I did the same thing with my Ettore squeegees. All of them. 
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I use [B]Steccone aluminum featherweight[/B] squeegees on all residential work but I wanted to keep it simple for the new guy. They have a steeper angle on the handle which makes it easier to close out, plus they are light as a feather. I cut my teeth on Ettore back in the 70ās so they are my personal favorite on storefronts.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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The main difference between stainless and brass seems to be that stainless is less flexible. Brass is softer, more flexible, and a little heavier.
You can feel the rigidity of the stainless channel through the sqeegee in your hand.
I do not have a conclusion about which is better at this point. I am trying them out again. It depends on what you like.
Does the flexibility of brass help when you are pulling it into the frame or fanning? It might. I am not sure. I will continue to experiment with them until I come to a conclusion.
I may very well just be a matter of what you like. Some like chocolate and some like vanilla.
Some clipless handles use stainless only.
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Ettore makes an aluminum channel now. Have you tried them yet, Mike?
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Sorry Ettore :([/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Steccone came out with aluminum featherweight channels first so I tried them and Iām all set on squeegee channels now. I want every channel to fit every handle, so they all have to be the same. On storefronts I use the Ettore brass handle with the quick release because it has a better angle for pole work. [/FONT][/COLOR]
I gave up on the brass quick release. The plastic flip levers wear out and wonāt stay down after a while. It is hard to tighten the screws as it gets loose and when you do the flip wire can get bent. I would rather just use the screws.
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I think the angles are the same. The weight helps with poling.
I am talking about Steccone Featherweigt handles and Ettore brass quick release handles. If you think they are the same perhaps you need to take a closer look Merv. I use them both every day and the Steccone is steeper, meaning it is closer to zero degrees than an Ettore brass handle.
Ok. I have a Pulex lightweight, not a Steccone. When you say āsteeperā that sounds like the opposite of zero degrees. Zero degress is flatā¦no angle. An angle steeper than 30 degrees would be like 40 degrees or so.
I will check out the Steccone because I might like an angle more than 30.
I have never seen one with less of an angle except the Unger zero degree.
I used to use the old Steccone brass channels that were clipless. The problem was that the handle slid around on the channel too easily so it was always changing positions. It was good other than that.
So far I find that every sqeegee gets tiresome after a while and I change to a different one. I still have not concluded which one is best. The lightweight is nice but sometimes I like a large heavy one. The large heavy one is nice but sometimes I want a light one. The only mainstream squeegee i have not tried out is the Unger Ergotech.
Sometimes I like brass or aluminum and sometimes I want to try out stainless again. I guess I am just an unsettled window cleaner. Nothing strikes me as the one.
I also use a wide varity of channels, and like to mod the wide ungers so they drain water better, a few holes drilled will help with poling and unger is the leader for being user friendly
The hard part is having a safe place to keep them from getting damaged on the job, keeping channels from getting bent, nicked ect is my downfall
i end up using WAGTAIL everytime. much of my house work has bay windows top and bottom and using a wagtail gives just that extra 6 inches or so extra reach which means fewer placements of the ladder .i dont favour the aluminium of it and a few times when iv dropped it from a height im never sure if its bent a fraction .
Last week i stumbled upon my old stainless PULEX squeegee,with stainless channel and i decided to take it along with me and used it on a few windows too. Its a quick release ,simply well made and looks snazzier than the wagtail , but its now back in my shed with other has-been -gear as it just didnt cut the mustard
Thanks for your reply Merv, I knew there had to be a mix up in understanding somewhere. My use of the word steeper comes from the fact that my knuckles are further away from the glass when I use my steccone handles. The magi clip steccone handles make it easy to change channels but you are right Merv they slip. I only use one magi clip handle so I can change my short channel sizes on cut ups the others are regular. I have found that changing the handles I use helps to relieve some of the pain I experience from repetitive motion. Is the Unger ergotech handle something I should try? Will it hold a regular channel?
Hey Bonemeal, Thanks for your post. I love to modify my tools. What do you mean by a few holes drilled?
Time to dig this post back up from the grave. Iāve spent enough time now playing around and researching each material to offer my observations.
Brass - the heaviest squeegee material; up to 15% heavier than steel and up to 70% heavier than aluminum. The softest material of the 3, followed by aluminum, then stainless.
Brassā subjective pros: Heavy. When using soft rubber it works perfectly under its own weight and inertia. Ettore brass channels also have square corners that stabilize the rubber just a tiny bit more than rounded corners do. The extra stability lends itself to tight cut-ins and less towel detailing. Brass is also quite soft, so it is easy to cut channels for a particular length. Develops a cool patina with age to show you are not a noob.
Brassā subjective cons: Heavy. Carrying two or more brass squeegees plus a wet mop can pull your belt down and hurt your hips after a while. Soft. Over-tightening the handle can cause the channel to bend or bow, leading to streaks. Dropping the channel on a hard surface can bend it. Develops a patina with use that may appear neglectful to some.
Aluminum: The lightest of the 3. Medium softness but very rigid for its weight. Wide body channels are machined from aluminum for this reason, among others.
Aluminumās pros: VERY light. Hardly a noticeable weight addition to belt/boab setups. Soft enough to cut easily for a specific channel length. Does not patina or corrode easily.
Aluminumās cons: Can be almost TOO light. Has little mass of its own so the operator may perceive a need for more hand pressure to perform properly. Rounded channel corners from the factory offer slightly less stability than the square corners of Ettore brass and stainless channels.
Stainless Steel: Medium weight. Highest strength and rigidity.
Stainless Steel pros: Super strong and basically will never bend, even if dropped from great heights. Highly resistant to corrosion and wear; likely will appear clean and new even after decades of use without maintenance. Ettore stainless channels have square corners like the brass for added stability.
Stainless Steel cons: Very hard material makes it much more difficult to cut a specific channel length unless you have access to power tools or a machine shop.
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On the other hand the brass squeegees are just right. I used to be a huge fan of the steccone feather weight aluminum squeegees. Then I wised up. 
Great post Samuel
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I think thatās why they are the number one selling squeegee in the world. They feel great in the hand.
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Great post Samuel.
Itās been bookmarked for future reference for the newbies that are having trouble deciding what channel to purchase.
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wish I could still find some of those awesome SLAYER channels.
