Chrome or Copper plating

[Bingles]

I have been toying with the notion of getting a chrome or copper plated 302 some time in the up coming months.  I saw that oldphoneworks.com sells them and I love the look.

I was curious how well these plated phones hold up over time (I guess we would look to the old Imperials for examples?).  Does the chrome chip off over time like painted metal WE 302s - or is the chrome finish more durable than a painted black 302?

Also, which would hold up better, chrome or copper?   

[MaximRecoil]

Chrome plating is extremely durable if done right. A good example is payphones (which usually have chrome hooks, faceplates, coin return slots, and vault doors). They are left outside and subject to public use and abuse for years and years on end. On a well-used payphone, the chrome on the part of the hook which contacts the handset is often worn off, but the rest of the chrome tends to be intact, and will shine up brilliantly with a little Barkeeper's Friend.

Other examples include car bumpers, car wheels, high quality tools (such as from Snap-on), bores of military firearms, and so on; all of which tend to see far more abuse than a home phone in the hands of a collector will ever see.

Of course, we've all seen peeling chrome on various objects, but that is usually the result of substandard methods when the chrome was originally applied. If applied using proper methods, chrome should never spontaneously peel on an object that is not abused and is stored in a home environment.

All else being equal, chrome is far more durable than paint, and is also more durable than copper plating (it is much harder).

Now, I don't know much about the metal used in 302 housings (zinc alloy of some sort?), but if the metal itself is prone to corrosion/pitting, then even the best finishes will fail over time as the metal corrodes away from underneath the finish. Some zinc alloys are more prone to this than others (usually the cheaper zinc alloys).

[Bingles]

Thanks!!!