It’s just as durable as anything else. However, since it’s plated, sometimes it can flake off if it’s hit hard enough to break it. I have seen this done to chrome plated items, not nickel though.
How long will it stay shiny? The more you play it, the more patina it will develop and faster. Some people like this look. If not, polish it whenever it bothers you and you’ll keep it looking amazing.
I have some chrome plated mic stands and one of them got scratched pretty good and the chrome finish has been flaking off. The metal underneath it is I think steel(very thin) and is roughly the same color.
I’m not sure what the chemical process is, but anodizing sounds like a different process than electroplating. I’m assuming adding a nickel finish is done through an electroplating process.
Then again, maybe the mic stands were done different, or it bonds to steel differently than aluminum.
Chroming isn’t molecular bonding. it’s more of an external coat, like paint.
Nickel plating works the way gold plating does. It will not chip but wear out.
