Machine Satin?

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Blade Lab

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Aug 2, 2022
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I love a real belt satin finish on a blade, but I'm not a fan of most machine satins. I was curious if anyone knows how those machine satins are actually created? I know one type is just very fine milling lines (Spyderco's satin, for example), but there's another kind that has more random lines, like a belt satin, but the lines are shorter ... don't run continuously from the spine/flat to the edge bevel. That's the one I'm curious about. Anyone know what process they use to create that?
 
IDK, but I prefer the fine lines on my blade to go the long way.

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I suspect many manufacturers are just using a belt sander and trying to convince us its a special finish. Or just coating over the rough surface with paint.
 
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Are you talking about a tumbled or stonewash?
 
eveled said:
I think it’s just a finer grit belt.
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Pretty sure it isn't. It's the satin you see on pretty much any satin-finished budget knife. They aren't hand grinding them on belts. I know there's a pretty significant upcharge from OEMs for a real belt satin, versus whatever the budget satin is.
 
It can be many different reasons a different brand of belt as different brand belts leave a different pattern even though they could be the same grit number each brand varies. They could also be using a finishing belt something like a scotchbright belt or even a cork belt each leaves a slightly different surface pattern. I'm guessing the one your trying to work out is a scotchbright belt finish.
 
the machine satin finish is usually either a finer grit belt or a scotchbrite belt finish, even on production blades. The process is automated (mostly) though some companies use manual labor to run the bevel over a scotch bright belt before assembly. That last finish appears to be fine grit scotchbrite.

OEM upcharge is because they are manually grinding the blade.
 
navman said:
the machine satin finish is usually either a finer grit belt or a scotchbrite belt finish, even on production blades. The process is automated (mostly) though some companies use manual labor to run the bevel over a scotch bright belt before assembly. That last finish appears to be fine grit scotchbrite.

OEM upcharge is because they are manually grinding the blade.
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What he said. Scotch bright or similar makes shorter more indistinct lines.
 
navman said:
the machine satin finish is usually either a finer grit belt or a scotchbrite belt finish, even on production blades. The process is automated (mostly) though some companies use manual labor to run the bevel over a scotch bright belt before assembly. That last finish appears to be fine grit scotchbrite.

OEM upcharge is because they are manually grinding the blade.
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Thanks! That makes sense, since it takes a higher level of skill to hand grind a blade, as opposed to doing surface conditioning. Even if they're just putting a final finish on a bevel with a low grit belt, the operator has to know what he's doing to avoid screwing it up, more so than he would with Scotchbrite or a worn, high grit belt.
 
Case, and Boker, sell a Rust Eraser for Carbon Steel care. I use the eraser to make vertical lines on mirror polished blades. Works very well and looks like a satin finish.
 
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