Enamel finish vs. Metallic/Classic black

[Nebrsmithers]

I know that for the most part this is ultimately about personal preference, but I would like to know if anyone out there has any personal experience they would like to share concerning their purchase of an enamel finish stove. Reasons you may have chose it or reason's you may have avoided it.Specifically, if anyone out there has a Hampton HI300 in enamel that has been in use for several years; I would like to hear from you. Does the enamel finish hold up over time? I have read & been told by dealer it can chip. (fairly easily) On the flip side, does anyone have any comments on the durability of the Metallic/classic black finish? I have been told they can dull after a period of heavy use and to keep them looking nice they have to be hit with the rattle-can regularly. Does this have to do with over firing the unit or just normal wear and tear?
Again, I am talking about the Hampton HI300 insert, so it would only be the front of the unit that would be visible. I have spent the last several days reading everything I can find here and viewing completed installs (thanks for posting pics!) but there is little or no information on the finish durability. Also any additional pics of this unit installed would be appreciated.

 

[Gunner]

I am not familiar with Hamptons, but in general I prefer enamel over the standard stovebright black. IMO it looks better is more durable, easier to clean/dust off. Standard stove paint tends to get dull, dusty, rusty (say that 10 times fast) but it is easy to touch up with a spray bomb.

 

[elkimmeg]

This could be a ford chevy debate. Chipping enamel happens due to accidents Eliminate accidents no chips

Gunner is right black stoves their finish will dull with time. It seems it is easier to clean wipe dust off an enamel finish easier, than cast iron painted surfaces

Naturally painting a stove is cheaper than enameling it, But many like the choices of enamel colors Like Whore house red

These Hamptons are very attractive stoves. Every one I have inspected have been enameled

If you are deciding for price reasons then why not look at the Regency stoves, same stove manufacturer and basically the same fire box, but more generic looking
and cheaper

 

[senorFrog]

Reasons you may have chose it or reason’s you may have avoided it

I chose an enamel finish because it is smoother and would be easier to dust. The various post & photos here indicate the painted stoves can start looking ragged after about five years. The $200 price difference seemed negligable over the life of the stove. Mine arrived with a small chip or two. I didn't see them until after we got it in the house (which was a hassle). In hindsight I should have sent it back for a perfect one. Haven't had any chips from use.

Hope this helps you to decide.

 

[Nebrsmithers]

Price is not the issue. I really like the face & surround detail on the Hampton. I also considered the Quadra-Fire 4100i (also a very nice looking insert) and the VC winterwarm Lg, but after reading every review I could find on them I decided Hampton sounded like a better all around choice for my application. Now it's time to narrow down the color choice's. The insert will be the focal point of my lg (22x22) living room. Visualizing the unit in place is difficult and I am relying on pic's of others stoves to give me a better idea of what the finished project will look like. Here is the hearth is will be filling.

 

[Nebrsmithers]

Reasons you may have chose it or reason’s you may have avoided it

I Haven't had any chips from use.

How long has your stove been in use? Which stove do you own?

 

[senorFrog]

Going on my second season with a jotul oslo. BTW, you can get a black enamel for the traditional look. It replaced and old franklin which was painted and repainted several times. With the rough finish it would be impossible to clean with anything. With the enamel I just use a swiffer or feather duster, when the stove is not hot of course.

Re visualizing the insert in place, check out this post. I'm not sure what software was used, maybe you PM the poster and ask.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/9202/


PS - That hampton is real nice looking. What's markup for the enamel? The timberline brown might coordinate nicely with the mantle.

 

[BrotherBart]

Price is not the issue. I really like the face & surround detail on the Hampton. I also considered the Quadra-Fire 4100i (also a very nice looking insert) and the VC winterwarm Lg, but after reading every review I could find on them I decided Hampton sounded like a better all around choice for my application. Now it's time to narrow down the color choice's. The insert will be the focal point of my lg (22x22) living room. Visualizing the unit in place is difficult and I am relying on pic's of others stoves to give me a better idea of what the finished project will look like. Here is the hearth is will be filling.

Here is a very rough cut and paste job.

 

[hilly]

Here's the Regency in my house (Post #11). I have since added the blower fan at the bottom and after 1.5 years of burning I don't have any issues with the finish.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2940/

 

[Nebrsmithers]

Brotherbart, thanks for the cut and paste. I also tried that with all the diffrent colors and it seemed to help. Seeing the same stove in multipul applications definitely helps, so I am hoping more Hampton owners will offer up pics of thier home and hearths.

 

[Nebrsmithers]

PS - That hampton is real nice looking. What's markup for the enamel? The timberline brown might coordinate nicely with the mantle.

The quote is $1765 for Classic Black & $2265 for the enamel. (that is just the stove)
I do like the timberline brown, but in all of the pictures I have seen (except the advertisement) the brown is real dark (almost black) and doesn't have the highlights like the sales brochure. I really want the rich brown color with the same depth as the advertised unit.

 

[elkimmeg]

Hampton stove also require th stove collar adapter adds about $75 to the cost Also if an outside chimney. a full liner read the installation manual to scope what is fully involved.

Regency it a class act manufacturer and a quality stove

 

[senorFrog]

The quote is $1765 for Classic Black & $2265 for the enamel.

Wow! Quite a markup. It's only a $200 diff for jotul, but that looks like a better enamel. Still, $500 is a lot of $$$.

 

[Highbeam]

I didn't want the enamel. It is much more glossy and fancy looking. I had plenty of eye candy with the soapstone so I wanted to tone it back a little with the black painted castings. I like to do a bit of welding and iron work myself and find beauty in flat black. I am also a bit of a clutz and couldn't bear the thought of living with a chip or damaged enamel from something so simple as spilling a kettle or dropping the magnetic thermometer.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I've had a Dovre Aurora enamel woodstove since 1993, and I am glad that I went that way. It wipes clean very easily and still looks very good. Any chips or peeling parts of the enamel are easily touched-up with porcelain paint.

 

[Nebrsmithers]

I've had a Dovre Aurora enamel woodstove since 1993, and I am glad that I went that way. It wipes clean very easily and still looks very good. Any chips or peeling parts of the enamel are easily touched-up with porcelain paint.

Ok, now you have peaked my interest. You have a 14 year old stove in enamel, so you should know about enamel durability. When you say "peeling parts" what exactly causes it to peel? Could you include a pic with the post?

What I am deducing from this thread is that neither enamel or classic black comes without aesthetic up-keep.

 

[pulldownclaw]

Hi, I have a Hampton in Timberline Brown, and our hearth is similar to yours. Check out this thread for the pics, and I would recommend reading the thread as well, I have had quite an experience with my installation.

I can't comment on the durability because we haven't had it long, but it looks great.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/7470/

 

[Nebrsmithers]

I have had quite an experience with my installation.

I had already come across/read your thread over the weekend and believe you me I will be asking a lot of questions when the installer is here doing the job. I also took a lot of notes while reading the replies by others and will make sure that I get the job done the way I want it to be done. I appreciate the pictures, but wanted to ask if the stove is as dark as it looks in the pic? Seems almost black and I can't see any contrast on the raised parts of the stove.

 

[pulldownclaw]

It is very dark, but not as dark as the pictures look. The camera just can't pick up the color while using the flash. If I had taken them in the daytime you'd probably see more detail. Good luck and read up!

 

[burntime]

Have had the hampton in brown now for a year. Fired the heck out of it and no problems. The dust after clean out is easier to vacuum off with the enamal. I even put a half kettle on the top for moisture and no scratchs yet. BTW mine goes 24-7 when it is cold. I have plunked a few logs on it and to date (knocking on wood, pun intended) I have 0 damage.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I've had a Dovre Aurora enamel woodstove since 1993, and I am glad that I went that way. It wipes clean very easily and still looks very good. Any chips or peeling parts of the enamel are easily touched-up with porcelain paint.

Ok, now you have peaked my interest. You have a 14 year old stove in enamel, so you should know about enamel durability. When you say "peeling parts" what exactly causes it to peel?

What happens are the obvious "nicks" that you get if you bump into it with a tool or something similiar which are very easy to touch-up with porcelain touch-up paint. The "peeling" parts that I have experienced were on the top of the stove towards the back, under the porcelain Vermont Castings steamer. Last year I noticed a spot about the size of a quarter where the porcelain finish had peeled off. It was deducted that this happened because the cast iron probably had some dirt on it at that spot when the enamel finish was applied at the factory years ago. This also touched up with paint, but I do see some other areas in that vicinity that look like they also may crack and "peel". Again, this was most likely caused by a less than efficient cleaning prior to painting, and it was done in 1993; I'm sure that tecnology has improved since then. But I'd buy enamel if I had to do it all again!

 

[Gooserider]

I went with black paint, both because it was what was available, and by choice, but I wanted paint as my first choice. Porcelein enamel looks nice, but is somewhat more prone to damage, and is harder to repair if chipped. Paint is easy to touch up, but may be harder to keep clean and new looking. I prefer the easy touchup if needed.

Gooserider