Ordered stainless shanks and got "Chrome"?? How to tell

So I searched and searched and couldn't find a vendor with stainless steel 3 1/8" shanks. None of the big keg vendors had this size in stainless. I found 2 vendors who were selling this size in stainless so I ordered from the cheaper of the two (we'll keep the specific vendor unnamed).

Well I recieved my 4 3&1/8" shanks in the mail and all is good. I opened the box and the shanks are individually packaged in plastic bags labeled "chrome". I emailed the vendor and asked if there was a mix-up and if they were really stainless or if they were "chrome" as the bag said.

The vendor claims that he purchased the shanks from a company called "Krome manufacturing" which is why the bags were labeled "chrome". I am still skeptical. If the bags were labeled with the vendor name why wouldn't they have been labeled "Krome"?

So I'm not really sure what I recieved but I paid for stainless and the invoice states stainless steel shanks so I want to make sure that I recieved stainless shanks. Is there a way to definitively tell the difference between the two? I have never seen a chrome shank as these are the first shanks of any kind that I have ordered.

Chromed metal in many cases is much more "shiny" than SS parts... there are exceptions, but when I look at SS and chrome tail pieces for example, the chromed pieces are much shinier and weigh a bit less than the SS. In your instance, it may be hard to tell if you don't have something to compare it to, but chromed metal can chip to reveal the underlying metal (usually brass), so it should be easy to tell if you can flake it off.

That sounds like the shadiest excuse possible (the company doesn't know how to spell its own name? ). Especially since a google search doesn't show any "Krome Manufacturing" that are involved in the manufacture or distribution of bar parts.

There is, however, a "Krome Productions" that appears to be a Buffalo-based gay porn shop that was involved in an illegal speakeasy/nightclub/sex club. That's probably something different, though.

the_bird said:

There is, however, a "Krome Productions" that appears to be a Buffalo-based gay porn shop that was involved in an illegal speakeasy/nightclub/sex club. That's probably something different, though.

Click to expand...

I dunno, maybe the shanks were used in the illegal sex club thing? I don't really wanna know...

yeast_infection said:

... I opened the box and the shanks are individually packaged in plastic bags labeled "chrome".
...
Is there a way to definitively tell the difference between the two? I have never seen a chrome shank as these are the first shanks of any kind that I have ordered.

Click to expand...

They are probably labeled "Chrome" because the "Faucet Coupling Nut" is Chrome.

Tha shank in the picture is a SS unit with a Chrome coupling nut.

Ok. How do you tell if the shank is Chrome plated? During the plating process, it is impossible for them to plate the inside of the shank. (The bore where the beer passes through) Just shine a light into the bore and look. If it is brass (and it will be if it is not SS) you will see right away.

Hope this helps you.

BTW - The shank in the picture is from MicroMatic. The shank is 3-1/8" SS. The coupling nut is Chrome.

There is a kegging supplier named "Chrome". And i know they make an array of shanks. So it could be legit, but maybe try a magnet? Not positive about shanks, but most stainless steel will not hold a magnet.

I'd suspect chrome plating wouldn't be very thick. Is there a place you wouldn't mind marring if it was the real thing and had to live with it? Other than that, you could check specific gravity. I would think SS would look machined and have some evidence of tooling marks. Something plated wouldn't.

Chello said:

There is a kegging supplier named "Chrome". And i know they make an array of shanks. So it could be legit, but maybe try a magnet? Not positive about shanks, but most stainless steel will not hold a magnet.

Click to expand...

Brass won't either...

I think the guy that I ordered them from was actually talking about this place ...........? He said "Krome manufacturing" this place has "Krome" in the name and has kegging stuff. Maybe I will email them and ask if they ship their stainless shanks out in bags labeled "chrome"

http://kromedispense.com/

If i did in fact recieve stainless shanks, sending them in bags labeled "chrome" is just a horrible idea.

I really wish I had just ordered them from micromatic now. I found a site that was about 15 bucks cheaper for the 4 of them total. Not sure it was worth it now that I have this confusion about what I actually recieved.

chrome is a plating, blast it with a blowtorch a long time (that way you ruin it whichever it is), or somehow find its density, but that is BEYOND my displational metallurgical abilities.

(ever thrown brass darts? they suck in the wind)