bead blast or satin finish--which is better?

[jley]

My experience in the field showed me that satin finished blades (not mirror finished) are far and away easier to take care of and are not as prone to rust.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com

Les, doesn't the steel make a difference in "care of the knife" and rust protection? Yeah, satin is best for protection, but with good steel (say 154cm), doesn't a bead blast hold up fine?

 

[peterinct]

Bead blast finishes were all the rage in the 90's. It gave a knife the "tactical" look.

Satin finishes are:

Easier to maintain

Don't leave ugly marks from where the kydex scratched them.

Don't induce rusting (depending on the media used to bead blast...sand is the worst, silicon glass beads are the best) as a bead blasted blade will do.

My experience in the field showed me that satin finished blades (not mirror finished) are far and away easier to take care of and are not as prone to rust.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com

In my experience (not extensive but in knives i've used) I fully agree with Mr. Robertson's evaluation. It didn't take much use at all to wear away the bead blasted finish or make marks in it.

Peter

 

[Kohai999]

Les, doesn't the steel make a difference in "care of the knife" and rust protection? Yeah, satin is best for protection, but with good steel (say 154cm), doesn't a bead blast hold up fine?

I'm not Les, but the answer to your question is....no, "with good steel (say 154cm), doesn't a bead blast hold up fine?"....the steel will still rust and get scratched.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[commodorewheeler]

I'm not Les, but the answer to your question is....no, "with good steel (say 154cm), doesn't a bead blast hold up fine?"....the steel will still rust and get scratched.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

I agree with Steven here. I've had all sorts of problems with S30V rusting when it has a beadblasted finish, especially with the coarser blasts.

 

[commodorewheeler]

thx all for the replies.

Is there any difference in grippiness of the handle based on the finish chosen? or is finish irrelevant to grip?

The handle finish can certainly affect grippiness. Because beadblasted finishes are rougher than satin finishes, beadblasted handles tend to be grippier than satin finished handles. But they don't look anywhere near as good, so if the knife is not purely a user, I still prefer satin finished handles.