The stonewash finish is achieved by tumbling the blades in an aggressive stone media - i.e. we place the blades in a tumbling machine, filled with ceramic stones and liquid. The tub vibrates and the blades and stones move against one another. The result is that there are tiny scratches in every possible direction that are, in essence, a polish. A satin finish is different only in as much as the scratch marks are finer and they all go in the same direction.
-Anne Reeve, Chris Reeve Knives, February 09, 1999
