Handle Finish Question

[Jd4003]

This has been on my mind for some time, I have two knives with titanium handles. One, (a Bradley Mayhem) is what I know to be a bead-blasted finish. It is dark and rough like fine sandpaper. The other, (a Microtech Tachyon) has shinier handles that also look bead-blasted, but are much more smooth to the touch.

Does this kind of finish have a special name? And more on the topic of knife making, how is this finish achieved? Thanks!

 

[Happy Face]

I'm pretty sure that's called a satin finish.

 

[Jd4003]

I may be mistaken, but I think a satin finish is something different entirely. This really looks bead-blasted. I'm thinking it was bead-blasted and then slightly polished the remove some of the rough texture, but I though one of the experts here could tell me for sure.

I wish I could take pictures.. but I don't have the knives with me, and won't for at least a month.

 

[Remyrw]

Without seeing it I'm guessing that the smooth/shiny one is probably glass beads versus other media. Glass beads versus other forms of blasting tend to leave a smoother and brighter finish. Particularly with larger beads. Combine that with a little polishing and you get a slightly rough but still bright finish.

 

[Jd4003]

Yeah, that makes sense.. Thanks!

Do you think it would be possible for a novice without bead-blasting equipment to turn a rough bead-blasted handle into the smoother one just by polishing it up a bit with fine sandpaper? Or would that take out the bead look entirely?