Summary for rustic stainless steel finish Discussion
Stainless steel rustic finish is the thread’s main topic, but the answer suggests the look Lucy saw may have been accidental staining rather than a deliberate decorative process. The question came from a restroom in a Bass Pro Shop where the stainless stalls and countertops appeared spot-stained with the base metal still visible, and Lucy wanted to know how to reproduce that rustic appearance. The reply notes that stainless steel does not have to be polished and is often supplied in brushed or matte finishes. If a more weathered or abused look is desired, the answerer says stainless can be etched with ferric chloride or hydrochloric acid, which can permanently dull or damage the surface. They add that repassivating afterward can help prevent further corrosion, but the etch marks should remain. The overall advice is cautious: the effect is possible, but it may be better understood as controlled damage than a true finish.
April 27, 2014
Q. I recently visited a Bass Pro Shop restroom located in Spanish Fort, AL. The stalls and countertops are made of stainless steel and they had a finish that I have been unable to find any info on. It appeared to be stained in spots with the stainless also visible underneath. I am very interested in finding out the technique to get this rustic appearance on some projects. Please help.
Lucy Freeny
– Daphne, Alabama, USA
A. Lucy,
Given the location of the stainless you saw, I suspect the stains were exactly that, stains. “Rustic” can mean a lot of different things I guess, I mean you don’t have to have a polished surface just because it’s stainless steel, stainless is done in brushed or matte finishes all the time.
If you want to abuse the surface a little you can always give it a wash with ferric chloride
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] or hydrochloric acid to etch it (many a stainless steel kitchen sink or refrigerator has been damaged by using a muriatic acid based floor or tile grout cleaner nearby). You can repassivate afterwards to prevent further corrosion but the etch damage should remain.
Ray Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
McHenry, Illinois
May 22, 2014