the cureing process turns the paint into an epoxy and makes the finish extreamly durable. A un cured jig is tough but if you paint em and stick a few in a plastic fishing tray after a while the paint starts coming off the jigs and it will look like you took some powder paint and kinda sprinkled in with the jigs along with some paint chips/specks i use to not cure mine and thats what happen to mine so i cure all of my jigs in a little toast oven now