Guide materials?

[Double D]

Leafing through the mudhole catalog, there are an assortment of pseudo-scientific sounding materials to choose from:

Titanium Nitride
Nanolite
Halide
Aluminum Oxide
Silicon Carbide
Alconite
Cermet
Hardaloy
Silicon Nitride

Questions for those in the know:
How does one choose the right material for the application?

Does more expensive equal harder/smoother?

Has anyone seen any testing data?

[paul708]

This is a chart..(not very good)
there are a few charts around.
i have alot of info from guide companys about tests.
and a few test that were done independently.
guide rings are measured by hadrness.. using the vickers

but yes the better the guide the more it is polished, and the better it disperses heat.
which means it grooves less, and wont heat your line as much when it is going thru guides.

heat is a big enemy of line.
which is wht when rollers dont roll..they are the worst to have on a rod.


Name Colour Material Hardness in Vickers
Fuji gold cermet Gold Titanium Nitride Cermet 1100
Fuji SiC Silver/Black Silicon Carbide 2200 To 2400
Fuji Alconite Black Reinforced Alumina Oxide 1300 To 1500
Fuji Hardloy Grey Alumina Oxide 1200 To 1400
Fuji Hard Dark Grey Alumina Oxide 1200 To 1400
Fuji “O” Dark Brown Alumina Oxide 1200 To 1400
Seymo Superglide Brown Alumina Oxide 1200 To 1400
Seymo Hardlon Dark Brown Alumina Oxide 1200 To 1400
Seymo Titania Grey Alumina Oxide 1200 To 1400
Porcelain White Porcelain 550 To 650