I have great respect for Both "D" and his Knives. And we are old friends. You will find that a mirror finish will hold up better than just about any decent finish out there. Thats why we do it! There is of course the stone washed finish. And it is tough. What most collectors don't know is that the stone washed finish that is so popular on some tacticals is nothing more than a de-burring process that has been used in manufacturing for many years. It represents no skill on the makers part what so ever. I see it used more and more. But I feel it has no place on a high quality anything. Much less a quality hand made knife. Back in the late 70's when I was plant Foreman for HAC Foundries, we used the stone washed, (OR more accurately tumbled finish) to de-burr as alu. cast fittings for Cobra Bass Boats. But it wasn't at that time considered good enough to send out the door. We then hand finished each and every part. How sad that it has become accepted in what is supposed to be hand made knives.
The true hand mirrored finish is there to not only look good, but to seal the surface of the steel. Making it less prone to corrosion, and less likely to abrade. Or scratch. It is a burnishing process more than merely a polishing process. It takes a lot of work. But is well worth it. Mike
