Soldering Iron follow up

This post is a follow up to my previous post about the cheap soldering iron I bought at Princess Auto. It is still in operation,  however, the soldering iron tip is starting to fade. I wasn't really expecting it to quit on me so soon. I will add a picture later, but until then a description will have to suffice. The act of soldering has eroded the tip, a common problem for cheaper soldering irons.