Mirror Finish for functional use

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Leddspunge82

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Mar 5, 2019
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Hey guys,
seeking some opinions and knowledge on mirror finishes.
Looking to personalise my new opinel I believe they use 12c27 if that’s relevant.
I like the look of a mirror finished blade (have never really owned stainless knives, generally a high carbon steel guy) but I cannot find any info on the upkeep and practicality of having a mirror finish, on the entire blade).
My knives get a lot of use fishing, whittling, bushcraft, everyday use etc. but I like to mod/personalise them. my question is will the mirror finish fade/scratch with use and need frequent buffing/touchups? And does it have pros and cons eg corrosion resistance or cutting quality?
Also any opinions/alternatives about the subject would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
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A mirror finish will get scratched with use. I have a few Opinels, but only one in Inox (standard, non-mirror finish). It sees a lot of use whittling and I work on a lot of Hickory. That blade, even though not a mirror finish, shows a fair amount of scratches and scrapes. Even sharpening the blade will begin to show a scratch or two, often from wiping the swarf from the blade with a cloth. I believe a mirror finish would be worse. Not sure about the corrosion resistance, but would suspect it to be better than the stock finish due to less exposed surface area and easier cleaning. If you are going to polish a working blade, be prepared to either continually upkeep the finish, or enjoy the look of a working tool.
In my experience, my more cleanly finished blades are used lightly until they get their first scratches and scrapes. Then it is off to the races and they get USED. Something about a mirror finish makes it seem more delicate but once you see past the beauty at the surface, the real character of the knife is in what it gets done for you. The scars and bruises are a part of its character and a reminder of good times you've had. I say go for it if you wish, but be advised that maintaining the finish may well turn into a chore.
 
Thanks very much for the reply, I definitely understand the scars make a beautiful knife. I remember my Dad carried the same carbon steel opinel from before I could remember until the day he died and despite the years of use the beechwood handle was stained from so much use that it resembled something more like walnut. And the blade took on a beautiful black patina, it looked more impressive.
Like I said I usually use a carbon blade but as i’ve just moved to a humid beachside town and doing a lot of sea fishing the maintenance is a real effort. So I got a stainless opinel to try. But I think i’ll just stick to customising the handle, and leave the blade. never liked a round handle anyway.
thanks again
 
Yeah, it really depends on your level of OCD. If you can accept that it'll get scratched up some, it may be worth it. If you're obsessively possessed with having a pristine finish, it could end up being a problem. It may even be a good idea in a humid, salty environment. But I tend to think that the stainless blade alone should be enough corrosion resistance with proper care. All that said, if you simply like a mirror finish on such a blade and have the means to produce one, there isn't a single reason I can think of why you shouldn't give it a shot. I'm all about making your mark on a tool. Though I admit I am more of a use it and let it develop its own character kind of guy.
 
yeah by what you’ve told me I think ill be better off leaving it with the standard finish.
Sounds like more trouble than it’s worth, and I don’t want to go to all the trouble just to be precious with it.
 
DB_Cruiser said:
Yeah, it really depends on your level of OCD. If you can accept that it'll get scratched up some, it may be worth it. If you're obsessively possessed with having a pristine finish, it could end up being a problem.
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If you use blades much, they will scratch. Tis part of the deal. I like shiny finishes on a blade, but if they get scratched with use, I'm okay with that. The only finish I dislike are the painted finishes. The thing to pay attention to is the sharpening, especially with stones. It you aren't paying attention, it is very easy to scratch up a blade. All you have to do is look at my SAKs that I use (and sharpen frequently) and see the scratches from my not paying attention sharpening.
 
I mirror polish all my blades, steels ranging from 8cr13mov to M390. Supposedly mirror polishes hold an edge better on a microscopic level, but I do it for aesthetics. Instant respect from other knife guys too, which is a plus.
 
I'm assuming you're referring to a mirror finish on the entire blade.

Mirror finishes are not really practical for a knife that will be used often IMO.

They will scratch easily and it's difficult to repair the damage.

I don't really do mirror finished anymore unless I'm going for a Hamon.
 
You don't need a mirror edge for most tasks. Depending on what your cutting a mirror polish is needed, like a sushi chef. But they also use a toothy edge for cutting other things like meat. If your talking about the blade itself... It looks nice and helps slightly with corrosion, but only slightly. You should still oil the blade or force patina.
 
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Thanks for that. It is what I assumed but once a mirror edge was brought up, I realized I may not have been answering your question.
For what it is worth, the edge that you generally end up with on most Opinels is really fine. Often you cannot see it clearly. If my edge is really dull, I will use a fine DMT hone to get it back in shape. Then I move through a progression of Arkansas stones (soft, hard, hard black). That hard black Arkansas polishes that very fine edge bevel quite nicely but that bevel is so small, I cannot really judge the "mirror" quality of it. However, I find that it makes for a very nice edge that does not require a lot fussing over.
IMG-5559.jpg

Above you can see what I mean on my No. 7. I find that the Arkansas stones work great on both Carbon Steel and Inox blades.
 
One of my knives I have one version with a polished blade and handle and another version with a stonewashed blade and bead blasted handle. I bought them both with the intent to carry but pretty much exclusively carry the latter knife for this very reason.
 
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