I have documented the work of Vorso spinning tops before, but this is slightly different, this is a look at the PVD coating they offer for their tops. PVD coating is not something that many spinning top companies offer, but perhaps there is a reason for that? Or is Vorso just ahead of the game.
There are two coatings that are offered, they are black and petrol… I chose both. The important thing to know about the petrol coating is that it can vary wildly in the colours that you receive. You would get the same unreliability with almost every anodized surface, so it’s not unreasonable to receive the same treatment with this coating.
The first – and major – downside to the coating is the marks it is prone to. Ultimately this is the downside of any metal that has an extra coat on the outside of it. This could be a flamed surface, and electro anodized surface, or in this case a coated surface. It is going to happen, the question is just how fast, and how severely.
My petrol tops has received a fair few marks over the time I have had it, which at this point is a couple of months. Nothing too severe, but enough for it to be noticeable. My black has not inflicted the same damage over the same time period, but then again I have spun it a lot less than the petrol variation.
Overall It is a nice option to add to your top, and despite it being prone to marks, I would definitely recommend having your top coated. They add a nice dash of colour to a collection, especially if like me you have wound up buying a lot of the same material combinations and its getting a bit same-ey. Think of the petrol coating as a much much cheaper alternative to Timascus, and you might end up not really caring about the difference, I know I don’t. I would love to see more coating happening in the tops game, just maybe on internal surfaces next!
