Show-chromed vs. Hard chromed

From the chemist's point of view, chrome is always the same: a kind of metal with a defined hardness and resistance against wear. From this point of view no chrome is harder than any other one. The secrets behind the terms show-chromed and hard chromed are

• the preparation of the base, which is chromed, and
• the thickness of the chrome layer.

Show-chrome means a thin layer (up to 1 µm) on a highly polished base. This layer has not the same longevity as the so-called hard chrome, simply due to its lesser thickness.

Hard chroming means applying galvanically a substantially thicker chrome layer on the base. Due to its thickness the finished surface is much more durable and withstands corrosion better than show-chrome.