Calling 78rpm metal-alloy needle experts: Question

[blacknwhite]

Calling 78rpm metal-alloy needle experts:

Can you guess, from the photographs, whether these needles are solid metal, or if they're electroplated? I am hoping they're solid metal. If they're electroplated, I'd be afraid to use them, since I heard the plating can start to peel off during play, creating a razor-sharp edge to shred the grooves: Anyone have experience using these needles in late 1930s-1940s automatic 78 rpm changers with the "lighter-weight" (for the era) chrystal pickups (as opposed to the heavy horse-shoes)?:

Thanks,
- Bob

[hillndalefan]

When I first started collecting [1961], these needles were still available and I used them on my Victrola S215. They worked OK, but I suspect they may have caused some undue wear on the records. Later, I found an old music store that still had their 1920s stock of steel needles, and I switched to them. What you
have was really made for the record changers of the 1940s that you mentioned, using a crystal cartridge. They did work well in that application. The good news is that steel needles are available again, by mail order from Antique Phonograph Supply Co. and several other sources.