the alloy was developed in its modern formulation. By then firms such as Elkington in England and Berndorf in Austria were looking for a stable, cheap, silverish metal as a substrate for the new process of electroplating. Hence EPNS was born, and its German equivalent Alpacca. Argentum and Electrum were other trade names for electroplate.

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Alloy - 752 (C75200) 18n - 65c - 17z -- The most commonly used 18% nickel silver sheet and wire material. Generally it is supplied in annealed (soft) condition although it is not difficult to find hardened sheet. Recently it has been made available in rod form up to .750 inch diameter at National Bronze and Metals. It is relatively difficult to machine, but is useful for making certain high quality rod and reel parts.

Alloy - 763 (C76300) 18n - 64c - 17z - 1pb -- A relatively new alloy in annealed rod form is rather easy to machine. Only a limited range of diameter sizes are currently available. It appears to have a colder, more steely color tone when compared side-by-side with other nickel silvers.

Alloy - 770 (C77000) 18n - 55c - 27z -- A very common 18% nickel silver with high zinc content to improve hardness for spring characteristics. The high zinc content makes it somewhat easier to machine than 752. It appears to be available only in sheet and plate form and displays a more whitish or steely gray color tone. It is available in various degrees of hardness

Alloy - 792 (C79200) 12n - 65c - 17z - 1pb -- Principally available in rod form it is used for both rod and reel parts. It is easy to machine, but takes on a golden hue relatively quickly.

Other Alloys -- There are a half dozen other nickel silver alloys available, but they are generally difficult to purchase in small quantities. Most of these contain 10% or 12% nickel content and are not particularly interesting for tackle making -- as far as I know.

The nickel silver alloys -- The following machining information deals only with manual machine usage. Nickel silvers vary tremendously in machinability Working with the various alloys for a few years now, I grade there machinability, compared to easy machining yellow brass which has a grade of "100", as follows:
    792 --- 80 (sheet and rod)
    770 --- 40 (sheet and plate)
    763 --- 85 (rod only)
    752 --- 20 (sheet and rod)
This is just my own "impression" and may vary considerably from that of others.

Machining nickel silver in general -- In Practice, for all alloys except 752, I use the same cutting, drilling, tapping and finishing techniques on nickel silver that I would on aluminum. I certainly reduce the speed to prevent galling when filing the leaded nickel silvers and reduce cutting depth when cutting 770. Fluid is always useful and especially needed when cutting 770 or tapping any of the leaded alloys. Regardless of what alloy is used, expect relatively short cutter life if no fluid is employed as nickel even in small quantities is quite tough and takes a toll on high speed steel cutters and particularly on taps and threading dies.

Machining 752 nickel silver -- This material can be compared to some extent with 304 stainless steel in relative hardness. This is only the most general comparison because 304 is harder while 752 hardens exceedingly quickly when machined. Any fiction and drag of the cutter distorts the surface of this alloy enough to dramatically harden it which can cause severe jamming of the cutter and often cutter breakage. In my experience only the most efficient cutting fluids should be tried. Even with Moly Dee, it must be religiously applied and reapplied throughout any cutting process. With a constant "bath" of this fluid machining can proceed at perhaps one half or one fourth the speed and depth of cut as with the leaded nickel silvers. Carbide cutters of various designs are useful if very sharp and all cutters should have a positive lead angle to avoid drag and consequent surface hardening.

The nickel silver alloys -- all discolor given enough time time. Unprotected in the outdoors, all discolor in a few days to a weeks time. In general, the higher the nickel content and the harder the material, the less it is susceptible to discoloration and corrosion effects. Half hard drawn 752 tubing commonly employed in ferrules and in some reel seat hardware appears to be the least affected by atmospheric conditions or exposure to outside environment. Leaded 792 discolors quickly while the leaded 763 appears, at least in some crude tests, to be far more resistant. All nickel silvers are particularly susceptible to corrosion from chlorine and the high zinc nickel silvers are particularly salt water sensitive.

Efforts to limit corrosion -- Where possible, chose the better alloys described above and work harden or at least surface harden the work piece in the machining process. This is particularly important in reel fittings. Ferrule stock and some reel seat tubing stock is pre-harded at the mill, but it is still common practice to varnish or spray finish mounted ferrules and reel seat hardware.

R. J. Leahy Company -- 752 annealed sheet and wire
1475 Yosemite Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124-3321
Phone: (800) 514-4106 or (415) 861-7161

Texas Knifemaker's Supply -- limited bar and rod,wire and sheet
10649 Haddington # 180, Houston, Texas 77043
Phone: (713) 461-8632

T. B. Hagstoz & Son -- 752 annealed sheet and wire
709 Sanson Street Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: (215) 922-1627

OnLine Metals Inc. -- 770 sheet
1138 West Ewing Seattle, WA 98119
Phone: (800) 704-2157 OR (206) 285-8603

National Bronze & Metals, Inc. -- 792, 752 round rod stock
2929 West 12th Street, Houston, TX 77008
Phone: (713) 869-9600 | (800) 231-0771

Busby Metals, Inc -- 792, 763 round rod stock
55 Davids Drive, Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: (800)552-8729 | (631) 434-3400

The E. Jordan Brookes Co., Inc. -- 752, 770 sheet, role slitting
10634 Shoemaker Ave., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670-4038
Phone: (562) 968-2100

Drawn Metal Tubing -- 752 tubing for ferrules and reel seats in large lot quantities
219 Elm Street / PO Box 370, Thomaston, CT 06787
Phone: (860) 283-4345

note: Use Google to find web sites for any of the above sources.

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