My 6P 'aint pretty no more :(

over the past week i've been noticing mysterious silver spots wearing in the knurling on the body of my 6P, where the paint is wearing away, i couldn't figure out what it was, then i remembered....

i've been carrying my Spyderco Endura (which i sold a few days ago to get a Harpy) in the Nite Ize holster outer pocket (the SureFire was on the inner pocket), apparently, the pressure of the top of the knife blade was enough to wear away the paint

Sharpie "permanent" marker didn't fix it, oh well, i guess i'll just live with it, now i won't be so worried about scarring up the light any further, still, it's dissapointing.....

....now it gives me an excuse to invest in a HAIII anodized SF that uses the P60/P61 bulbs, like the Centurion series....

or, maybe.... simply buy a C2 Centurion body from Lighthound, and slowly upgrade the unit to a Centurion piece by piece

I sorta like beat up and well worn lights. The L1P thats been banging around in the same pocket with an Arc AAA and Leatherman Micra is beginning to get some character as well.

best regards

I guess "age" happens on them SureFires with the Black finish. . .I like that "worn" look but not the ragged jagged look.

You can get black touchup for aluminum. I think Birchwood Casey makes it. I found it in the the shooting supplies section at the local sporting goods store. It works similar to touchup paint for cars. A couple of light coats cleaned up some scratches on one of my SF lights. The repair has held up well under use.
Jim

I think a worn look (without deep scratches ) makes a light grow on you more. My QIII looks like that.

Kees

you didn't buy it for how it looks, right?

The cure is to buy another 6P. Don't use it, in fact, try not to touch it without gloved hands. Put it somewhere were you can see it. Then continue to carry the one that is getting carried and worn and still have a "mint" light that you COULD use.

The type III hard anodized finishes wear too. My E2 and C2/3's have silver colored high points everywhere from finish wearing off. The type III is just more durable.

Naah, didn't buy this one for "looks", and i knew when i bought it that it had the less durable anodizing and would only be a matter of time before it showed wear, it's a *user* not a shelf queen....

although, part of me hoped against hope that the anodizing would have held up longer, it's gonna' happen, i'm over it now, no big deal

Well, a nitrolon body will be pretty all the time as long as it isn't broken.... all dings/scratches/chips aren't visible at all

I found out the cause of the "spotting"....

turns out the rivet on the back of the Nite Ize belt clip has worn away at the inner liner of the Pock-It, allowing the rivet to scrape off the paint/anodizing, it would explain why the wear spots are all oval, and all in the same area around the barrel of the light, the 6P's knurling was agressive enough to chew through the Pock-Its and wear on the rivet....

oh well, live and learn, time to inspect my new XL Pock-Its holster to make sure there's no riveted area to wear through....

nope, the rivets are behind *two* layers of ballistic nylon, and i can run my belt through the holster to have it hang horizontally, taking up less space on the belt, *and* it has room for the 6P, my Leatherman Blast, a Spyderco Cricket clipped to the outside pocket, and a Spyderco Jester/Photon combo on a "lobster claw" style clip attached to the "D" ring

UVvis said:

The cure is to buy another 6P. Don't use it, in fact, try not to touch it without gloved hands. Put it somewhere were you can see it. Then continue to carry the one that is getting carried and worn and still have a "mint" light that you COULD use.

Click to expand...

That what I am doing. I EDC the E2D, while the rest of my Surefires including a 2nd E2D are shelf queens.