BoxBladeI agree. Would be fantastic if they offered both options. That is the only thing keeping me from signing up right now. Trying to get over the stonewashed blade for gentleman's carry.
delnerdoIt is the Gent. Gentleman's carry aren't the same as working knives. You have elegant scales with a working finish blade. I just don't think that goes together as well. Just my opinion. It is still a nice knife.
delnerdoYes, I feel if I am wearing a suit and pull out the Gent I want it to be classy and a nice satin/small shine blade that will shimmer slightly in the right light. I have several stonewashed knives and I really like them for work knives that I am going to beat up and not have to worry about scratching the finish. Just my personal preference
BoxBladeI presume the reason to go with stonewash is twofold:
1. In my experience S35VN _really_ picks up fingerprints and oils. Moreso than most other steels. A mirror shine would look dirty and messy in no time and the stonewash will reduce this somewhat.
2. The stonewash matches the colour of the titanium better.
If you're willing to put the work in, nothing stops you from sanding, polishing and buffing the blade to a mirror shine yourself. S35VN and titanium for less than a hundred bucks is hard come by, so it might be worth it for you.
delnerdoStone wash is supposed to hide wear/scratches, so in my opinion it's like putting plastic body cladding on a sports car. On an SUV or truck (beater knife or fixed blade) sure. But on a sports/luxury car (gent folder) it looks very out of place and is kinda pointless. Taste is subjective of course, just my opinion.
BoxBladeI guess these aesthetic distinctions are a matter of taste. Some of my favorite and somewhat expensive knives have stonewashed blades. I've seen a lot of Shirogorov knives with stonewashed blade finishes, and they all looked pretty classy.
I have one knife with a near-mirror polish finish, and it looks great. Some satin finishes are attractive, and some not as much. The satin on my original Gent is OK but has a very fine pattern. For a brushed satin finish, I'd prefer more prominent grind lines. I expect I'll like the stonewashed appearance a little more.
If you're willing to put the work in, nothing stops you from sanding, polishing and buffing the blade to a mirror shine yourself. S35VN and titanium for less than a hundred bucks is hard come by, so it might be worth it for you.
I have one knife with a near-mirror polish finish, and it looks great. Some satin finishes are attractive, and some not as much. The satin on my original Gent is OK but has a very fine pattern. For a brushed satin finish, I'd prefer more prominent grind lines. I expect I'll like the stonewashed appearance a little more.