Satin Chrome - (SC)

 

What colour is Satin Chrome?

Satin Chrome is a grey colour with blue undertones. Satin Chrome has visible brush marks in the surface of the item.

 

Are there any other colours similar to Satin Chrome?

Yes, if you can’t find the item you are looking for in Satin Chrome, the next closest finishes are Matt Chrome, Satin Nickel or Satin Stainless Steel.

     

                            Satin Chrome                                                   SatinStainless Steel                                                          Satin Nickel

 

As you can see from the above images Satin Chrome has a grey/blue colour while Matt Chrome has the same colour but no brush marks in the surface. Satin Nickel and Satin Stainless Steel have more of a grey/yellow colour to them.

 

What are Satin Chrome products made from?

Most of the Satin Chrome items we sell are made from solid brass. Traditionally brass has been the best base material for chroming on to, as the brass could be highly polished to produce a nice smooth item, then easily satinised to produce the brushed satin look. The satin item is then electro-plated in chrome, producing a dull grey/blue colour.

In recent years as raw material prices have risen the cost of brass has increased massively, manufacturers have had to try and source alternative base materials for chroming on to, to help keep their products competitively priced. We’re now seeing Satin Chrome plated on to base materials of Zinc Alloy, Mazac, Aluminium, and Stainless Steel with very good results that are almost identical to plating on to brass.

Please check individual products to see what base material they are made from.

 

How is the Satin Chrome finish produced?

Satin Chrome is an electro plated finish. Electro-plating is the process for producing electro deposited finishes on to a metal surface, commonly known as “plating.” The process consists of passing an electric current between an anode and a cathode through a chemical solution. If you liken the set up to a car battery the anode is “positive” and the cathode is “negative.”

With chrome plating the anode is usually a lead rod and the cathode is the product being plated. The lead rod and the product are lowered into a vat containing a solution of chromic acid (or similar) the power is turned on and the current travels from the positive anode (the lead) through the solution, where particles of the chromium in the solution are carried and deposited as a thin layer on the negative cathode (the product.)

Before the chrome plating stage the base material of the product must be satinised ("brushed") to produce the dull, satin effect. Underneath the chrome plating layer will be electro-plated layers of copper and nickel which act as “primer coats” to help ensure the chrome is as hard-wearing and long lasting as possible.

 

Are all Satin Chrome items the same colour?

No due to the random process of satinising, each item will have a slightly different brushed pattern and colouring depending on how long and how hard it has been "brushed" for. The below images show two examples of products with different brushing patterns.

 

Heavy Brushing

 

 

Fine Brushing

 

Some manufacturers don't satinise their products leaving a very flat looking "Matt" Chrome, which almost looks sprayed on, but is actually just another type of electro-plating.

 

"Matt" Chrome - No Brushing

The manufacturers still call the above finish Satin Chrome, but because we feel it's not a real "Satin" finish as it has no brush marks we call products like this MATT CHROME. (This is just something we do at The Brassware Company to try and make it clearer to our customers who are often looking to match all items as closely as possible. This is not an industry wide standard.)

 

Are Satin Chrome products suitable for outside use?

Yes, the chrome plating process is very hard-wearing and will help protect the base material well. The best chrome products to use externally are the items with a base material of brass.

Satin Chrome products fitted externally must be cleaned regularly to keep them looking shiny. With so much pollution in the air and acidity in the rain, if you don’t clean externally fitted items you will find the chrome will start to “pit” and eventually start to wear off. A quick regular clean with a soft cloth and wax based furniture polish to remove dirt and water marks will ensure your Satin Chrome products will look as good as new for a very long time.

 

How to clean and maintain Satin Chrome products?

Satin Chrome products should be cleaned regularly with a soft cloth and wiped over with a wax based furniture polish ideally beeswax, but products like “Pledge” and “Mr Sheen” work well too. For stubborn stains warm soapy water can also be used.

For items fitted outside if you start to see pitting marks in the chrome a metal polish such as “Brasso” or “Peek” can be used to polish the layer of chrome.

Regular cleaning to remove dirt, finger prints and water marks will ensure your Satin Chrome products will last for a very long time.

 

Which companies supply Satin Chrome products?

More or less all of the companies we deal with manufacture and supply Satin Chrome products