HA-III finish not that durable, would powder coating be possible?

Its been about a week, and my Arc that is attached to my keys is starting to fade, I was thinking for future Arcs, would powder coating be a better choice? Or would it not allow the ''detail'' of the knurling?

I have personal experience of HA that isn't even close to how resistant to wear/scratches the SureFire Millennium HA is.

Other anodizings may look like SureFire Millennium HA, but do they perform?

It was a shock because I was expecting the same performance I get from the SureFire Millennium Series.

All that is Gold does not glitter...

Al

3 things:

First: Is the ARC one of the HA arcs or the older kind? The older ones were type 2 anodize which will wear.

Second: Are you sure that the HA is wearing or are your keys! See if that "wear" is brass and chrome that has worn off your keys onto the HA ARC as it grinds them down - This is what I had happen with my ARC LE! I wrapped the knurling of the ARC with clear packing tape to protect the KEYS, not the ARC.

Third, @ Size15s, a personal question: Just out of curiosity, and please don't get me wrong, it's not my purpose to offend here, but what exactly is your relationship to Surefire? A lot of your posts seem to be of the type 'Surefire is the best product on the planet, has no faults whatsoever, and anyone who suggests that they have any is committing blasphemy'. I was just wondering if I'm missing something or if you are just that passionate about Surefire? Again, no offense intended!

BTW: nice LOTR reference!

Hi Doug

I got to meet Al at Shot 2002.... He is more than just passsionate about SureFire, he is insanely passionate

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Quickbeam:
just that passionate about Surefire<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Jeff

I have had the pleasure of meeting young Al, and he is bonded to SureFires, "as if by chains to a willing heart".

(I'm *particular* to SureFires myself, actually.)

I suppose all HA3's will wear out, but some will wear out sooner than others.

lightlover

Another thing to keep in mind,is that there aren't many Surefire lights being carried on keychains.A keychain is a very tough place to live I have found the ARC HA to be pretty tough.I thought I had wear,that acually turned out to be metal from an aluminum carabiner(sp?) that had rubbed off on the light.Everyone's experiences with certain products shape their loyalties.With Surefire,I have had so many lamp breakages and premature blowouts,that I refuse to buy the brand anymore.I know others have not had similar problems,but I have,so I am no longer a customer.
troy

I would like to make clear that there is no evidence of any relationship with a young lady connected to SureFire. Her father has no influence over getting me a Beast so let's not take this any further okay?!

I EDC the E2e, and previousl the E2 & M2. Also the E1-GM. The wear on the E1-GM shows the sort of conditions my EDC SureFires are subjected to every day. I can take a photo of it for email if required.

Of course I understand that what looks like scratch on HA is usually the marks left by something HA scratched when it came in contact. Often this will be removed by a bit of spit and thumb rubbing. Sometimes, you can deform the micro-ridges of the HA but not scratch through it. This will leave a mark.

I understand that HA that is matched for colour across batches will often suffer in terms of thickness. Colouring HA will reduce the effectiveness of HA also. The two HA coatings I refer to are SureFire samples. I can email photos if you like. I can also email photos of how durable SureFire Millennium HA is.

I have no experience of any HA other then those produced by SureFire.

I was trying to explain that just because something is Hard Anodised to Military Spec Level 3, doesn't mean it will perform as well as the HA of SureFire's Millennium Series. SureFire Millennium HA is what I use as the standard to which I compare everything else.
Perhaps people expect other HA to perform as well as SureFires? Some may, others won't.

SureFire have faults. I am still not happy with their range. They have yet to produce a flashlight that is good enough for my requirements. They take more risks. They mess up. They learn through the development process.

I consider my relationship with SureFire to be their number one fan. Who else will fly from London to Vegas spending over £1000 of his own money just to see some torch proto-types and meet the friends he's made?

Please feel free to ask again in the lounge and cafe, or by email if you prefer.

This topic is about HA.

Not all HA is equal but some HA is more equal then others.

Al

P.S.
I have an Arc AAA, Photon3 & Glowring on my keys that I have with me all the time. I don't carry stuff that I don't find useful.

I am pretty sure its not the keys wearing on the HA III finish, the peaks of the knurling, on the lower half have turned silver. On the key chain is a harsh place for the ARC, I even used the knurling to file something, and the HA finish held. I was thinking if I could strip the HA, and coat the body using the powder coating method.

I've been carrying microlights lately. over time couldn't the arc ruin your keys? I also worry about it wearing a hole in my pocket and then loosing my arc and keys.

i posted a similar question of powder coating multiple times and never got an answer.i love powder coating and i would buy a few of different colors.

just a thought Peter!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by napalm-2002:
i posted a similar question of powder coating multiple times and never got an answer.i love powder coating and i would buy a few of different colors.

just a thought Peter!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, I didn't respond because I didn't know the answer. Still don't. I would have to talk to some experts on powder coating. I think is less durable than HA though.

Peter