Not sure if brass is outdated or not, I almost never use it.

You might want to look into silicon bronze. Still kind of that yellow color but a little redder I think. I find it easy to work and takes a beautiful finish. Downside? It reminds me of nickel silver: scratches if you look at it funny.

Available from Atlas Metal in Colorado.

Hello Kyle. I guess the big question will be, is your client okay with it? Brass has kind of fallen by the way in favor of stainless and bronze. Brass tarnishes easily and is fairly soft, so it scratches easliy. My personal opinion is that if you are using it as an accent and not the whole guard and frame it could look fine. Some people think it makes the knife look cheap, I do not, but I also almost never use it as my clients prefer other materials. I know not much of an answer, but it would be up to you and your client.

Brion

I still like brass and still get many requests for it and still use it alot, but as the others have mentioned and you know as well it tarnishes and scratches quite easily......personally I think it adds ( in the right application) a very appealing look when used as thin spacers.....it offers a great patina in time as well which some may prefer and some may not all depends on what your looking for I guess.....you may want to offer options to your customer but at the end of the day if it's brass he wants , brass he gets !! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//rolleyes.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' />

with your choice of materials you've selected already either way I'm sure it will be nice.......

To add to what has already been said ... The knife for Blade show I would consider not using brass on. It is a numbers game. There are still plenty of people who like brass, but more who prefer something else. For a knife at a show, I try to appeal to the largest group possible <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Brian

Any suggestions for color without looking cheap?

I've seen a lot of knives with copper guards, spacers, liners, pins. It oxidizes quickly, but the patina is what folks are after, I think.

......I like copper myself for something different, the patina becomes better and better in time, this particular one hasn't had time to age yet but will quickly in the kitchen....

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My personal opinion is that if you are using it as an accent and not the whole guard and frame it could look fine.

Brion,

I have occasionally used a thin spacer of brass between stainless fittings.

I guess that I never thought of bronze being more trendy or popular. What do you typically use for a contrasting accent between stainless fittings, bronze or something else?

Gary

This is not going to be alot. I am not making guards or large spacers. The spacers will be 1/16" and the spacers between the stainless in the spine will be .050.

Kyle, I think the thin spacers would be fine and would offset the darker fittings well. Take Gary's bowie for example, looks good. Gary, generally I prefer bronze for accent pieces. You can color brass and bronze with brass black and there are a number of patinas for brass, copper, and bronze.

Brion

|quoted:

Brion,

I have occasionally used a thin spacer of brass between stainless fittings.

I guess that I never thought of bronze being more trendy or popular. What do you typically use for a contrasting accent between stainless fittings, bronze or something else?

Gary

Nice touch of brass Gary , like that..........

Thanks, Rob. Glad that you liked it.

Brion--

Where do you get your bronze--Rio Grande?

Gary

Gary I usually get it from Alpha Knife Supply. They have a pretty good selection of thicknesses. Or at least they used to.

Alpha Knife Supply

Brion

Renaissance Wax keeps metals from growing patina...

To me, well done is well done... more like balance of materials used being the definer of it. I will always make a guard or pin or spacer out of brass if the materials balance is right.

Mike

PS... Think I might change my signature to "Life is an accumulation of scratches"... =]