Anodized Hardness: 350-400HV ? Quality

Just out of curiosity are all types of anodising on flashlight of a similar quality are do they vary dramatically........I'm also curious about the quality of the aircraft grade aluminium.

It was when I was looking at the spec of the Armytek Predator and I noticed it actually mentioned the exact grades......( anodized Hardness: 350-400HV and aluminium 6061 6T)......I also watched the youtube video which shows it taking some abuse, been shot at by a gun, dropped from a building, run over etc.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=lvA79TAMu6c

I don't mind my lights showing a bit of character, but on the other hand it would be nice to know if some finishes are much more resilient and if so which.

Look forward to any information on this.

Link for desktop users

It certainly takes a beating!!

Olight M20 going through similar....

Tulip bush said:

Just out of curiosity are all types of anodising on flashlight of a similar quality are do they vary dramatically

Click to expand...

Short answer is not all anodized layers are created equal. Some types have thick, hard layers (e.g. "hard anodize") with abrasion resistance in mind, while others may be thinner with the intent of establishing a consistent layer for corrosion protection. Quality of the shop performing the anodize is also important. Here is a good link for an overview of different types and their purpose: http://www.anoplate.com/finishes/anodizing.html

fletcher said:

Short answer is not all anodized layers are created equal.

Click to expand...

+1

A thick type II can be tougher than thin type III/HA


.0005 < - type II
.0006
.0007 < - limit for ha light colors
.0008
.0009
.0010
.0011
.0012 < - limit for ha dark colors (other than black)
.0013
.0014
.0015
.0016
.0017
.0018
.0019
.0020 < - typical limit


From the standpoint of shopping, avoid HA that is colored and/or shiny.

Thanks all......very helpful..... I do like the mat black armytek predator....very tempting