Shiny beautiful polished blade vs black (dark) coating?

Mirror polished knife blades on any EDC knife is useless. A mirrored blade serves no purpose for practical use.
A coated blade helps protect from rust, stains and minor scratches. If one so desires, the coating can be taken off. So, it's more useful than a polished blade.
Of course, this is just my opinion.
 
^^Not to mention, maintaining a true mirror finish on a user is labor intensive and unfeasible to me.
 
If we are just considering the looks, black coated blades look more rugged when they get broken in. Mirror polish doesn't retain its bling for long if you use the knife. It quickly gets scratched up and starts looking more like a discarded prison shank. Mirror polish is best suited for collectible/display blades rather than use. Matte plain finish holds up much better. As far as aesthetics, black coated blades look nice but I never cared for the blacked-out look as a whole --black blade, grip, tang etc. It makes it look too much like a toy or prop rather than a knife. But that is all just going by looks. If it functions and does the job well, who cares.
 
Shiny highly polished blades (and bolsters) are fingerprint and smudge magnets. I prefer a satin, brushed, or coated finish that does not show fingerprints and smudges.
 
Coated or not is not high on my list of considerations. If I like everything else about a knife, it being coated or not isn't going to change that.

Please pay no attention to the criticisms of your writing. I wish I could write that well in another language. Some people are just douches.
 
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Although completely impractical to maintain, I love mirror finishes. And though I don't like black finishes or tactical marketing, at least they have the excuse that the finish prevents some carbon blades from rusting.

To be honest, the most practical finish I have used is the stonewash on Sebenzas. It's not as pretty as mirror or as tacticool as black wash, but it requires zero maintenance to look good for years.
 
HappyDaddy said:
Coated or not is not high on my list of considerations. If I like everything else about a knife, it being coated or not isn't going to change that.

Please pay no attention to the criticisms of your writing. I wish I could write that well in another language. Some people are just douches.
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Thank you HappyDaddy,I got used to people who forgot,or can't comprehend the fact,that their native language is not native to all single person around the globe:) as I wrote on beginning,I didn't wish to spark controversy, I was just wondering what exactly is it,that attracts people to black coated blades, that's all
 
Personally I don't care that much for black coatings. I like satin or bead blasted if its stainless and coated depending on the steel if not. When I have an option on blade coating color i like grey. High polish is a pain to maintain if you use the knife at all and I don't buy them to not use them. Brushed satin is about the easiest to maintain you can always scotch bright it back if its beat up. There are a couple that I like just because of the look like the Chris Reeve Green beret and Busse Team gemini's, just really like the grey on those.
 
Hello. Jeweller here, to share his thoughts.

I have to start off by mentioning that a high (near reflective or higher) polish will help inhibit oxidation by reducing surface area of the metal, as when you use a finer grit to polish, you produce smaller marks or scratches. This means that there are fewer places for things like debris and oil from your skin or other sources to cling to the steel, and cause damage over time.

Also, while I am not aware of the modern reasoning behind recent coatings, historically speaking coatings were introduced to help protect the blade from rust, not make them better for 'stealth kills'. While not a coating, bluing was used on straight razors for similar effect.

That said, some people just like it one way over the other. Personally, with an exceptionally hard steel, I think I'd be happy with a mirror polish on a knife. Otherwise satin or stonewashed are great. I'm not opposed to coatings though, especially with more rust prone steels.

I think other people either like the coated blades because of rust prevention, because of the implied durability, or because of aesthetic choices.
 
WillardCorspe said:
Hello. Jeweller here, to share his thoughts.

I have to start off by mentioning that a high (near reflective or higher) polish will help inhibit oxidation by reducing surface area of the metal, as when you use a finer grit to polish, you produce smaller marks or scratches. This means that there are fewer places for things like debris and oil from your skin or other sources to cling to the steel, and cause damage over time.

Also, while I am not aware of the modern reasoning behind recent coatings, historically speaking coatings were introduced to help protect the blade from rust, not make them better for 'stealth kills'. While not a coating, bluing was used on straight razors for similar effect.

That said, some people just like it one way over the other. Personally, with an exceptionally hard steel, I think I'd be happy with a mirror polish on a knife. Otherwise satin or stonewashed are great. I'm not opposed to coatings though, especially with more rust prone steels.

I think other people either like the coated blades because of rust prevention, because of the implied durability, or because of aesthetic choices.
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Thanks for explaining your point!
 
Discuss the topic, not grammar, not the OP, not anything else. Failure to do so will not be good.
 
I have a satin, high polish, and coated. The coated blade shows wear quickly but it gives it character. The polished blade is forever needing cleaned. The satin is the best IMHO
 
I certainly appreciate a nice finish, but I tend to prefer a good, purposeful coating. It's just more practical, and while it does add cost the blade, it doesn't add as much as a high mirror polish.
 
Aesthetics vs cost vs durability... Good enough reasons for mirror polish, black coated or any other finish you can dream up.
 
Historically, I think coatings came about to prevent corrosion and excessive wear. Think "Parkerizing", etc.

And it's not a new trend either. I'm old and I can recall black blades and military designs being popular well before any surge in recent popularity.

Polished vs coated doesn't matter to me if I like the knife design and materials. If someone is actually using a knife, the mirror polish will show wear just like a black coating. If you're just hanging the knife on the wall and like mirrors, go for the polish. If you use the knife...macht nichts.
 
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