Pole Finishes

So there has been a lot of debate about the different pole finishes out there, i.e. high shine polish versus matte finish. When X Pole originally released their stainless steel and brass X Perts, they came in a dulled shine, matte finish. This is in contrast to Platinum Stages and Pole Danzer's high shine finish. Both finishes have their pros and cons, which I will get into more.



I own a Platinum Stages Extreme One Piece Super Pole in a 45mm diameter and a high polish brass finish. It is a nice sturdy pole. It has some flex because it is a 45mm and brass is a soft material. Just a rule of thumb, the smaller in diameter you go, the more flex will come in. When I first obtained this pole, I was on medications that made me stop sweating except for a slight glisten on my forehead. This left my skin really really soft, which in turn eliminated my grip on and off the pole. My hands became so slick that I couldn't open produce bags at the store. During this period, I was able to hold onto the brass pole with my hands fairly well (it made it so much easier to spin on the brass) but I could not do any body based tricks without a grip aid. In this case I used Corn Huskers Lotion. If you want to avoid parabens, skip the Corn Huskers Lotion and purchase some Dew Point Pole. It has similar ingredients and feels the same grip wise; it just costs a little more. I highly recommend it.

Now that I am off that medication and am back to being the sticky exerciser I once was, the polished brass has a very different feel. I have very sweaty hands now, and the polished brass finish does help a lot with hand grip, when compared to all the other finishes (even powder coated,) which are much harder for me to hang onto. With that being said, it can over grip on my body. There are times my brass gets so grippy with my skin so I cannot slide down the pole. This seems to occur more with me as the weather starts warming. It takes some maneuvering, but it is still workable, and might be a good choice for those who dislike grip aids.  This pole is grippy, for me, whether it is cold or warm out, so I don't need to worry about warming the pole up before using it. This leaves me the opportunity to warm myself up off the pole. This pole finish is great for pole tricksters!

The original matte finish that x pole had has a very different feel. Lalita Pancake's owns the matte brass X Pert, so I had the opportunity to play on it. It is also a 45mm pole and has the same flex that my 1 piece does. The matte finish gives the pole a nice slide. It is really good for spinning on and I can do body based tricks on it without over grip issues. That being said, vinyl does not stick to this finish, so if you have pole shoes, or any Mighty Grip product with tack on it, they will be rendered useless with this finish. It is also a finish that can be difficult to work with if your skin runs fairly dry. You would need to use grip aids, which is not that big of a deal, but it is something to consider when purchasing your pole. This finish also seems to be a bit more temperature sensitive than the polished brass. In the cold weather it needs to warm up a bit before it becomes grippy.

X pole has stopped manufacturing the matte brass finish for the U.S. and has released a video on how to polish your brass X Pole to give it a high shine finish. They now sell a "new and improved" finish for their brass and stainless poles which have a higher shine. I have not tried the new finish yet, so I can not say for certain what it is like, but I imagine it has a stronger grip.

Lalita Pancake's and I took some photos comparing the different finishes and I would like to share them with you so you can see the difference.

Left: X Pole matte brass

Center: X Pole titanium gold

Right: Platinum Stages brass

This is the bottom of the brass X Pole. The adjuster cover is titanium gold and the pole is the matte brass.

*yes that is my pup in the background...

This is a comparison of the old matte brass x pole (right) to the new high shine brass x pole (left).

Thank you TehCammy for this photo!

Pole finish is really a matter of preference. I personally think both finishes are great and suit different purposes.

I have not had a chance to try out the matte stainless steel X Pert or any Pole Danzer poles (although I would love to.) That is why I am not going into the differences between them at this point. Hopefully I will get the chance to try them all and can give you more insight into their differences.

Stay tuned for information on the different pole metals and powder coating, with a further comparison between the brands of poles, and the differences in diameters!