Pole finishes- down under

beaniegoesnuts started this discussion · 5/30/2012

Hi guys! Sorry to start another titanium gold v chrome v brass thread but i'm from melbourne australia and i got quite confused because our wheather is so variable I already own a 50mm chrome x-pole and it has served me well but now that i'm a bit more advanced I feel i need a 45mm something coz its just easier on the hands etc. so here are my questions 1. What conditions best suit TG/Brass x-poles? (Chrome has been great for me in summer but currently in icy melbourne wintertime its slippery and the pole feels almost like it has a cold sweat... is that normal?) 2. Do you live in australia/ melbourne/ southern hemisphere/ anywhere in the world?- if so, what pole do you have and how do you find the finish? Thanks in advance, any advice will be greatly appreciated!!!

12 replies

AvaBabe · 5/30/2012
Wow, I just posted the same thing lol
AvaBabe · 5/30/2012
Lol, I live somewhere in the world! ;)
Dancing Paws · 5/30/2012
I feel like TG and chrome have the same tendencies as far as weather, and brass and stainless are similar in their tendencies, although brass gets way grippier in heat and humidity than stainless by a long shot.
Dancing Paws · 5/30/2012
I guess I should clarify that a little more. I feel like chrome and TG have similar grip. I haven't had my chrome long enough to experience different weather conditions, but I had my TG for a while. The TG would get somewhat slicker in cold weather, but not too badly. It also got grippier in hot weather, but again, not too badly. Brass is grippy for me in cool weather, a little slicker in cold weather and way too sticky in hot weather or humid weather. Stainless is quite slick in cold/dry weather, but warms up nicely to a good grip. In humid and hot weather, I slide all over (but that would be my hand sweat being the problem.) I guess the best explaination is that chrome and TG are less tempermental than brass and stainless. This is all on the basis of having moist skin. With dry skin, stainless was really hard no matter what the weather condition was cuz there wasn't the moisture to grip on. Same with brass. The hand grip was great, but the body grip just wasn't happeneing. TG was fine with dry skin. I cannot comment on chrome for dry skin.
Tali Kat · 5/30/2012
I live in Melbourne in a veeeery cold house and I have a 40mm chrome. At the moment I'm having a bit of trouble with until I get it warmed up, but even then it's still a bit too slick for my liking. And yes I know what you mean about the 'cold sweat' feel. I've found it goes away when its warmed up. I guess if you're down sizing, it's going to be more difficult for a while when you do any moves that involve gripping tightly with your thighs/arms no matter what finish you get, but if you're really worried, maybe go for a grippier finish than chrome? Have you ever tried TG or brass?
beaniegoesnuts · 5/30/2012
thanks for all the replies guys! i know there's a lot of these threads out there but i guess it just shows how confusing this topic is. i msg x-pole and asked if they could do a video demonstrating the differences in surfaces on youtube... we'll see ninjachic- lol. me too! i live somewhere! i live in a squat house and i have ceiling envy! sensualscimitar- my skin is dry until i warm up and then its too sweaty :( i guess you can never have the 'perfect' skin type for pole! I'm thinking of trying pold physics moisturizer, hopefully it will make me more sticky fromt he get go rather than having to do 30 min warm ups! Tali Kat- yay! melbournian! thank goodness i'm not the only one with the cold pole problem :S I am DEFINITELY downsizing. my studio used to only have 50mm poles but they recently brought in 45s and OMG its like a whole new world of pole opened up to me and my tiny hands! love skinny poles! not game to try 40s incase they're too skinny plus i figure if i stick with 45s i can transition easier between the two. Since i'm going to keep my 50mm chrome up in my pole room and put the new pole in the living room i figure i'll get two different finishes so there's at least one pole on any given day that will feel good to work on. No more frustrating, aborted practice sessions from lack of grip! Its looking like TG or brass are the better options. I almost wanna go brass just so the contrast in finishes is greater (ie. if i'm having a slippery day on chrome then my brass pole will be sticky and vice versa). Is that the case or should i hedge my bets and go with TG?
poledanceromance · 5/31/2012
As a person with sweaty hands, I'll say that I'm not a fan of brass or TG. As soon as I start to sweat they become impossibly slippery in some places and dangerously sticky in others. Don't believe everything you hear about there being some standard progression of surfaces. Usually you'll hear basically that stainless is slipperiest, then chrome, then TG/brass and powder coat. But that doesn't apply to everyone! Stainless is grippiest for me. I suggest poking around a little and trying out other people's poles. Just getting your hands on the finish for five minutes will probably tell you more about your own pole preferences than anything you'll figure out from us saying what we prefer.
poledanceromance · 5/31/2012
I should add in full disclosure that I haven't tried x-pole's brass. I have used the TG x-pole in 50 and 45 and I have used poledanzer brass permanent poles in 50. I found both to be a little scary under certain sweaty conditions, but I prefer the TG to brass definitely.
Dancing Paws · 5/31/2012
I have an album comparing the TG to brass. They look similar in the photos I put up, but TG is more of a dark golden color, while brass is YELLOW! https://www.studioveena.com/photos/view_album/4fad21bf-0d5c-4545-b44a-694d0ac37250 Webmaster put up a pic of the brass x pole as well...the adjuster cover and base are TG, and the pole itself is brass: https://www.studioveena.com/photos/view_photo/4f21cc1c-b7cc-432a-a3c6-17130ac37250
Tali Kat · 5/31/2012
I guess whatever you get, just remember it's going to feel different/odd so give yourself time to adjust and don't be too hard on yourself if you can't do certain moves your used to being able to do straight away. I'm sure you'll adapt soon enough :3 Let us know how you get on with whatever you end up buying!
beaniegoesnuts · 6/1/2012
Ok, so i bit the bullet and bought me a brand new.... 45MM TITANIUM GOLD X-PERT!!! Now to wait 2 weeks for delivery and then i'll have my new baby up and running! Gonna revamp my lounge room to be the new pole room- now i need to invest in a crash mat/ crash cushions and a larger mirror! YAY!!!!!
beaniegoesnuts · 6/1/2012
Thank you so much for all your help and advice. I feel pretty confident in my choice now and, hey, worst case scenario i'll buy another one! I'm averaging about one pole/ year of poling currently :D