Will these cages rust???

I am wearing mm jailbird for years now. I shower with it every day, go to swimming pools and even swim in the sea in summer. And it still looks like new.

 

Just follow their measuring instructions.

 

Many cheap cages are just that... cheap.
They don't all have the same quality steel that they should have for wearing in skin contact. Some cheap cages are made of the better steel, I have a base ring that is, but I've also had one cage that gave me blood poisoning.

So buyer beware.
cheap devices are great for getting used to wearing one and finding out what style and fit you prefer, but do pay attention to reviews and recommendations. Generally, you get what you pay for.

One reason the custom manufacturers are more expensive is that they do use good steels, they have a reputation to maintain.

 

The Mature Metal cages are high quality stainless. They will not rust. I wear mine 24/7 and have had it for years and it looks brand new. I even swim in the ocean often without any issues with the saltwater. As far as fit, follow their instructions and make sure it fits like a glove when you are soft.

 

What about the lock? What's a reasonable life expectancy for the padlock with daily showers, swimming, etc?

 

I have an all brass lock that never rusts. It lasts about a year but wears out not rust.

 

Yes, it's a mystery, isn't it?

 

I'm wondering what cages you managed to get your hands on that have rusted. Even the really cheap ones are made from stainless steel. I've had my current one for at least a year of daily use and it looks brand new.

 

I had one that gave me blood poisoning. It had been advertised as surgical grade stainless steel, but the flecks of chrome plate embedded in my skin and the multi coloured oxidation (green and brown, so poor steel with copper in it) on the device where the poor quality chrome had come off told a different story.

 

Doubt that its surgical grade stainless if its chrome plated. Doesn't make sense to electroplate stainless, especially with chromium as if should contain approx. 10.5% chromium.

In answer to the OP, stainless is continually protected by a passive layer of chromium oxide due to the contact of oxygen from air, humidity or water. When scratched it will regenerates itself and that's what gives it its corrosion resistance.

 

bondinchas,

As @Disciplined Boyfriend stated, that cage you thought was stainless was not.

Many cheap cages are chrome plated. It makes them look nice...for a short spell. But it's a cheap plating process just to get them out the door into your hands. After that, the plating will ultimately fail. QUALITY chrome plating is possible, but more expensive as the item is often plated multiple times in the process. For cages, it's cheaper to use stainless steel. For REAL cheap cages, use the cheapest steel, cheap chrome plate, and purchasers can't tell the difference...at first.

Surgical grade stainless steel WILL NOT be chrome plated. The purpose of making it out of such a corrosion resistant material is so that it can withstand impact, wear, thermal extremes, steam cleaning/detergents etc. Putting a coating on it just doesn't make sense as it adds no benefit to the surgical stainless steel.

By the way, the one I've been wearing for over a year now, the NC03 in my avatar, is stainless steel. I wear it 24/7 including showering, and no signs of rust or corrosion anywhere. To be honest, I'm actually pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect it to hold up this well until continual use.

Good Luck,

~subrick

 

Yes, that was a cheap Chinese clone device that was worth far less than the few pounds I paid for it. No such problems with my current device though, a custom made cage from Red Chili.

 

Adding a few points.

"Surgical steel" is a bullshit marketing term (like "aircraft grade aluminum"). There are different stainless steel grades used in medical applications, but in our context, it *should* refer to type 316, a non-magnetic stainless that is very corrosion resistant. It is more expensive than the very commonly used 302/304 grades (frequently used in food applications). However, either can be used for long term skin surface contact - assuming the wearer has no metal allergies.

China produces most of the 304 stainless, and sometimes there are quality issuesz such as adding too little/much of the different alloying metals. That is the primary reason why one might have a cage with no issues, but experience rashes, etc, with a different one.

I've seen a number of cages that I can tell from the pictures that they are made from cheaper steels and then electroplated. Plating is usually primarily nickel or chromium, which a lot of people are allergic to. Also, the plating rides on top of a "primer" "oat of copper; again, a potential allergen.

Also, stainless rings that are welded together may corrode at the weld joints because of the impurities released by the heat. In theory, welded cages should be subjected to an acid dip to remove the impurities, but those $20 cages are probably just washed and packaged, then shipped off to distributors.