#bikechains

Both these bracelets are from the same bike chain. They were both worn all the time by me and a customer friend (advice: don't make friends with customers you'll lose money :)). They were worn outdoors and in the shower. As you can see overtime the paint from this KMC Z chain starts to wear off. Nothing wrong with this as it's natural. So why is the Elchains bracelet not worn out like the other? Maybe I didn't shower as much? Ha.

The reason is that my black bike chain bracelet was treated with special solutions to seal and protect the bracelet from rust and paint chipping and fading.

Elchains has a special secret process and solution that is used to treat all bracelets with the exception of stainless steel bike chain bracelets that don't require this treatment. I treat these bracelets with the same care I would as if they were mine. In fact I wear two on average every day. It truly isn't just the look that is appealing, it's the feel on the wrist. I've never had a bracelet that feels as comforting on the wrist as these do. Call it self marketing I don't care. I started this because I felt how it feels on the wrist when I tried on a Shimano HK 11 speed chain on my wrist (11 or higher can't remember). It felt so snug and perfect. Something about the weight and the feeling of being unbreakable won my heart.

Our treating process for bike chain bracelets tackles three no no's:

Stainless steel is leagues above all precious metals for numerous reasons which I will get into shortly.

Here we have the new Elchain which features a beautiful skull on a silver plated bar with black diamonds. This trinket sits on a KMC Z1X INOX Stainless Steel bike chain. It's 1/8 of an inch thick giving it a nice robust feel but not too much. Check out the Elchains store at elchains.com/elshop for details. Now regarding stainless steel for bracelets. Let's look at some common alternatives out there: silver regular mixed metals plastic variations Now we all love silver, however there are some drawbacks. The two main drawbacks are weakness as it is not as strong as stainless steel and the fact that it's sheen is not the same as stainless steel or other shiny metals. The last drawback comes into play when combining a silver trinket on a steel or metal bracelets. All of our skulls that are not colored, gold or gun metal are silver plated. So when a silver skull is placed on a nice shiny metal bracelet as this:

noticeable contrast between silver and stainless steel Don't get me wrong, this bike chain bracelet is bad as hell, but the contrast is noticeable. It's the equivalent of wearing a red jacket with a red shirt that is slightly faded. Eh. Let' forget about plastic based chains. I see a lot of these foreign cheap bike chain knock offs. The feel like they are going to break even without stress. The sound of the parts rubbing against each other does not sound the same as real metal. Now with real metal bike chains which encompass 98 percent of bike chains out there, you don't get that cheap feel. You get the same feel pretty much as the elusive stainless steel bike chain bracelets with INOX steel and such. Almost all bicycle chains are made from plain carbon or alloy steel. Colored or nickel plated variations are awesome and my favorite. Check out Black Gloss here

So what's the deal with these carbon or alloy bike chain bracelets vs stainless steel?

Stainless steel bracelets will not rust from the get go. We have to treat our other bike chain bracelets with a special secret process to make them rust resistant. Sounds like I'm moaning about the extra work. Maybe I am. Ha. Well aside from that, stainless steel is heavier and has a higher quality feel to it. Stainless steel bracelets will always be around. They are the most economical alternative to silver or white gold for those who prefer that look. Although silver is astronomically more expensive and more desired than stainless steel as a bracelet, stainless steel will always win when it comes to durability. You'll never have to worry about a stainless steel bike chain bracelet breaking. Never. That security makes me feel safe which is priceless.

Here is Elchain's stainless steel bracelet: