Yellow brass vs red brass and bronze
They look alike, but red brass and bronze carry more copper, and yards pay for it. Here's how to keep them apart.
Why it matters
Yellow brass is roughly 60 to 70 percent copper. Red brass and most bronze run closer to 85 percent copper. More copper means a higher price per pound, so mixing red in with yellow gives money away.
What each one looks like
- Yellow brass: bright, lemony gold. Plumbing fittings, keys, door hardware, shell casings, decorative pieces.
- Red brass: reddish-gold to brown. Water meters, gate valve bodies, older plumbing valves, pump parts.
- Bronze: brown with a reddish tint. Bushings, bearings, boat props and marine hardware, statues and plaques.
How to tell them apart
File a fresh spot on two pieces and set them side by side in daylight. Yellow brass looks like lemon; red brass looks like a new penny that's been mixed with gold. Water meters are almost always red brass, so they're a good reference piece to keep in your truck.
Neither one sticks to a magnet. If your 'brass' sticks, it's plated steel.
Get the top price
- Keep red and yellow in separate buckets.
- Knock off steel handles, stems and plastic. Brass with steel attached gets docked or graded as 'dirty'.
- Cut brass ends off copper pipe and sell them as brass.
Let MetalMint do the sortingSnap a photo, tap your magnet and scratch results, and MetalMint gives you the grade, the weight and today's price. Free to start, in English and Spanish.Try MetalMint free