When one does silver wire inlay into maple handles, would one choose 999fine silver ribbon, or sterling silver and anneal it? I would like to order some and started wondering which type of "wire" one would choose.


Thanks for any thoughts...

Hey Mike!

Welcome back. Missed you at the BKC show.

You'll want to use a stiffer wire/ribbon than fine silver. Most use nickle silver ribbon to learn the ins and outs.
You can use sterling when you get the process down. Annealing isn't necessary.

Tim

Hi, Tim,

Thanks for the info on the wire. I'll order some nickel silver to practice with.

I was disappointed we couldn't make the Badger Show, but my wife woke up sick Saturday morning and then gave me the flu. Next year, I guess..... Hope you had a good time. Feedback I've received said people had a pretty good time as usual. It's a nice show. Bob Schrap deserves kudos for how he has grown that show with the years.

Take care, and thanks again!

Sorry, gotta be a PITA. I've looked thru Rio Grande, and the knifemaker's supplies, and don't find any nickel silver ribbon or wire. Any suggestion for a source?
Thanks for helping me.

A good set of tin snips lets you make width wire you want from a sheet of what ever thickness you have on hand.. After cutting ,you will need to anneal..... make the job more fun..

Mike,

You can find nickle sheet stock at Track of the Wolf.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/index.aspx

Look under "gunsmithing".

Tim

Ann Sheffield ( Sheffield's Supply ) 1-800-874-7007 has about anything you could want in the way of knifemaking supplies..

Thanks, Lloyd, Tim,

Appreciate the advice to just trim nickel silver off of sheet. One gets in a mindset to find something specific and sometimes it smothers thinking! DOH! I am gonna need some practice at this, and there's just no sense to burn silver ribbon on test blocks. Sound advice from Tim..

And, yes, Lloyd, I do so like Sheffield Supply. I've bought a lot from them for over twenty years. They have always been just great to deal with. I couldn't recommend them more highly.

Thanks again, guys! I've bookmarked that link, Tim.

Mike... Here's an after thought....before you cut off a thin strip of nickle silver, take a file and and cut the 90 degree angles off both sides of the sheet.. not too much , just enough to give to give you a good lead in your wood and the files scratches serve as teeth and give it a bite in the wood.... it works for me...

thanks, Lloyd, great idea.:)