Unless Lonnie has done something to improve leading edge protection, you'll have to spend $276 + $51 shipping to get it refinished every time you fly in rain. That's what he charged me anyway, despite the fact that when ordering the prop I'd paid the additional charge for "leading edge protection". If there was any there it wasn't evident underneath the finish that dissolved the first time I flew it in rain. Now that it's been refinished I've just left it in its box. I really should at least hang it on the wall since everyone will agree they are beautiful props. I don't trust for a minute though that my refinished Prince prop has any more leading edge protection now than it did when I bought it. Maybe he's doing something new by now. I bought mine about four years ago and had it refinished by Lonnie about a year later, following my first encounter with rain.
Ed Sterba's props, on the other hand, while not as sophisticated in design as Prince's, are only slightly less efficient in the air and his urethane leading edges will go through anything without damage. I can't imagine why Smokeyray says: "7. Ed Sterba Wood: Excellent value, fragile in rain, needs torquing every 25 hours. Good for economy purchase and fair weather flyers."
It's prudent to throttle back in rain with any prop, including metal, but I've gone through a lot of rain with Sterbas and have found nothing fragile about them (everything else stated in that sentence is correct however). I am quite the opposite of a "fair weather flyer" and have found the Sterbas to be bulletproof in rain. I just sent one in to get spruced up after approximately 1000 hours. The urethane leading edges were slightly worn but the prop was still fine - I just thought after such lengthy service the prop deserved to be returned to it's original beauty. I get the cherry/maple alternatively laminated props from him - I have two - and they are also beautiful props.
BTW, in an experiment Paul Lipps cut the tips off of a Prince and got more thrust at the same RPM even though prop diameter had been reduced slightly in cutting off the tips. Those curved tips do nothing except create drag and look cute, despite the theory that they act as winglets. If anyone gets a Prince, get the elliptical tips. I assume they look similar to the Catto tips. Catto and Paul worked closely together on design and efficiency.
Mike
Edit: I should have mentioned that Ed Sterba refinished his 20+ year old prop . . . for free. I'm not special, he does that for everyone.