ZenKote, Not that tough!

[cincy1020]

Hi all:
Just thought I would post my experience. I got a Gold Mini not too long ago, based on the description of how tough the finish is, I did not get a clear wrap like I had planned to. Sadly, the other day I dropped it for the first time, right on the sidewalk, UGH.
When I looked at it, the end cap was a little scratched (which I wasn't surprised by, nor upset about). What really surprised me were the 2 scratches on the gold finish. They are small, but definitely noticeable with the naked eye, and deep enough that your fingernail gets caught if you run your nail over the scratches.
Although the finish is nice, it is definitely not as strong as described. I think the youtube video I saw described it as almost as hard as a diamond. Well, I wear my diamond ring everyday (even doing yard work etc) and have never had one scratch appear on the diamond, so clearly the ZenKote is MUCH more delicate than a diamond if one accident caused 2 small, but fairly deep scratches.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share my experience with the ZenKote finish, so anyone thinking of buying one keeps this in mind, maybe a clear wrap is necessary to protect the finish

 

[Ozwald]

Sorry to hear that

Sounds like you damaged the metal, not just the finish. It's supposed to be resistant to abrasions/wear, not for those instances when the sidewalk comes flying up out of nowhere & knocks it out of your hand. Stupid sidewalks. They're jerks.

 

[cincy1020]

I think you're right. I just stupidly thought it would be okay. Seriously, I know I am obviously thinking of it the wrong way, but I have dropped, hit, scraped my diamond ring and it its still perfect.

Anyway, I was just mentioning it just in case anyone else misinterpeted the hardness info regarding the finish, like I did.

 

[Miata GT]

On the other hand, I recently knocked my red ProVari off a dresser onto a tile floor. Fortunately it landed dead flat but as I reached out for it in a panic I manged to give it a nice kick causing it to skitter across the tile floor until it bumped the wall. I picked it up expecting it to be all kinds of f'ed up to find that it had only the tiniest nick out of one corner of a tear drop (Mini version).

Go figure...

 

[cincy1020]

That is SO lucky that yours fared so well!
I figured with the tough as nails ZenKote mine would too, but no such luck, haha! But to be honest, my scratches are quite small, so I didn't want to cry or anything .

 

[Train2]

Scratching ProVaris defies logic sometimes, I'll completely agree.

I have one that I dropped several times on street pavement - not a single scratch on it. I think the end cap may have taken the initial hit - there IS a slight rough spot on the endcap...a part I can replace (and rarely use - I like the extended cap mostly).

BUT, then I slide one into a stiff leather sleeve that's made for it - it's quite tight. I remove it, and BAM - small but visible scratches in several places.

These are both black cerakote, same age (within a few weeks).

So for me:
- Bounce on sidewalk? OK
- Use a leather sleeve? Not OK (until I turn one into a "beater")

Weird.

 

[cincy1020]

Haha! That's funny

 

[Moonbogg]

Strong finishes resist scratches, but you can still gouge the stainless steel under it, causing the finish to have nowhere to go but "off".

 

[cincy1020]

True. It was my wrong assumption of the durability of the unit as a whole. Still love it, I just wish I had put the clear wrap on it that I had planned to put.

 

[Trypno]

Sorry to hear that

Sounds like you damaged the metal, not just the finish. It's supposed to be resistant to abrasions/wear, not for those instances when the sidewalk comes flying up out of nowhere & knocks it out of your hand. Stupid sidewalks. They're jerks.

I had some rocks do the same thing to my cerakoted bronze the other day, broke my window and put a few small scuffs on my tube. I'd be willing to bet the cerakote is tougher than the zencoat, just based on what looks like shininess to me. But what do I know

 

[Trypno]

Scratching ProVaris defies logic sometimes, I'll completely agree.

I have one that I dropped several times on street pavement - not a single scratch on it. I think the end cap may have taken the initial hit - there IS a slight rough spot on the endcap...a part I can replace (and rarely use - I like the extended cap mostly).

BUT, then I slide one into a stiff leather sleeve that's made for it - it's quite tight. I remove it, and BAM - small but visible scratches in several places.

These are both black cerakote, same age (within a few weeks).

So for me:
- Bounce on sidewalk? OK
- Use a leather sleeve? Not OK (until I turn one into a "beater")

Weird.

I find if you treat the leather with mink oil or something to that effect, it makes the leather softer. My sleeve hasn't caused any scratches on my bronze, none that I can find anyway.

 

[Bklynzfinest]

Whoa I was definitely going to make a similar post about my gunmetal zenkote -- I thought it was just mine! Believe it or not I received mine scratched fresh out of the provape box, which worried me. Yes they were fine hairline type scratches but there were enough of them scattered around the body for me to immediately notice in bright light. Within only a few days of babied indoor use only, I noticed even more fine scratches developing. This worried me, especially because my other provaris still look pristine despite use. Unfortunately it's now in a clear wrap. Ironically the zenkote (in my experience) has been the least durable finish of them all -- I bought it FOR the durability. So yes, pretty disappointed..

 

[Moonbogg]

I clean my gunmetal provari in a rock tumbler to get it really clean. No scratches yet.

 

[cincy1020]

Whoa I was definitely going to make a similar post about my gunmetal zenkote -- I thought it was just mine! Believe it or not I received mine scratched fresh out of the provape box, which worried me. Yes they were fine hairline type scratches but there were enough of them scattered around the body for me to immediately notice in bright light. Within only a few days of babied indoor use only, I noticed even more fine scratches developing. This worried me, especially because my other provaris still look pristine despite use. Unfortunately it's now in a clear wrap. Ironically the zenkote (in my experience) has been the least durable finish of them all -- I bought it FOR the durability. So yes, pretty disappointed..

Mine had a few scratches (barely noticeable, in fact I didn't notice them at first, until I got out in the sunlight) when I received it also. Of course mine was a blem, and I chalked it up to that. Although, you're right, seems that if the finish is as hard as the video describes, it should not have scratches on it. I mean, I wouldn't think that Provape has a lot of items with a mohs hardness of greater than 9.8 (I think that was the quoted hardness) laying around, bumping into their new Provaris. Hmmmm....

 

[cincy1020]

Whoa I was definitely going to make a similar post about my gunmetal zenkote -- I thought it was just mine! Believe it or not I received mine scratched fresh out of the provape box, which worried me. Yes they were fine hairline type scratches but there were enough of them scattered around the body for me to immediately notice in bright light. Within only a few days of babied indoor use only, I noticed even more fine scratches developing. This worried me, especially because my other provaris still look pristine despite use. Unfortunately it's now in a clear wrap. Ironically the zenkote (in my experience) has been the least durable finish of them all -- I bought it FOR the durability. So yes, pretty disappointed..

You know, you really got me thinking. I have old batteries (itaste vv, ego twists and spinners), and I just got to looking at them. I carried/used them in the same manner I use my Provari. I am very careful with my ecigs at all times, but on a very rare occasion I have had a street/sidewalk dropping incident. Some of my batteries are months old, and I can't find a scratch on any of them (unlike my boyfriend's which look like they have been through a war, haha).

 

[Anarchy84]

Hi all:
Just thought I would post my experience. I got a Gold Mini not too long ago, based on the description of how tough the finish is, I did not get a clear wrap like I had planned to. Sadly, the other day I dropped it for the first time, right on the sidewalk, UGH.
When I looked at it, the end cap was a little scratched (which I wasn't surprised by, nor upset about). What really surprised me were the 2 scratches on the gold finish. They are small, but definitely noticeable with the naked eye, and deep enough that your fingernail gets caught if you run your nail over the scratches.
Although the finish is nice, it is definitely not as strong as described. I think the youtube video I saw described it as almost as hard as a diamond. Well, I wear my diamond ring everyday (even doing yard work etc) and have never had one scratch appear on the diamond, so clearly the ZenKote is MUCH more delicate than a diamond if one accident caused 2 small, but fairly deep scratches.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share my experience with the ZenKote finish, so anyone thinking of buying one keeps this in mind, maybe a clear wrap is necessary to protect the finish

I have a satin silver Provari - with no real finish on it - and it stands up to day to day abuse pretty well, but I dropped it on a side walk once (hard enough to shatter my tank) and it left pretty deep scratches in the metal's surface. I don't think any coating would be strong enough to stop the metal itself from being damaged. The only way to make it entirely scratch proof would be to use a stronger metal.

 

[cincy1020]

While that is completely true, that still doesn't explain the fine, hairline scratches in just the finish

 

[Ozwald]

While that is completely true, that still doesn't explain the fine, hairline scratches in just the finish

If it showed up like that & ProVape was contacted in the first couple days (officially 24 hours, but they tend to cut some leeway), they would've replaced a finish problem like that.

 

[cincy1020]

Mine was a BLEM, so I assumed I couldn't do anything about it.

 

[Riverboat]

Zenkote does not chip like cerakoted does.... It is a more durable finish...

I have a satin silver Provari - with no real finish on it - and it stands up to day to day abuse pretty well

Satin stainless is the best finish for durability, period....