Polished vs. mat finish for fittings

[Patrice Lemée]

I am working on a Khukuri with brass fittings and I am torn. I don't like mirror finishes on fittings even if I used to at the beginning of my knifemaking journey. I should clarify that I don't like when it looks like the whole thing has been buffed to death. I can see a combination of polished and mirror working. That's what I am contemplating for the Khukuri. But two things are bugging me.

1) High polished (or too much of it anyway) is not something collectors like
2) Since this is brass and will tarnish with time (don't want to pout a clear coat on there) polished is easier for the owner to maintain by disassembling the knife and cleaning the brass parts. Not sure how it would work with a more mat finish.

Anyway, I thought I'd see what you guys like and think about the polished vs. mat thing.

Thanks

 

[JParanee]

Polished brass may be out but with a patina or blackened it is not

Instead of brass I really like Bronze

 

[J. Doyle]

I don't like mirror polished fittings, especially of the various non ferrous metals, because they will scratch just from rubbing your finger across them or wiping them with a soft cloth. I prefer a satin or sanded (brushed) finish on those types of guards.

And bronze does make a really good alternative to brass.

Just my experiences.

 

[peterinct]

I agree with what has been said. Another material that I like better than brass is copper.

Peter

 

[Lorien]

browned brass looks pretty sweet in the right setting

 

[Kohai999]

Polished brass maybe out but with a patina or blackened it is not

Instead of brass I really like Bronze

This.

Brass has a place on working knives.....and only, imo, on working knives.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Kevin Jones]

My preference for polished vs matte or the combination of both depends on the particular design or what they contribute to the overall design. I've seen knives where each have worked.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Thanks for your feedback. I am looking for bronze to replace brass in the future. I am also thinking about using some kind of patina on this one.
Any idea how does brass with a satin finish ages? Does it darken, same as polished brass? Good to know that a polished finish CAN still work and is not immediately discarded.

Here is a progress pic of the Khukuri handle for reference.

 

[JParanee]

The handle looks great

If it where mine I would treat the brass fittings to brass/black

It will give it a marble kinda dark patina that can be buffed off. In my expierence the rougher the texture of the brass the more the oxidation/blackening will take effect

The bronze fittings on this fantastic blade I believe where lightly blackened

This Khukuri has the brass fittings blackened

This old Bagwell has a blackened brass guard and frog stud

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Thanks Joe, love the finish of the guard on that first blade. Probably the way I will go if I can figure out how to do it.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Here is a little follow up. I tried a couple of finishes with some brass cutoffs.
On the left it was vinegar and on the right bleach. Both were left soaking for about 12 hours. As you can see the vinegar did absolutely nothing. The bleach left a nice patina but this is very very thin and can be scratched easily. I'll do some more research but it looks like for this one, since I want it to be used if need be, I may have to just play with the texture of the brass, not the coloring.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

Looking good!

Liver of Sulphur might be worth trying for the patina. You can buy a chunk of it and add water or buy a solution.

It is sometimes called Silver Black. It is commonly used to blacken silver jewelry to provide contrast.


The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight might have some good information as well. It is a great book to have around.