Have to agree with the old vs new Medalist paint job. I have a 30 year old version on my 5 WT and a year old rig on my 9 WT. The new one is grey metal all around the rim and blistered throughout. The old one has seen limited salt water use, but it definite sheds corrosion better than the new version. Tim Miller and I have discussed refinishing techniques, but so far we've been too busy fishing to deal with it.