Originally Posted by
2lo8
Unless a company outright says they use harder steel and their chains last longer, I wouldn't believe it. Most companies will say it's proprietary coating X that increases chain life. I have no intention of trying to test how many miles a coating adds or doesn't add.
Problem with steels are that generally, as steels get harder, they get brittle. You COULD try heat-treating all the pieces of a chain, maybe even case-harden them, but then a chain would cost maybe $100. Coatings and regular lubrication are much more cost-effective.