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Difference between chrome and nickel

How can I tell the difference between chrome and nickel on vintage fishing reels. I have an old reel and am trying to determine what the coating is. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks

Mike Larreau
Hobbyist - Wichita, Kansas, USA
February 19, 2011

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February , 2011

Hi, Mike. First, there may not be much practical difference. Decorative chrome plating is actually nickel plating followed by a very very thin layer of chrome plating which deters tarnish and symbiotically contributes to corrosion resistance. There are chemical tests to destructively discern the presence of the chrome, and it can also be determined non-destructively with x-ray fluorescence equipment if it is truly important to you.

But practically speaking, there is generally just a slightly different coloration and a small difference in reflectivity, and it's mostly a matter of which appearance you prefer. Chrome has a definite slightly bluish cast and usually a mirror-like look; nickel usually has a slightly yellowish cast, more obvious with age and the yellowish tarnish cuts down a bit on reflectivity.

Hold your fishing reel next to a bright automotive grill or truck bumper. If you are pretty sure your reel is yellowish in comparison, it is nickel. If you aren't pretty sure that you see a difference, it is probably chrome. Vintage may also help you guess. Nickel has been around for a very long time; chrome didn't become popular until the late 1930s.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey