This tip has so far held up much better than the fakes I've bought in the past. Yes, it is much more expensive in comparison. I'm not exactly sure what makes Hakko different, but the porcelain tips I ordered earlier burned through the coating almost immediately. This Hakko has lasted 2-3 times as long and still doesn't seem to have any plating issues. This means that when I clean the tip in the steel chip pad, it doesn't get stuck or irritate me because the tip isn't clean. Hakko is clean with no coating issues and no edge issues.