X Stage Lite - brass/chrome?

Lucca Valentine started this discussion · 7/5/2015

Hi guys! So I'm thinking about getting an x stage lite. I see that hey don't make it in TG, so curious about feedback regarding the brass vs chrome. Does one get hotter in the sun than the other? Or is that even an issue? I'm in Texas so we have lots of 100+ degree days, of course not all days are like that but I've kinda wondered about metal in the sun in those situations. I know everyone's chemistry is different so in case it helps, the background is this: I stick pretty well to most things, except in the winter or if I have dry legs, but that's easily fixed. I don't really sweat a whole lot (inside anyways we'll see about outside! My hands are def not sweaty tho) I stick better to TG than chrome but I wouldn't say I ever had a problem sticking to chrome. I guess I worry that brass would be too grippy? But xpoles brass seeks to be different cuz it's mirror finished? Any help would be much appreciated!

18 replies

Phoenix Hunter · 7/5/2015
I have a brass xstage lite. I love it! but I'm very very sweaty. Even with my sweatiness I sometimes find the pole to be painfully grippy on my body but for me it is necessary. My hands are super sweaty and I have to use 2 grip aids no matter what finish of pole i use. so, if your good with chrome and not very sweaty, then you might not need brass. I've used both chrome and brass outdoors and I gripped the brass better, but I grip brass better indoors too. so I prefer brass but my skin is very different. I am very very very sweaty. I dont mind the sometimes extra pain caused my brass because it is frustrating to slip and slide. However, I LOVE the new chrome finish on my friends 2014 xpert pole! it is almost as grippy as my brass.
Veena · 7/5/2015
Yeah, if you sweat go with brass. :)
Lucca Valentine · 7/5/2015
Thanks ladies :D So if I don't sweat go with chrome? I feel like I'll sweat a lot more outside but my hands still tend not to sweat...my immediate torso does though (lol) like my back/stomach/chest get dripping when I'm outside so that part will be likely be sweaty o_O is sweaty hands diff in brass than sweaty body? I know they're different kinds of skin. Any insight into which one heats up in the sun, of either? Veena, you lived in Las Vegas so I'm sure you know a thing or two about the sun! How was it on your outdoor pole?
AllysonKendal · 7/5/2015
I'm not a brass fan myself. It's just too grippy for me, but I suppose if you use it enough you'd get used to it. Also the black parts of the base of my PS pole gets really hot in the sun!! Wayyyyy more than the pole.
Phoenix Hunter · 7/5/2015
I'd say go with brass, especially with it being hot outdoors. I doubt you are gonna be upset with the extra grippiness of brass if you are using it outdoors. if you were gonna just be indoors and you dont sweat at all then I would say chrome would be the way to go. but yes, you bring up a good point with it being hot outside if that is where you will be mostly using your stage. Veena will probably know better since she does do alot of poling outdoors and in hot hot weather. I sweat all over, body, hands, eyeballs,you name it. haha! and brass is my favorite.
Phoenix Hunter · 7/5/2015
Thats true Allyson! the base does get hot!!! the few times I poled outdoors I actually had shoes on. so you could pole with shoes on or you could 4 yoga mats and kind of overlap them on the base. that would give you some coverage. the yoga mats wont get as hot as the metal... wow! xpole needs to make a circular yoga mat cover for the base for outdoor polers who pole without shoes....
Lucca Valentine · 7/5/2015
I actually considered bringing my crash mat out when I go outside since I doubt I'll be doing much *dancing* anyways, but that vinyl would probably get real hot too...and maybe melty... O_O I also thought about cutting a hole in the middle of an old towel or blanket or something. Cuz yeah I bet you are not kidding about that black getting hot o_O this pole is basically going to be my backyard pole/bring the pole to my friends pole ;) esp since the pole room is also going to be part of our bedroom, so it might not always be opportune to be in there if the bf needs to sleep/doesn't want company at the moment/etc. also haven't ruled out the possibility of using it to perform someday ;) PH your probably right about not being mad about extra grippiness, I wish I had the ability to test it out! I also kind of want the 40 mm, which only comes in chrome, but tricks like superman or anything where the pole needed to be between the thighs was such a struggle that I'm not sure if I want to make the commitment or not. Plus, I wonder how weird it is to adjust between different size poles constantly. Thanks again for your responses ladies :)
Lucca Valentine · 7/5/2015
Hmmm I did just get these cute vibrams that would probably be good to pole in...I didn't even think about shoes! do people pole in sneakers? Does it grip?
Veena · 7/5/2015
Well, I dislike chrome, the only time it works for me is when I'm hot! I LOVE grip no such things a too grippy for me. 😋 Brass is smelly but grips great when hot. Chrome for me is slick if it's cold or I'm cold. Brass is not good in the cold or if I'm cold. PC works best for me overall. Yes the black gets blazing hot, that's why I had to put yoga mats down in my Lollypop video. 🍭
Veena · 7/5/2015
I would get the 40, I love playing with different sizes! ☺️
Lucca Valentine · 7/5/2015
They don't make the 40 in brass for some reason :(
Veena · 7/5/2015
Yes, brass is too soft. I wrote the first reply before I saw your other post lol
Veena · 7/5/2015
That's my guess...too soft for 40 stage pole
AllysonKendal · 7/5/2015
I usually don't think things through enough and end up just hopping around on the pink triangles on my base :P I feel like you and I have similar grip chemistry and sweat patterns. I have to say I super love the stainless. They don't make a stainless? Every now and again I towel off my torso but that's it... And it's fine. Brass is very grippy. My biggest issue was the pole burn on my shoulder from shoulder mounts... Ouch! Anyway I think either way with a 40mm chrome or 45 brass your thighs will be crying in superman :P.
Lucca Valentine · 7/5/2015
Lol I only thought about it cuz it's SO hot here. Like people wrap styrofoam around black door handles so it's possible to open them without giving yourself serious burns. Windshield wipers melt. All kinds of not good stuff ;) and yeah you're probably right about superman! I just couldn't even get a GRIP on the 40, but I only tried it a couple times cuz I was just trying it at a studio to show one of the girls how I usually get into it. I think they learned to do it from cross ankle release at their studio? But after unsuccessful tries I just went to the next pole over (45 mm) to show it. It could surely be mastered on 40 with some time, I just struggle with thigh grips anyways. But leg hangs come naturally...go figure o_O @veena they sell the brass 40 mm stages in aus and Canada so I'm not sure why they don't here. Maybe they're sold out and I should just call X Pole tomorrow o_O
Veena · 7/5/2015
Bummer, then I have no idea why we don't have that option! 😐
Lucca Valentine · 7/5/2015
Fingers crossed that we do and it's just sold out/temporary!
PolarGirl · 7/7/2015
I know you are tall like me, and I don't know your hand size, but you likely have larger than average hands if you're tall. My first pole was a 50mm TG and now I pole on a 45 brass. I actually considered getting a 40 because I was convinced that if I had a smaller diameter pole I could grip better. (I had terrible grip problems with my first pole.) Well it turns out the finish was the issue and not the size. The brass is wonderful - I rarely use any grip aid - but I discovered that the 45 size hurt my forearms a lot because of how small I had to close my grip around it. Right away I noticed a big difference in how my wrists would feel after poling. I actually got tendinitis shortly after starting on the smaller diameter pole and had to take 7 weeks off (entirely off, like NO pole period - it was awful). I could touch my thumb to middle finger on the 50, so on the 45 they overlap slightly. This is actually more stressful on the muscles of your forearm and hand. I was really really glad I hadn't gotten the 40. I know Veena is tallish too and she likes the 40, so maybe just try it. But I did want to throw in my two cents. Hope it helps! Do you currently pole on a 45? Also, lastly, I had a private lesson with an instructor who uses chrome once. It was my only time using chrome but I found it way easier to use that the TG, and I'm super sweaty. I had to wipe it down a lot (which was not unusual at that time) but I did not use grip aid (which was unusual). I actually considered ordering chrome because of that experience but ended up going with brass, and I do love it. But I am the opposite with hot/cold on it: give me a cold pole any day. If I'm super warm or the room is, everything hurts super bad; I don't know how to explain it. It's not even that it's too grippy on the body. I don't know why hot weather makes it so much more painful. Either I feel nothing doing a superman or its so excruciating I have to literally jump down off the pole because I can't hold it for even a second. At the same time I can't get any hand grip at all when it's/I'm hot because of course my hands are sweaty.