OK this is the best way to describe the difference between Awl Grip and Awl Craft 2000 or Imron.
AwlGrip - When Awlgrip (or any other polyester LPU) cures the clear solids tend to separate out from the pigment and form a very tough but thin clear coat like layer over the pigment layer. Picture putting oil & water into and jar and shaking it. The two seem to blend together for a while but eventually the oil rises to the surface. This is not exactly what Awlgrip does but it's the easiest way to describe it's curing process I know of. The "outer shell" or "clearcoat" layer is very, very tough with Awlgrip but also very, very thin. Once you have abraded or worn through this very thin layer the Awlgrip is dead, ruined and kaput and will require constant maintenance such as wax to hide the abrasions.
We've all seen the boat in the boat yard where the winter cover chaffed through the "outer shell" or the fender marks that have worn through as well leaving dull patches of exposed pigment which does not buff out well at all. This is because the fenders or winter cover have worn through the "outer skin" of the Awlgrip thus ruining a 10k paint job!
I've owned two boats with Awlgrip and I will NEVER own one again!
Awlcraft 2000 - With Alwcraft 2000 or Imron or any other acrylic LPU the pigment and hardness are the
full thickness of the coating with no "hard shell" or "outer skin" to worry about. With proper buffing techniques an Awlcraft or Imron paint job will outlast an Awlgrip job by quite some time.
The picture below is a boat I buffed this past spring that was originally painted in 1989 with Imron. The boat did not display any real fading except for some light ghosting around an old name that we removed to put the new name on. After buffing it was nearly impossible to discern any ghosting.
I have NEVER seen an Awlgrip (polyester LPU) paint job look anywhere near this good at 18 years old. That's because it physically can't be done due to the lack of buff ability or repair ability of the product!
Boat yards love Awlgrip because they have a captive audience every 8 to 10 years at 8k to 12K per paint job...
By the way I just painted my boat last winter and used Awlcraft 2000!
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