Monday, April 6, 2009

Alternative Finishes

I've written about honed, leathered and brushed finishes. These finishes are gaining more and more popularity, especially on the left and right coasts.
Add a new possibility to those. It is called caressed. Think of it as leather with a shine.
You get the same texture as you do with leather [or brushed- same thing], but it takes 5 more steps beyond a traditional leather finish. It brings back a sheen to the stone. Not a full polish, just a sheen. It is very elegant in appearance.
Aside from honed, which is a totally flat finish, leathered and caressed finishes subdue the coloration of the basic stone. What may have been a vivid rust coloration as a polished slab is now muted down about 3 shades as you add texture to the face of the slab. No doubt, it is from the way the light strikes the new finish, but it is remarkable to see.
When the distributors bring in 'brushed' or 'leathered' finishes, that is done at the factory in Brazil or Italy or wherever. It appears that they all stop at the same grit. So, we can duplicate that if need be. However, there are 5 possibilities beyond what they normally provide. We can do any of them.
Want a little more shine? A little less? Whatever you want, we can do.
We have the only machine in the state that will do these alternatives on any stone.