if the lines are in good condition there will be no "hand abrasion" issues... the bare lifelines need no special attention and they always look clean. I have seen the white coated ones on other boats and when the coating gets old, UV degraded, cracked and stained, it brings down the "look" of the whole boat... the clean stainless look is a good option when thinking of replacing them, and if the coated ones you have are getting ugly but otherwise in good condition, you can peel the coating off very quickly and easily and get the clean stainless look.... without spending a dime.