Stonewashed Blade

[Featherblade]

All this talk about the awesome finish on the Bowie reminded me of a photo I took a couple years ago... It was the summer of Slysz, my most carried knife at the time. Now I'm afraid to carry it and lose it since it's been disco'd I really do love a polished stone wash!

I can't take my eyes off this awesome blade finish.

[wrdwrght]

Stonewashing, DLC, and cladding attract me not, but I have no problem with a patina forming naturally on my M4, K390, SB, and 52100 blades.

[husq2100]

I actually really like stonewashed blades. Id love to see a sprint with a stonewashed blade , like the Maxamet finish, with say a light lime green scale.
Elmax would be cool

is it hard to DIY stonewash?

[jpm2]

I actually really like stonewashed blades. Id love to see a sprint with a stonewashed blade , like the Maxamet finish, with say a light lime green scale.
Elmax would be cool

is it hard to DIY stonewash?

I've thought about doing it in my brass tumbler, but not sure what kind and size of rock to use.

[ronT2]

I like the ground/satin finish, it adds character. Stonewashing just erases or hides it.

If stonewash is what the N5 maxamet blade is, I prefer it to all other finishes.
You can put a satin finish on any blade in 10 minutes with sandpaper and a flat surface.

The problem with that is, it will look like that is what was done to it.

[SF Native]

I guess I just variety (or knives in general). I like em all. Just got the roc and that has a blade finish I have not seen on any spyderco yet. But it suites the designer.

[Tucson Tom]

I like some variety. I have a few stone-washed blades, and I think it is fine now and then. I wouldn't want them all that way. I never thought about it as being a way to stave off corrosion. My Maxamet native with stone wash is swell.

But some of these photos of mirror polished knives have me thinking. I suppose I could start with a gas station knife to learn how to do it before trying it on something I value. Something to do in my abundant free time -- with all due care that power tools and a sharp knife don't lead to an ugly accident.

[curlyhairedboy]

Thought I'd put this here since it might be relevant:

S30v in my experience is pretty corrosion resistant, and any satin blades I have in it might only see a speck or two of nonstainless material left in the grind. Once rubbed away/removed, the problem does not occur again.

Both the shaman and the maxamet blades we've seen have a stonewashed finish. I've observed a lot more "speck" corrosion on my shaman blade during warmer weather if it's in my pocket, more so than usual with s30v.

Could it be that the same stonewashing media is used for the s30v and the maxamet, possibly leaving maxamet particles to later rust on the s30v?

Another hypothesis is that there may be tiny surface particles of maxamet that are causing a galvanic reaction with the underlying s30v.

Maybe have separate media for stainless and non stainless steels? Not sure :)

In any case, I'm not worried about my Shaman blade rusting. All of these specks wiped away with a finger or a shirt rub.

[Crux]

Stone wash is a good option as well as an acid wash. Variety is the spice of life.

[BearShark44]

Old thread, but interested to learn stonewash tool steel helps stave off rusting, but on maxamet it develops such a cool patina. I got the Sage 1 Maxamet last week, cool ergos and seemed like the best model for the steel, but would way prefer the stonewash to satin finish it comes in. Haven’t been able to find many photos or info on satin blades forming patina, but good to know the grind lines can rust w/o care.

[ladybug93]

stonewashed is probably my favorite blade finish. it's funny reading through this thread and seeing that most of the reasons given for not liking this finish are precisely the reasons i prefer it. some think it looks like the manufacturer is trying to hide something... yeah, like the silly little scratches a blade picks up in real use. some don't like that it's harder to refinish... well, you don't have to refinish it every time you get a little scratch because it doesn't stand out. i'm sure there are some people that think of a stonewashed blade like buying a pair of pre-worn jeans with holes in them, but i see it differently. in my opinion, the stonewashed blade itself is like a regular pair of jeans meant for working hard and a satin blade is more like when someone irons their jeans perfectly and even puts a ridiculous crease in them like they're dress pants.

i wish spyderco used stonewashed finishes more. if they don't though, i'm good. i finally got my favorite in a stonewashed blade with the 15v manix and it's so good i have to force myself to carry my other knives.


to each their own though. if you all prefer to wear your jeans crisply pressed and perfectly creased, more power to you.

[Ramonade]

All my Knives get scratches immediately even if I am just manipulating it gently and only using microfiber cloth to clean the blade.

I don't know why. Maybe because i make Knives and I used so much sandpaper already that my entire life and environment is filled with loose abrasives.

That's the reason I love stonewash finishes. Especially the one on the Swayback or Maxamet blades.

But I'm not mad at my S30V para 3 and S34VN Native 5 either, it is less defined but still very okay at covering micro scratches.