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What are your thoughts on “mirror polished” blades?
- Thread starter King of the Cheese
- Start date
afishhunter
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2014
- Messages
- 14,355
I'm very sorry, but I must respectfully disagree. Please forgive me.
Mirror polished is a fingerprint and smudge magnet, and *always* need cleaned ... at least until a patina forms on the mirror polished carbon steel blades.
If mirror polished stain less blades, white cotton gloves (preferably lint free) are a necessity unless you want to spend "too much" time removing the fingerprints and smudges after each use or showing.
ShitsInaBush
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2013
- Messages
- 557
I actually think you further turned that knife into a work of art. I think it's a great example of when a mirror finish compliments the knife. Looks amazingI 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
I love mirror polished surfaces. They look so cool. Mirror polish surfaces are also less prone to rust. Surface rust is easily spotted at a stage where it can be easily addressed and the rust is easier to remove/wipe off.
Some disadvantages are that more work is required to get a mirror polish and this can significantly increase the price.
The smallest imperfections and scratches on a mirror surface will really stand out and look ugly because of this it's veru easy to obtain a scratch that will ruin the overall look. This can only be repaired by more polishing work.
Fingerprints stand out profoundly as well as the slightest smear of oil or just about anything. Because of this frequent surface wiping is needed.
Non-mirror polished blades are not as likely to have the finish ruined due to mild scratches. Finger prints and other staining is not as contrasting and visible as on a mirror polish. Although a non-mirror polished blade is not as rust resistant and is more prone to having rust that binds stronger on it's bare surface the small pores on a non-mirror surface hold onto lubricants and protective oils better than on a mirror polished surface making the issue of surface rust somewhat moot. This is also better for retaining lubrication on moving parts.
I suppose if you are out in the field carrying a mirror polished item may quickly attract attention from various animals and at greater distances than an item with a more subdued finish. This can be good or bad depending on the situation.
Some disadvantages are that more work is required to get a mirror polish and this can significantly increase the price.
The smallest imperfections and scratches on a mirror surface will really stand out and look ugly because of this it's veru easy to obtain a scratch that will ruin the overall look. This can only be repaired by more polishing work.
Fingerprints stand out profoundly as well as the slightest smear of oil or just about anything. Because of this frequent surface wiping is needed.
Non-mirror polished blades are not as likely to have the finish ruined due to mild scratches. Finger prints and other staining is not as contrasting and visible as on a mirror polish. Although a non-mirror polished blade is not as rust resistant and is more prone to having rust that binds stronger on it's bare surface the small pores on a non-mirror surface hold onto lubricants and protective oils better than on a mirror polished surface making the issue of surface rust somewhat moot. This is also better for retaining lubrication on moving parts.
I suppose if you are out in the field carrying a mirror polished item may quickly attract attention from various animals and at greater distances than an item with a more subdued finish. This can be good or bad depending on the situation.
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My thoughts on a mirror polish? It's shiny. Like many have said, I buy knives to use, looks are secondary.
If it looks good on a particular knife, cool! If I like everything else, it's not a deal-breaker. And if I am
worried about reflections in the field, some cold blue, or even a Sharpie, will take care of that....
That said, most of my knives have a satin finish, for all the same reasons previously mentioned by
others. It's cheaper, it's faster, and less labor intensive. And, on a stainless blade, it's practical.
If it looks good on a particular knife, cool! If I like everything else, it's not a deal-breaker. And if I am
worried about reflections in the field, some cold blue, or even a Sharpie, will take care of that....
That said, most of my knives have a satin finish, for all the same reasons previously mentioned by
others. It's cheaper, it's faster, and less labor intensive. And, on a stainless blade, it's practical.
