NICKEL or BRASS?The Original Shubb Capo ("C" series) is available in either nickel or brass finish. They are all made of brass, but some are nickel plated and others are left unplated. How should you decide which one you want? To start with, whichever looks better to you. But if you want more, here are some further considerations...
The environmental issue The nickel plating process produces byproducts which are not environmentally friendly. True, plating shops are held responsible by law for controlling these byproducts, but if this is a concern of yours, it might be a factor in making your decision between a nickel plated or plain brass capo.
Nickel allergy? Nickel plating can sometimes cause an allergic dermatitis, similar in cause and symptoms to poison oak or ivy. It commonly occurs on the ears, wrists, neck, and waistband area where items commonly plated (such as costume jewelry or belt buckles) are worn. If you have ever had this, or noticed a mysterious rash (especially on your hands), you might want to opt for the brass finish.
Uncoated brass will darken. The plain, unplated brass capos are not coated with anything. There is no coating that we have found which is durable enough to withstand the constant handling that a capo gets. They are, as we say, PLAIN brass. This means that in time they will darken. To those of us who appreciate the look of brass, this natural aged finish is appealing; reminiscent of the look of an old microscope, or some piece of gear from a sailing ship. On the other hand, if you prefer your brass to shine, the capo can be polished up using a cloth and just about any kind of metal polish, and it will shine like gold.
What color hardware is on your guitar? A nickel plated capo might look more at home on a guitar with nickel plated hardware, while the brass capo is similar to gold in appearance, and looks good with gold plated hardware.But since the capo is not permanently installed on the guitar, this might not be a major factor to you.