StudioVeena.com Forums Discussions Chrome versus stainless steel: Durability and grip for outdoor pole

  • Chrome versus stainless steel: Durability and grip for outdoor pole

    Posted by Phoenix fire bird on May 13, 2020 at 10:50 am

    Hi Veena and friends. I hope you are all well:-) I am all set to buy an x-stage lite towards the end of June(Eeeek! Excited squeak!)! I am curious as to people’s experience of the durability of the chrome coating when poling outdoors. I will be poling exclusively outdoors due to space(which is why I sold my x-pole 45mm chrome Xpert when I had my baby…just no where to set it up! I live on the east midlands/east anglian boarder area of the UK so our weather is really quite mixed with very wet winters (I probably won’t pole outdoors in winter unless i can make some kind of temporary waterproof canopy and will visit the studio instead but that is closed right now due to the virus).

    I myself am returning to pole after 4 years off having a baby and I am returning with diastsis recti and being 6 stone overweight so got a lot of work ahead of me but I know with my Veena lessons(signing up for the yearly package in june too when I get my pennies then will be doing the 30 day lift off) I will succeed!) I was just starting to work on intermediate pole moves prior to stopping for pregnancy so while I am not a complete beginner I will be coming back as a beginner working with the body differences I now find myself with.

    So background out of the way…

    I have 2 questions if i may:

    Firstly, have any of you experienced your (ideally x-pole) chrome finish pitting, coming off or rusting when used outdoors regularly (particularly in somewhat humid weather/environments) and being taken down and put up 6 days a week and if so how long did this take? I honestly think stainless steel will be better from a durability point of view since it is less likely to rust and there is not coating to come off as with chrome. It will play a factor in my deciding which one to go for.

    Secondly, the big grip debate…I understand this is a very personal thing, related to both skin and climate as well as goals. I have only ever danced on chrome myself. My skin I would say is combination, I sometimes get sweaty but not massively I don’t think, then again its been a long time since I poled so i can’t quite remember. I cannot get to try different finishes (which would be ideal)especially in the circumstances we are in with the virus.

    I just wish to avoid having to buy a replacement pole for my stage in a year or two due to plating being damaged but also don’t want to set myself up for failure with it being incredibly hard to climb and do moves since I already have the issue of a 2 finger diastasis gap(closed down from a 7 finger gap: Thank you to Veena for the tips and to myself for putting the work in!) and being 6 stone overweight.

    Is the difference in grip really that noticible on an X-pole stainless steel versus an X-pole chrome? Or is it very slight. I was confused because on one article x-pole said they are almost identical and in another they said chrome was more grippy this lead to confused.com :’D I tried ringing x-pole but the offices are closed probably due to the virus so thought I’d ask you lovely lot. I gues i just want to know how differenThank you for taking the time to read this rather long thread:-)

    Phoenix fire bird replied 3 years, 10 months ago 3 Members · 12 Replies
  • 12 Replies
  • Veena

    Administrator
    May 13, 2020 at 3:59 pm

    Hi welcome, congrats on baby and coming back to pole!

    So, I have xstages and 3 poles for them….2 chrome one I had powder coated. I wouldn’t leave it outside at all in a humid environment, but it sounds like you set it up every time? That’s a lot of work!!! Can I ask is there a reason you can’t do an indoor pole?

    Anyway, back to durability….the newest version of SS finish from xpole is the only finish I don’t have. I’ve not had issue with my chrome poles but have heard others with this problem. I would assume it’s a full stainless steal and not coating? If that’s the case I’d say it’s more durable and would go with that if moisture is an issue. The grip sounds like it will be fine for you’re skin. I always say with the right grip aid combos you can make any finish work so go with the one that fits your budget and style.

  • Phoenix fire bird

    Member
    May 13, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    Thank you so much! I am so excited! I haven’t got the minimum 3m clearance required in any of the rooms in our house as its only small and we don’t have a spare room. Also, our ceilings are pretty low…its truthfully something of a hobbit house:-D

    Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it and its so great to be able to speak to the person who’s site it is:-)

    When you said you hadn’t had the issue with your chrome poles but heard others with this problem were you meaning in regards to rusting/pitting or slipperiness? Yes X-pole say on their site that it is not a coating but a solid stainless steel pole which is highly polished to a shine compared to chrome being a coating. How long does a chrome pole indoors last before needing to be replaced if used a lot?

    Yes its going to be a lot of work but I desperately want to be back on pole again so going for it:-D I figured if it takes me 15 minutes to set up that’s about the same as driving to the studio. Hoping it will help get me fitter too:-) I used to have a pole room at my own place when I lived alone but sold it when we moved here as there is not room to pole xxx

  • Veena

    Administrator
    May 13, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    Yes, I was referring to rusting and pitting. I find chrome slick and don’t care for it.

    I’m not sure how long a chrome pole will last. I’ve had some of my chromes for 12 yrs and they’re fine, HOWEVER, I never use them. lol I use brass now. I believe how you care and use the pole will determine how well the finish holds up. Don’t wear rings, or clothing with zippers and buttons things like that.

    If you can find a way to keep the base of the pole clear of water like tarps that would say you a lot of set up time. Then you just pull the pole out when you’re done.

  • Phoenix fire bird

    Member
    May 13, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    Oh what a jolly good idea! I shall do that, that will save me some time in our drier parts of summer:-) Thank you so much! That’s handy to know about the chrome. I know its a very personal choice so its impossible for anyone to say what will be better for one person to another but I am really grateful for your input, advice and support:-) I just absolutely can’t wait!

    Couldn’t agree more about the care, that’s often the case with most things isn’t it.

    The end of June seems such a long way off but good things are worth waiting for! Meanwhile, posture exercises and core conditioning exercises from your YouTube videos(that was how I found you by the way) then I can join in June for a full membership and start working my way up. SO much fun to be had! Whichever one I get I will monitor and if it does rust or pit then I will mention it back on this thread in case the information helps anyone else in the future. Some threads are years old but I found them really helpful and it’s nice to give something back isn’t it:-) xxx

  • Veena

    Administrator
    May 13, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    Oh! I’ve got way more you can work on without a pole here so keep that in mind! Even most of the new VIP plans I post weekly, you will find things you can work on that don’t need a pole.

    That would be great to hear how it goes as far as rust etc! You’d be surprised at how active threads still are…people just look now, and don’t reply LOL

  • Phoenix fire bird

    Member
    May 13, 2020 at 9:29 pm

    Ooh how exciting! I want to join on the $99 annual membership. I was going to start with the 30 day bit is that where I should be focusing?

    Also where can I find the off pole things you mentioned that I can be doing or are they made accessible when I get my membership sorted in june (I will have my pennies sorted by June as lost a lot of work through the virus) so had to claw back a bit.

    Just trying to learn my way round the site at the minute but would love to take part in some exercises on here to prepare myself for when I get my pole and be a full member.

    Also in essence of honesty my trial period from signing up I believe has ended but I am sure I can still see all the advanced lessons etc so thought I’d let you know incase there’s an error…you don’t want to be loosing out!

    Yes I shall definitely update this. I think I will go for chrome because as I have danced on chrome x-poles before I will be able to know if I am struggling that it’s down to strength etc rather than the finish. I will definitely update. Be an interesting little project! Yes I expect people do look but not comment, I love this forum as no one says it’s an old thread don’t comment like they do in others, such a fun and supportive place:-)

    Hmmm…Now I have to think of a pole name for no other reason than the sheer fun and sass of it! 😀 xxx

  • Veena

    Administrator
    May 13, 2020 at 9:40 pm

    Yes, once you purchase the lessons the 30 day take off is the best place to start.

    I only have a handful of free lessons to try once a members trial has ended. This routine is free https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/50bf696c-332c-43be-8cce-433a0ac37250 However once you purchase you gain access to ALL the lessons and EVERY section and program. There’s no extra things to purchase, you get it all. 🤗

    There are tons of strength and conditioning https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view_category/conditioning-exercises you can work on without a pole routines as well. Also stretching https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view_category/stretching-exercises and floorwork https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view_category/Floor_work You can view all of the sections to see what there is, you just wont be able to watch the videos.

    PSSSST….there may be a sale happening in a few days….ONE day only!! Keep your eyes OPEN!

  • Phoenix fire bird

    Member
    May 13, 2020 at 10:01 pm

    Oh wow thank you so much! I will make a start on that routine tomorrow when I get up:-) oh gosh yes I don’t think any reasonable person would expect them all for free. I thought because I could see them that the trial thing was having an error:’D that’s why I thought I better mention it. What a plonka I am sometimes! Ooh thank you so much for the heads up about a possible sale, I shall check each day!

    I am going to work my bum off now as want to be able to do Scorpio, Gemini and Scorpio Gemini switches😍 my now I’d be happy if I could manage a fireman spin:-) Thank you so much for all your help. I’m off to bed now ready for my diastasis repair and rejuvenation session And that routine tomorrow! Nighty night:-) xxx

  • amelia2000

    Member
    May 14, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    That’s very brave only poling outside! When we lived on a canal boat I had to give up my pole- I bought an xpole a frame and started on aerial hoop for while we did that (I thought setting up and using an xstage in Britain on towpaths would be too weird and too much work)- and training lyra is also possible to do outside in a British winter 😛

    About the 3.2 needed for an xstage if using indoors- you can get away with less if you buy an extension, but the stage does get in the way if it’s a low ceiling, it’s 15cm less of pole- in our last flat I had an xstage up with 75cm pole on top, so pole was 2.25m. Best part about moving was putting up the xpert again 😀

  • Phoenix fire bird

    Member
    May 15, 2020 at 6:56 am

    Morning Amelia! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it:-) I was put off from doing it outside for ages but then I decided to bite the bullet because pole is all I want to do…I miss it so much and it will massively help my body and mind so outside it is:-D Damn these English hobbit homes:’D

    That’s so cool about the narrow boat! I wanted one years ago, a wide berth but I life changed and I went in a different direction. It would be quite a bit of work lugging a stage on and off a boat and imagine loosing a bit between the boat oh my goodness! That would be just the typical thing to happen!

    Yes I noticed they did an extension, thank you very much, its a real help to know that option is there as far as height goes. Its more the 3m diameter we don’t have, by the time you take into account the dinning table and chairs, the sofa and chair there is not enough room left. Our bedrooms are small as well an we don’t have a spare.

    Its ok though, I have a plan! Never one to shy away from a challenge, I have ordered a classy gold/creamy coloured 20m washing line(if you can put the words ‘classy’ and ‘washing line’ together:’D) and some Champagne coloured satin and I am going to put a hook in my shed and hang it form there to the other side of the garden onto my daughters swing and make a removable privacy curtain so I can train in peace(and even eventually do a cheeky photo shoot with a good background as well as film my progress). I’m going to place my stage on tarp like Veena suggested to protect it. I’m currently trying to plan how I can make a quick and easy take down canopy so it protects me and my pole from excessive sunshine in the summer or occasional mini showers in autumn and spring so it reduces the amount of months I am just dreaming of using it:-)

    Ooh an A frame! That’s on my wish list for next year to add to my garden dance studio! I used to do aerial hoop (only beginner level as had not long started before I got pregnant) but as I have diastasis still at the moment it would be a bit of a tall order to get onto a hoop without risking undoing the hard work i have done so far so figured i would get back onto pole focusing on being very careful with my core, doing beginner moves and spins and only when my core is more stable would I try inverts etc. Then by next year I would get the frame and hoop.

    Have you found the frame easy enough to set up by yourself or do you need 2 people to do it? Oh i better stop talking now…haha look at the length of this message! You’ll probably get through a whole jar of nescafe just reading it:’D xxx

  • amelia2000

    Member
    May 15, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    That’s a good idea with the curtain!

    I know the problem with the diameter, I had my first pole, an xsport up in my room in student accomodation- I had to time spins very precisely haha. I remember learning inverts and knocking my foot on the desk coming down- painful!

    When I was putting the a frame up and down regularly I was quite good at putting it up myself. Since moving back on to land I’m out of practice so not as good at putting it up as I used to be! We’ve just moved out of a 3rd floor flat with no lift, we hardly ever took the frame downstairs there as it was too tricky the bigger my daughter got and the more she didn’t want to stay with us while I hooped. Now we have a house and a garden, but I don’t put the frame up as often as I’d like, as the baby doesn’t always sleep too long, so I usually just pole as my xpert doesn’t need setting up.

  • Phoenix fire bird

    Member
    May 16, 2020 at 7:14 am

    Thank you, yes I figured it would have many benefits so looking forward to the fabric arriving and cracking out the sewing machine!

    Ahhh feet in danger! I know the feeling well, I chucked everything out of my living room in my flat (including my sofa! Heck sitting on the bed was just as comfy!) andset it up as a pole room and workout room. It was quite narrow though and the fire place and wall opposite were not friends with my feet on occassions!That must have been so painful on the invert!!! Ouch! Hope you didn’t do too much damage!:’D I broke 2 toes doing cartwheel once…rookie mistake!

    That’s so great to know about the A-frame set up. I realized now that it was your video I saw and liked on the A-frame the other day, it looks brilliant! Its so great you have a house and garden too and can do more and fantastic to have your xpert set up all the time! Oh i miss the days but wouldn’t trade what I have now for that as my daughter is the love of my life so setting up will be a small price to pay, honestly so is the diastsis and the incredibly rediculous weight gain were also a small price to pay:-)

    I hope you have a great day and enjoy your pole or hoop session if you are doing those today xxx

Log in to reply.