Agree 100%
Can't agree with that theory Tony. Well made, proper thickness chrome surface is one of the hardest metal surfaces to scratch, you can't scratch it just like that if compare to SS. That's why wrenches are chromed.
The only problem with genuine chromed bumpers - is lifetime of steel under chrome.
My old e9 bumpers have just small surface pitting, almost no scratches. Of course they will be re-chromed anyway (because it's full renovation), but it doesn't mean that i couldn't use them just like they are.
Agreed 100% with hardness of Chrome, my point about scratch of any Chrome piece is NOT that is soft (or Hard). It is that if in fact it gets scratched it can’t be grounded, sanded , buffed back to shine like Stainless steel! Moreover if any edges of the after market SS bumpers happen to be too close to the body once again it can be grinded . With ChromeBumpers pieces (or any other chromed pieces ) if the top layer of chrome is gone (or pitted) then you have to chrome the whole piece! ( foot note: that is why having a three piece front bumpers is an overlooked benefit).
Over the last three years I have spent a lot of money with three separate Chrome shops and spent at least 20 hours combined on site with the three Chromed shops and another two shops which I haven’t used yet , total of 5 . To one Chrome shop location I drove 1200 miles round trip ...
I am now very familiar with Chrome VS Stainless Steel for shiny bezels or trim pieces for different cars I have been restoring! Although I prefer the beautiful shine of Properly Chrome piece vs. the shine of properly made and buffed SS piece there are so many Advantages of SS vs Chrome that gets overlooked ! Frankly this is a new revelation for me the more I work on the cars. We did buff the bumpers of late sixties Alfa Romeo last year and I couldn’t believe how nice it turned out! I buffed trim pieces on a 51 Cadillac and a 68 Camaro windshiled trims and they turned out real nice! Furthermore with SS there was no pitting. You can also weld to SS if you have to grind it and sand and buff it! Try that with a Chrome piece!
Additionally It is a shame that there are less and less chrome shops around and it is getting more and more expensive (due mostly to environmental issues and laws ) to properly Re-Chrome things.
These are some of my experience pulling me in different directions leaving me undecided with Chrome VS Stainless Steel for E9 Bumpers!
Best wishes !