You may have seen mention of "German Silver" in the descriptions of many of our bows for sale. But what is it?

Melting pot of liquid metal with sparks

 

German Silver, or "Nickel Silver" as it is also commonly known, is an alloy formulation of 60% to 65% copper alloy, 18% to 20% nickel and 17% to 20% zinc. It is also known as Paktong, Maillechort, Argentan, New Silver, Nickel Brass, Albata, Alpacca (I'm not making this up) and a variety of equally confusing trade names through the ages with which I won't bore you.

The monikers imply it made from real silver, but this alloy actually contains no elemental silver at all, unless it is silver-plated.

This groovy miracle material was first created in China in to imitate the fine qualities of real sterling silver, without the cost, softness or extensive tarnishing, and does it exceptionally well mimicking silver owing to it's convincing silvery aesthetic.

The material what was originally called "Paktong" made its way to Europe in the late 1500s despite strict government bans on its exportation. In 1823 a German competition was held in order to perfect the affordable production of this silver-like alloy, hence the name "German Silver."

 

Melting pots of liquid metal in various stages

 

Where can we find German Silver in use?

German Silver is used in countless objects including cutlery and silverware, zippers and belts, keys, jewelry and tiaras, model railway tracks, plumbing hardware and household fixtures including heating coils. Before the invention of steel sheet metal it was used in the production of early automobiles, such as the luxurious "Silver Ghost" Rolls-Royce of 1907.

In fact, the alloy imitates silver so well it has been used a great deal for creating counterfeit coins.

Of course, I'm most amazed by German Silver for its use in musical instruments. It is used in crafting most brass and wind instruments and their components, particularly their keys. It's not just the cheap instruments either: a significant percentage of professional-grade French horns are made with this amazing material.

In our string world it is used for crafting frets on guitars, banjos, mandolins, etc and, most importantly to me, fittings and hardware for violin and violin family bows. Some cheaper bows have lower grade materials, but we only sell bows with a quality German silver mount or, in the finer high-end bows, Sterling Silver.

 

Now you know the full scoop on German Silver! Likely you still won't know how to spot a fake silver coin, but you can at least trust the bow you are buying from Fiddleheads has choice components!