how to tell a galvanised spoke from stainless

[alexnharvey]

Bought a set of spokes, advertised as stainless, look to have the dull silver of zinc rather than brighter look of stainless. Have gone back to the seller querying what they have sent but wonder if there is a way of telling short of scraping back the coating and leaving it in salt water?

[Paulatic]

A magnet maybe as stainless steel whilst magnetic seems to have less pull.

[nirakaro]

A magnet maybe as stainless steel whilst magnetic seems to have less pull.

Exactly. IME stainless shows no appreciable magnetism.

[Mick F]

Try a magnet on your stainless steel cutlery. You'll find that it will stick quite well.

Magnets are attracted to iron. It all depends how much iron/steel there is mixed with the chrome to make various grades of SS.
My SS spokes are magnetic a bit.

[thatsnotmyname]

Bought a set of spokes, advertised as stainless, look to have the dull silver of zinc rather than brighter look of stainless. Have gone back to the seller querying what they have sent but wonder if there is a way of telling short of scraping back the coating and leaving it in salt water?

Stainless is only bright when polished. Unlikely that the spokes are polished.

[alexnharvey]

Bought a set of spokes, advertised as stainless, look to have the dull silver of zinc rather than brighter look of stainless. Have gone back to the seller querying what they have sent but wonder if there is a way of telling short of scraping back the coating and leaving it in salt water?

Stainless is only bright when polished. Unlikely that the spokes are polished.

It looks like galvanised zinc and not like stainless steel to me. In my experience whilst both can be described as 'silvery metallic' they are quite distinct in appearance.

[pwa]

Bought a set of spokes, advertised as stainless, look to have the dull silver of zinc rather than brighter look of stainless. Have gone back to the seller querying what they have sent but wonder if there is a way of telling short of scraping back the coating and leaving it in salt water?

Stainless is only bright when polished. Unlikely that the spokes are polished.

New galv is actually very bright. It becomes dull over time.

[thatsnotmyname]

Bought a set of spokes, advertised as stainless, look to have the dull silver of zinc rather than brighter look of stainless. Have gone back to the seller querying what they have sent but wonder if there is a way of telling short of scraping back the coating and leaving it in salt water?

Stainless is only bright when polished. Unlikely that the spokes are polished.

It looks like galvanised zinc and not like stainless steel to me. In my experience whilst both can be described as 'silvery metallic' they are quite distinct in appearance.

A picture will sort it...

[alexnharvey]

I have set them beside various stainless spokes and they are a different hue, whereas they are identical to a galvanised piece I have (a drill mandrel). Pictured is a piece of stainless rack leg.

[thatsnotmyname]

I have set them beside various stainless spokes and they are a different hue, whereas they are identical to a galvanised piece I have (a drill mandrel). Pictured is a piece of stainless rack leg.

They look exactly like a stainless spoke would look to me, not galvanised. The piece of stainless rack leg you are comparing them to is polished, whereas the spokes are unpolished, so of course it will look different.

[alexnharvey]

I have set them beside various stainless spokes and they are a different hue, whereas they are identical to a galvanised piece I have (a drill mandrel). Pictured is a piece of stainless rack leg.

They look exactly like a stainless spoke would look to me, not galvanised. The piece of stainless rack leg you are comparing them to is polished, whereas the spokes are unpolished, so of course it will look different.

I have told you that i have held them beside various stainless spokes and they are different.

[pwa]

I have set them beside various stainless spokes and they are a different hue, whereas they are identical to a galvanised piece I have (a drill mandrel). Pictured is a piece of stainless rack leg.

They look exactly like a stainless spoke would look to me, not galvanised. The piece of stainless rack leg you are comparing them to is polished, whereas the spokes are unpolished, so of course it will look different.

I have never had stainless spokes polished like the rack fixing. They are always dull.

[thatsnotmyname]

I have set them beside various stainless spokes and they are a different hue, whereas they are identical to a galvanised piece I have (a drill mandrel). Pictured is a piece of stainless rack leg.

They look exactly like a stainless spoke would look to me, not galvanised. The piece of stainless rack leg you are comparing them to is polished, whereas the spokes are unpolished, so of course it will look different.

I have never had stainless spokes polished like the rack fixing. They are always dull.

Likewise. I used to get a lot of motorcycle wheels built by a firm with their own spoke machine. I was always given the choice of galvanised, polished stainless or unpolished stainless. I always went for unpolished as it more closely resembled the original galvanised finish.

[alexnharvey]

I am happy to photograph them with a stainless spoke.

[thatsnotmyname]

I am happy to photograph them with a stainless spoke.

Don't use a polished one...