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Thread: Non-abrasive silver polish?

  1. Non-abrasive silver polish?

    Hi,

    So I've had a beautiful 1980 satin silver B&H Imperial for a little over a year now which I'm in love with! But I need to find a good non-abrasive silver polish that would be safe to use on a satin silver horn. I'd also like one that would be useful on regular silver plate, being in Drum Corps we have to clean polish our horns regularly.

    I've heard a lot of different things for caring for satin silver including a somewhat jokingly "put it in the case and leave it there forever"... I just don't know where to find out about this so I figure I'd throw it out here.

    -Sean

  2. #2
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    I think that the consensus at this point in time is that Hagerty's is the best choice. I've tried about everything, and (unless you're trying to remove 50 or 100 years of tarnis), there is nothing better than Hagerty's in my experience.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
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  3. #3
    I agree with Gary. The polish I used for satin silver is the spray-on version of Hagerty because it would not require as much rubbing and therefore would not "smooth" the satin look unnecessarily. They make it with a pump spray now, which is probably more environmentally friendly. Hagerty has a tarnish inhibitor, so it helps the polish job last MUCH longer.

    https://www.amazon.com/W-J-Hagerty-S.../dp/B0012KZDG8

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
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  4. #4
    Join Date
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    I've tried every polish product out there, and all of them somewhat abraid the finish on a satin horn.

    A new satin finish looks like a lot of mountains & craters under magnification, rubbing with polish knocks some of the peaks down, and leaves a bit in the valleys.

    This causes a black residue that comes off on your hands as you hold whilst playing.

    Keep doing that, and your horn will look irreparably more shiny and less 'satiny' over time.

    My answer (and I don't have a cheap horn) is a wipedown using a soft cotton rag wet with Tarnex liquid. I advise wearing disposable gloves.

    Follow up with a water rinse and dry with a soft terry towel

    There is no physical rubbing going on, and nothing is left behind and the surface isn't altered, just bright again.

    An added benefit is the process is very fast, the most time you will spend is drying off after the rinse.

    Dennis

  5. #5
    Tarn-X works very quickly and indeed does not require rubbing. But it contains acid (there is a strict warning on the bottle, as I recall, about wearing rubber gloves).

    Here is one site's opinion (biased, but check it out):

    http://www.hermansilver.com/tarn-x.htm

    Another disadvantage of Tarn-X (and similar dips) is there is no tarnish preventative action. Tarnish will come back very quickly. It contains a known carcinogen. The label says it is not safe for brass. So if you have any bare spots on the horn or get it on the un-plated parts (slides), you risk damaging the brass. The label also says:

    "Do not use Tarn-X on poorly plated silver, silver that has scratched or marred surfaces or any item that is not in good condition."

    I did use Tarn-X now and then on really tough spots on my satin silver horn, such as in between valves where it was quite black from water spots. But I never used it on the main surface areas. I used Hagerty only, and if I just wiped it after playing it stayed nice for a long time. If it was a sweaty gig I would use a damp cloth afterwards.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
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  6. #6
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    I guess we should all just get plastic horns and enjoy a life free of polishing...

    Or settle for boring lacquered brass.

    Just kidding.

    D

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by skacner View Post
    Hi,

    So I've had a beautiful 1980 satin silver B&H Imperial for a little over a year now which I'm in love with! But I need to find a good non-abrasive silver polish that would be safe to use on a satin silver horn. [snip]

    -Sean
    Blitz, less abrasive than Hagerty. The advice to avoid rubbing too hard is good, no matter what polish you use.
    Dean L. Surkin
    Mack Brass MACK-EU1150S, BB1 mouthpiece
    Bach 36B trombone; Bach 6.5AL and Faxx 7C mouthpieces (pBone on loan to granddaughter)
    Steinway 1902 Model A, restored by AC Pianocraft in 1988; Kawai MP8, Yamaha KX-76
    See my avatar: Jazz (the black cockapoo; RIP) and Delilah (the cavapoo) keep me company while practicing

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by highpitch View Post
    I guess we should all just get plastic horns and enjoy a life free of polishing...

    Or settle for boring lacquered brass.
    No problem - just get one like mine! It is lacquered everywhere, including on the silver bell.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
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  9. #9
    I've seen the recommendations for Blitz on here before, so I tried it out. It does work very well, but I will be going back to Hagerty's spray when I run out. Blitz is thicker and really only works if you do quite a bit of rubbing. Whereas Hagerty's spray just needs to be sprayed on, allowed to dry, and then wiped off in order to tackle the same level of dirt and tarnish. It's much gentler in my experience.
    --
    Barry

  10. Quote Originally Posted by skacner View Post
    Hi,
    I'd also like one that would be useful on regular silver plate, being in Drum Corps we have to clean polish our horns regularly.
    I don't have any experience with satin finishes, but for my regular silver marching horns my current favorite is Weiman silver wipes, mainly for the pure convenience, especially when I'm somewhere without easy access to running water. They're individual pre-treated wipes that do a good job of removing tarnish with minimum effort, especially in hard-to-reach parts of the horn, since you can thread the wipes between gaps. Once you've wiped down the horn, you can then just polish the horn with a dry soft cloth without an intermediate rinse step.

    If I have more time to dedicate to polishing I'll use something a little gentler like Hagerty's, but in a pinch the wipes are a life saver. Just this weekend I rescued a marching euphonium whose bell had turned almost completely brown due to exposure from sitting in an equipment trailer in a broken case for a few years; it took me about 5 minutes to completely remove all the visible tarnish from the bell and make it presentable enough for a field show.
    Dillon 3+1 non-comp euph - Wessex marching baritone - Dynasty DEG G baritone bugle
    Schiller American Heritage Bb/F trombone
    Kanstul Contra Grande G contrabass bugle - Schiller American Heritage 3/4 4V piston BBb tuba

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