All About Pocket Knives

I have two old westerns, same model, and one has nickel silver liners and pins, the other has brassliners and pins. Isn't it a pretty good bet that the nickel silver is older???

Both metals have been used in knives since at least the late 1800s or before. During wartime or during times of reduced availability one metal might be selected over the other. Knives marketed as being upscale or fancier might be more likely to use nickel silver than brass. The short answer to your question is "No."