Hi, thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. We are always very keen to learn the good and bad. Thank you for your kind words and positive 5 star rating of the service you have received from Butler Technik - we are very grateful. I am sorry to learn you are disappointed with the metal strip, the metallic surface on this is much thicker than the gel pads and is designed to be strong enough to safely store Silwy products whilst on the move - they do advise that Porcelain Mugs should only be stored upright and not upside-down unfortunately. If you need a replacement strip and can locate it in a place where the mugs can be stored upright - please contact me directly (matt.varlow@butlertechnik.com) I would love to help find a solution for you. Thank you once more. Kind regards, Matt
