Thank you ! That's the kind of advise I love getting very helping
Ya, the paint they use on the clones just isn't usually the best quality, they often paint over the threads too. At a minimum you have to clean it off the threads and even then it sometimes causes weird resistance problems just as a coating.
As far as what clone to buy goes, other than telling you to look for a magnetic switch, in my experience it's all about what you like the looks of. I would add Infinite to the list of reliable clone makers, right up there with Ehpro and Hcigar, and add that my favorite mechanical is a stingray clone, but again it really comes down to a nice solid magnetic switch and liking the looks.