Where to find shank repair bands?

http://www.jhlowe.com/supplies.htm

On one old estate pipe I used a brass olive (plumbing compression ring) to fix a cracked shank. I first (very carefully) removed the required amount of briar for a good fit then forced the olive onto the shank by pressing it onto a granite work surface.
Ok, it doesn't look like a professional job but it worked a treat and saved a pipe from ending up in the bin.
Olives such as these can be found in various diameters at your local plumbing outlet.
Regards,
Jay.

Then copper and brass will be fair game for sure.

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Not a good idea, I'm afraid.
There's a reason you don't see copper or brass bands on pipes. It corrodes in quite a nasty way--even staining the wood around it---while sterling and nickel don't.

"-while sterling and nickel don't."
George, with all due respect, I have come across many a Peterson nickel band or acorn that was heavily corroded but the surrounding briar was fine.
Also I have seen many pipes with brass (but never copper for some reason) adornments on shanks and stems and these were factory fitted. I will grant you that silver (better still gold) would be the preferred option but of course that will tarnish too and the inexperienced restorer in trying to make it look good again can inadvertently spoil the surrounding briar.
Regards,
Jay.

Yeah, I debated breaking down the word "corrodes" at the time I typed that, almost did, then decided I get pedantic about such things too often anyway, so just went with the bottom line short version.
Sterling silver and nickel DO both corrode, of course---that's what the whole "turning black over time" thing is---they just do it in a gentlemanly way. Very shallow, and easily removed.
Brass and copper---especially copper---can get truly nasty. Depends on storage conditions, humidity, etc., but if you've ever seen a pipe with a runaway copper band, you'd never use one. Blooming, turquoise-colored crystal sludgey stuff growing on it like a mushroom. Brass is definitely less reactive, but can still get pretty ugly.
Anyway, there's (effectively) no cost or labor difference between the candidate metals, so using the industry standards makes the most sense imo.
I'm not sure what was up with the nasty nickel you've seen, mawnansmiff. Sounds interesting. Pretty much any alloy that's not true silver was/is referred to as "nickel" by the old pipe making outfits---sometimes as "German Silver"---but no one knows what it actually is. Peterson's is a respectable company and always has been, though, so wouldn't be using a junk alloy to save a penny. Again, interesting. I wish I could see what you saw.
Speaking of bands, there absolutely ARE fake silver bands out there, so beware when stocking up, Nevadablue. I have a box full of them. :lol: Clearly stamped .925 Sterling, and absolutely anything but.

"thing is---they just do it in a gentlemanly way."
How sweetly put ::
"I'm not sure what was up with the nasty nickel you've seen, mawnansmiff."
George, I have seen at least two Peterson 'acorns' that were so corroded that bits were missing leaving sharp edges! I did wonder if they had come into contact with seawater as that stuff just eats most metals.
Regards,
Jay.

Stainless can be surprisingly difficult and frustrating to fabricate, so heads-up there. And forget titanium completely. It takes highly specialized tools and techniques to deal with. There is only one guy I know of who messes with it, and he does so only because he knew how before becoming a pipe maker (he was an Indy race car tech).