A machine grade finish is the most robust and practical finish that I offer.  A machine grade finish can be achieved straight off the grinder with minimal hand sanding and go right to the buffer making it the most efficient finish for me to produce.  Machine grade finishes offer expected corrosion resistance for the type of steel chosen for the knife.  This is the best finish that I offer to hide minor wear and scratches from typical use.  It is also the easiest finish to touch up if you choose to do so.  A machine grade finish is included in the base cost of the knife.

A satin finish is typically taken up to 1000-2000 grit sandpaper by hand.  This produces a knife with improved corrosion resistance as compared to a machine grade finish.  A satin finish has a bright, semi-reflective, and more refined appearance.  Knives with satin finishes look really clean, but are a little more susceptible to scratches during use and cost a bit more to produce in both labor and consumables costs.  Costs for a high grit satin finish vary with knife size and design, but for most of my knives this is achievable for the prices listed below:

• $25/inch of blade in low carbide steels such as AEBL
• Price upon request in high carbide steels such as CPM Magnacut

A mirror polished finish results in a crisp, bright, clean, and reflective appearance to the steel. It is absolutely gorgeous and has the best corrosion resistance of any finish offered. In addition to this, the smoothness of the surface of the steel reduces the amount of drag on the blade when cutting making it feel like it slips through materials easier. However, a mirror polished finish is the most susceptible to showing scratches from routine use and adds a significant increase in cost to purchase.  A mirror polish is not offered for some steel alloys because some alloys do not take a clean mirror polish regardless of how much time is put into the finish.  A mirror polished finish is extremely labor intensive.  Mirror polished finishes often double my consumables costs while also doubling to tripling the overall time in labor to produce the knife.  Costs for a polished finish vary with knife size and design, but for most of my knives a mirror polish is available for the prices listed below:

• $50/inch of blade
• Mirrors are not offered in high carbide steels such as CPM Magnacut.