First off I am no plating expert. For 13 years I was supt. at a plant where we did Rotogravure printing on paper using etched printing cylinders. For print cylinders we nickel plated, then copper plated, then etched and last we chrome plated. These print cylinders were "wiped" using a stainless or a blue carbon steel and the chrome would hold up very well....
BUT it all depended on how well the chrome job was done. Did it stay in the tank long enough, was the amps right and was the HARDNESS of the chrome right. We had all kinds of gizmo's to check copper and chrome hardness and when it was not right we could "wipe" the chrome right off a print cylinder. I would doubt, especially foreign made stuff, that they really care and as long as it shines they ship it. Like most things there is more to a process than what meets the eyes but if you want it done right it truly does not cost THAT much more to do a jam up job because the "hard work" is already done before plating.
