Bead-blast finish: Why?

P

Pocketknife

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Jul 27, 2005
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I sure see a lot more knives that have that "bead-blast" finish, these days, compared to the not-too-distant past. I see it on expensive USA-made ones, down to really cheap Asian imports.

As I make knife-buying decisions, with the huge number of product choices these days, I'm trying to learn as much as I can. So, if anyone can help educate me on the pros and cons of bead-blasting, I'd appreciate it!

Personally, I don't like the look of bead-blast. I much prefer the look of a highly polished blade, or even a "satin" finished blade. And, I may be wrong here, but doesn't a smoother finish have less friction, and therefore better cutting performance?

I have also read that a bead-blast finish tends to rust up more, on carbon blades, because the texture tends to trap moisture. Any opinions on this concern?

And one more question: Does it require less labour to bead-blast than to "smooth-finish", and is therefore a way to save manufacturing costs?

Thanks a lot in advance!
 
I believe some people do NOT want their knives to refelect light; those that use their knives "professionally". I honestly don't know. I DO NOT like bead blasted blades. I do NOT like shiney blades.
 
I"m not too crazy about bead-blasted finishes. I guess it would be more economical to do.

There are two different types of bead blasting. One is done with an abrasive, and one is done with shot, to peen the surface instead of scratch. Just something to think about.

Edit: haha, I don't like high polished blades either. :)
 
Beadblasting is a cheap way of finishing the steel. It also enhances corrosion.:barf: As far as reflection resistance for military personell goes, thats all BS. The eight years I spent working for Uncle Sam, I never needed a non-reflecting blade.
 
Beadblasted blades also trap oil more easily - if you protect them properly they are rust-resistant. That being said I prefer the convenience of a coated blade.
 
Wunderbar said:
Beadblasting is a cheap way of finishing the steel. It also enhances corrosion.:barf: As far as reflection resistance for military personell goes, thats all BS. The eight years I spent working for Uncle Sam, I never needed a non-reflecting blade.
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Which is exactly why the military is starting to issue orange colored uniforms! Who needs camouflaged materials in a war!

A reflective blade can be seen for many miles and I personally would not want to attract any unnecessary attention to myself by using one. May not make a difference for most situations the soldiers are in but anything helps.
 
Bead blasted finishes are notorious for rust. Furthermore, once you get rust down inside the pits of that pocked surface, there is no way to get it out or polish it off or anything. You'd have to grind off the finish thus removing a huge amount of steel and destroying the grind lines of the blade.

Manufacturers LOVE beadblasted finishes. They're cheap to do and they mask all sorts of defects. Generally, when a manufacturer offers the same knife in beadblasted and something else such as brushed or satin, you know that the beadblasted ones were the rejects and defects from the satin finish line.

Beadblast dramatically reduces optical reflections. Beadblasted finishes are great for people who need that characteristic and who are not planning to keep the same knife long-term.
 
I always thought the important part to make non-reflective were the handle and guard? And of course the other equipment including guns.

Unless you're waving the knife around in the bright sun (in which case you're pretty visible anyway) I fail to see how making it beadblasted blades help. Better safe than sorry I suppose :jerkit:
 
As several of you have said, bead-blasting is cheap to do. I figured that, since some very cheap knives are bead-blasted, and they have to be cheap to manufacture to be able to sell at such low prices....makes sense.

So, that idea of cheapness has been turning me off otherwise interesting-looking knives....if the manufacturer cheaps out on the finish, I worry if he has cheaped out somewhere else. Just my skeptical nature.

Now I'm sounding like a baby chick: CHEEP, CHEEP!
 
bead blasted blades are a real necessity for th bright lights at the mall when you are dealing with mall ninjas!!
 
It's cheap, and thats the bottom line. A 400 satin finish won't reflect light either, but someone has to be skilled and stand there to do it. With a 7.50 and hour worker, it will take him a minute or two to blast the blade.

And yes, a beadblasted finish will hide defects.:thumbdn:
 
Bead blasting may hide some very minor defects but I've had no more rust problems with these than I've had with other finishes - except high polish stainless. It's easy and cheap to re-blast the blade.
 
I don't mind bead blasted blades. On some knives the blasted finish matches the knife's style better. And it definitely looks better than a coating. The Buck Nighthawk, for example, wouldn't look 'right' with a highly polished blade, and the bead blasting technique matches the Nighthawk's style perfectly.

-Bob
 
Bead blasting rusts easier etc. However, in my experience it lasts long than coatings do so maybe thats why.

also did the military issue knives back then?
 
TheKnifeCollector said:
.................. I DO NOT like bead blasted blades. I do NOT like shiney blades.
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You don't like BB, or shiny. So you must prefer uh, er, um, huh?
 
Bob W said:
The Buck Nighthawk, for example, wouldn't look 'right' with a highly polished blade, and the bead blasting technique matches the Nighthawk's style perfectly.
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I dunno... I've got one of those Nighthawks with the all-black handle and bead-blasted uncoated blade, and now that you mention it, it would look pretty sleek with a polished blade... ;)

Now where did I put that pile of wet-or-dry sandpaper... :D
 
non-reflective finishes are TACTICAL!!!!!!!!11 :cool:

because you need TATICAL for deanimation!!!!exclamation,oneone
:foot:



:jerkit: :jerkit: :jerkit:
 
Bead blasting is fine for pocket clips and the body of folders and even the liners if they are titanium but bead blasting a blade is something that has been discontinued by some manufacturers just because of what Gollnick talked about. I wouldn't recommend bead blasting the blades regardless of the steel. Well, you could get away with bead blasting H1 steel for sure but that and David Boyes Dendritic Cobalt alloy are the only two really.

From my experience the bead blasted finish lasts as long and wears as well as anything else and it is a fast way to make a scratched up used knife look great. Personally I like the look of a bead blasted pocket clip over a highly polished, black or brushed one. I do a pretty good business bead blasting hand made clips and taking black ones that are scratched up to hell and back and making them look attractive again.

Also, I would not call bead blasting cheap. Obviously some of you guys have not priced compressors, bead blast cabinets, glass, ceramic or sand/silica beads and the nozzles of different sizes to have on hand for different jobs and different looks or the plastic sheets to cover your blast cabinet window that need replaced after so many uses because you can't see out of them anymore or the maintainance of keeping all that stuff in good working order by keeping it dry. Moisture is the enemy with this type stuff and believe me it is a problem at times. My refriderant dryer for my compressor so I'd have dry air was just as expensive as the compressor.

I agree that once you get it all set up it is relatively inexpensive to operate but not as cheap as it may appear. Getting all the above stuff together to set up my blasting cabinet was well over $1200 when it was all said and done and I got middle of the road stuff not the best you can get by any stretch of the imagination so maybe you guys have a different idea of cheap than I do. :confused:

STR
 
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