A hardness testing method developed in 1920. A diamond pyramid is pressed into an object until it
makes an impression. The force required to do so is the hardness rating. How does this apply to fishing? It is a way to compare the hardness of different ring materials commonly used in guides today. The harder the ring, the less chance there is for wear to develop.
SiC
Is short for Silicon carbide and available on a special order basis. These are the finest rings we offer. They are diamond polished to the smoothest surface available in ceramic rings today. SiC offers the finest performance available in terms of wear, hardness, thermal dissipation and coefficient of friction.
Blue TiO, TiN Gold, Bronze, Chameleon, & PVD TiCh Over Zirconium
Zirconium rings offer similar performance to SiC at a much lower cost. Rings made from this high-end ceramic offer superb hardness, thermal dissipation and low coefficient of friction. It also provides the perfect surface for PVD (physical vapor deposition) coatings.
Zirconium
Zirconium rings offer similar performance to SiC at a much lower cost. Rings made from this high-end ceramic offer superb hardness, thermal dissipation and low coefficient of friction.
“H” Ring
Short for hard aluminum oxide. This is the highest grade of aluminum oxide available, and the ring of choice for many major rod manufacturers. This highly polished ring offers excellent hardness, wear and very low coefficient of friction. It is hard enough to stand up to all “Super Braid Lines” and offers unsurpassed value.
The PVD Process
Some notes on physical vapor deposition: “PVD” is a high-tech process of vaporizing a solid material within a vacuum chamber. By vaporizing a solid material it can condense onto a substrate and form a coating. In general, most coatings produced by the PVD process are very hard and offer superb density. PVD coatings also improve hardness, corrosion resistance and coefficient of friction. PVD is done at a low enough temperature to protect the integrity of the substrate material. Forecast® components that offer PVD are as follows: The TiN Gold coating is Titanium Nitrate, TiN. The bright gray coating is Titanium Hydrogenation, PVD TiCh, and the Blue coating is Titanium Oxide, TiO. All three of these coatings are harder than the substrate they cover. They dramatically improve the smoothness, hardness and the coefficient of friction. When PVD is used on a guide frame it improves the durability and resistance to corrosion.
Rings & Hardness
