I see a lot of people here wanting bare aluminum flashlights.
My own experience with bare aluminum items is that even if they look nice (especialy if polished), if i really want to use them (no shelf queen) i usually end up putting some duct tape or replacing them because they tend to put some difficult to remove grey color to eveything around when carried in a bag or pocket.
Not a big deal when it's about a toolbox but ennoying enough when it happens in my pants pocket.
I am not a metal expert but I don't think many lights are made of pure Aluminum but of Aluminum alloy and some alloys are more tend to leave gray color than others.
Yes you are right sorry i should write aluminum alloy instead of just aluminum.
There are obvious differences between different alloys, an easy way to see that is to rub them on white paper applying the same force and see that it ends with a lighter or darker mark.
Maybe my bad experiences were caused by softer Al alloy but the problem is that you never know for sure what you will get.
In general aluminium alloys for Sea environment (Saltwater) tend less to this.
A skilled builder of Boat Kitchen told me, I should use aluminium alloyed like Anticorodal-?110? to avoid mark on bare hands and others.
(I built a gearshift.)
I think the concern with anodize vs bare is that sometimes clear anodize comes out more grey or matte, but it can be done so that it comes out looking real shiny and clear like bare aluminum. Anodize is definitely preferable to bare. Bare Aluminum takes scratches and damage very easily. Clear “hard ano” usually comes out more olive in color so I think the way to go is bright dipped type II if you want that bare look. An anodizer would be able to advise about this.
I can't speak for anybody else, but for me, it's strictly a matter of appearance. Polished bare metal just looks better. More natural. Bare polished metal is pretty.
I also like other colors. Almost any color but black (technically not a color) or olive drab.
I don't mind a little scratching and I'm not planning to use my light as a hammer.
