What are your thoughts on “mirror polished” blades?

[The True North]

To me, knives are exclusively tools. So polishing anything on them is a waste.


They look pretty cool sometimes in a display case though.

 

[Sonnydaze]

...don't like 'em at all. .

 

[Sbs1974]

It’s pretty one a non user. On a user it’s kinda pointless as it will look bad quickly IMO

 

[GIRLYmann]

for ages highly polished mirror surfaces was the mark of the the cultured and refine.
perhaps it was because it took
time and skill to make things gleam to mirror perfection
hence the labor was expensive.
its still a mark of prestige
in cutlery.
so if there were imperfections
on what was to have been flat surfaces,
the refection would be distorted.
this made qc very high.
such a shine maybe out of vogue
out in the field
but a mirror polished surface
is almost non-porous.
and that helps with the cleaning
and rusting issues.
hence a standard finish
for many years in diving knives.
and yes, if one cannot stand the
sight of a mirror polished blade,
it might help for one to learn
the mirror flashing distress
signal for help...

 

[POCEH KOCEB]

Love it. User or not, it looks much better than other finishes, especially when done well.
‘Most high-end knives have mirror polished elements for a reason.

 

[Ad58]

I don't like them at all.

 

[VorpelSword]

My opinion:

A mirror polish is several to many extra steps in finishing a blade.
Retaining crisp grind lines can be tricky.
These and perhaps other production issues should add to the cost.

Keeping the blade looking great is next to impossible if the knife is to be used much if at all.

I have written elsewhere in these forums about the experience I had in giving our son a mirror polished knife from a premium maker before he deployed to Iraq in 2004. Requirements may change from time to time and unit to unit, but he was told that he could not take that shiny blade. I had it bead-blasted to a dull grey, and that was OK (at that time and with that unit).

If getting a knife for the display case is what you want, I'd say do it. If the knife is to be a daily user, maybe not.

 

[JParanee]

Mirror polished blades are more rust resistant

mirror polished blades are easy to keep up if you have a buffing wheel

 

[Jsega51]

I have many knives with mirror polished blades, I don’t have a preference and am not against using them. The finish is easy to maintain but I’m also not cutting cardboard or other abrasive materials that would lead to a lot of scratches.

The mirror finish is a staple on a Loveless style knife, I think they look wrong without a mirror finish and I hate when makers attempt a mirror finish but skip steps leaving behind faint scratch lines that they try and hide by over buffing. Do it right! Like Bob Dozier does.

And if you ever get a knife from Mamoru Shigeno, be prepared to see the best mirror finish in the business, I haven’t seen many that compare to the knives I have from him. This stag knife has been through a bunch of deer and the only marks on it are on the guard from the knife going in and out of the sheath.

 

[Bob Denman]

I sure do like the looks fo them!
If there is any functional reason for them: they could possibly used to signal a search helicopter; if you were in a bad situation, and someone was looking for you...
But that's a pretty big stretch.

 

[ShitsInaBush]

I think it all depends on the style of knife. A polished primary edge is a nice touch on a high end folder, makes for a smooth cut too. It looks suitable on classic hunting or Japanese knives but like others have touched on, it serves a real purpose for non-stainless blades. I personally don't own any knives that have the majority of the secondary edge polished out. Wouldn't want a knife I carry in the city for self defense purposes to reflect at all, perhaps why some of us prefer matt finishes or coated blades? I suppose a completely polished knife could save your life in the event you got yourself lost or stranded and had to signal someone overhead. There's probably a nutty enthusiast out there somewhere who polishes every one of his knives to a mirror finish due to some obsession... a guy sporting a huge deranged grin after each project is completed.

 

[ShitsInaBush]

I have many knives with mirror polished blades, I don’t have a preference and am not against using them. The finish is easy to maintain but I’m also not cutting cardboard or other abrasive materials that would lead to a lot of scratches.

The mirror finish is a staple on a Loveless style knife, I think they look wrong without a mirror finish and I hate when makers attempt a mirror finish but skip steps leaving behind faint scratch lines that they try and hide by over buffing. Do it right! Like Bob Dozier does.

And if you ever get a knife from Mamoru Shigeno, be prepared to see the best mirror finish in the business, I haven’t seen many that compare to the knives I have from him. This stag knife has been through a bunch of deer and the only marks on it are on the guard from the knife going in and out of the sheath.

Perfect example for a hunting knife that looks spectacular with a flawless polish.

 

[Jsega51]

I like mirror finished accents also when the blade isn’t, it gives the knife a little more wow factor in some cases.

 

[K.O.D.]

Being extremely vain, it means I don't have to carry a pocket mirror. Flip my knife open anytime I feel like admiring myself.

 

[strategy9]

I appreciate the aesthetic of a good mirror finish. I'm also not ugly according to my wife, ex-wife, and former GF's, so it's nice to be able to see my reflection

In all seriousness though, I really do like 'em, but won't pay an extra premium "just" to have 'em, (I will pay premium for a knife I really like though, mirror or not). Scratches and scuffs after the fact be damned, if it's a user it'll eventually look scratched and scuffed regardless of the finish, and it's not like a scratched/scuffed mirror finish is gonna look any better or worse then a scratched/scuffed satin or stonewashed finish, either way it's gonna look scratched and scuffed, (coated blades IMO actually look the worst with scratches), so that is irrelevant to me. If given the same option knife, with different finish options, even at a marginal price difference, I'll take the shiniest one available thank you, make that pocket go "bling"

 

[BTTLBRN]

They are to me for display pieces, i.e. Rockstead; I don't own any of those and don't actively pursue others ... at this time.

 

[JWright214]

I think mirror finished blades look really good, but I don’t seek them out, nor do I avoid them. I like coated, patina, stonewashed, satin, mirror, you name it. For me it depends on the knife and what I plan to do with it.

 

[Alberta Ed]

All my knives are users, so the finish is secondary.

 

[3D Anvil]

Don't own any mirrors blades, but I like them. Knifemodders does a badass mirror stonewash that I may try one day.

Link removed, read the site rules.

 

[Kmikaz3]

I tried to mirror the main bevel of my sebenza once and it was very time consuming and ended up not perfect. Depending on the blade steel, some mirroring requires alot of time and workmanship to achieve a perfect mirror hence the high price tag on them. I personally am not very fond of them as they are fingerprints magnet and i have to wipe it all the time… looking at your Rockstead!

My mirror Sebenza