Change on alox rivets material

[Gryko]

Hello everybody,

today my new Farmer X arrived. I noticed that the second rivet's color ist another than the color of the other rivets. As shown on the right in the picture below the color of the second rivet is more silver. In comparison there is my first Farmer X from 2020 on the left. Does anybody know what material is this and when they changed it?

20240514_174530.jpg (Filesize: 152.6 KB)

Best regards
Gryko

[Enginears]

I have gotten a PX and FX from knifecenter  in the last year and a half and both still had all nickel silver pins. But word on the street is that new pin is steel. First pictures of it I have seen were in the last 3-4 months.

[Gryko]

Thank you! Is there any reason why they changed only the middle rivet?

[gustophersmob]

It is most likely steel.

When the PX first came out in 2016(?) there were some modders who discovered the center pin appeared to be bent when disassembled.  Its likely that third backspring was exerting more force than the nickel silver was designed to withstand.  It wasn't until after the Farmer X came out in 2020 (and seemingly some time after, though IDK how long) that the steel pin made its (re*)appearance.  It is likely the 4 springs exceed the shear strength of the nickel  silver.  the center pin is under the most stress from the back springs, so it is likely the only one that needed changed.

*Incidentally, the 93mm line had steel center pins at one point in the past during the "old cross" era.  I've owned at least one pioneer with it.  IDK the age range though, as the oldest have nickel silver and the newer old cross ones did too.  It seems like it popped up in the middle for a time and then went away.  Maybe someone else has more detail?  Attached a pic from the web showing the steel center pin on an old cross farmer. EDIT TO ADD: My memory was off; I just looked through some pics of my old Elinox pioneer and a couple BSA pioneers I used to have.  They appear to have steel center pins too.  So maybe it was there from the beginning and then dropped sometime before the transition to the Vic shield versions?