Visualization is approximate. Colors on screen are never color-accurate for PVD — request a physical sample.
Hairline finish stainless steel
Mechanical · Mechanical & textured
Hairline finish is a directional polish of long, unbroken parallel lines cut a few microns into stainless sheet, finer and brighter than No. 4 brush. It is the standard decorative surface for lift cars, cladding and door faces, plain or under PVD colour.
A physical swatch of this finish, on the metal you intend to use, ships with our compliments. Screens are not color-accurate — the sample is the specification.
About this finish
Hairline is produced by drawing the sheet under fine abrasives in one pass direction so that each line runs the full length of the sheet without a break. The cut is shallow, measured in microns, which is why the surface stays smooth to the hand and keeps more of the base metal's brightness than a brushed sheet. The group's page draws the distinction plainly: hairline and No. 4 brush differ in roughness, in the structure of the grain and in how they are made. Brush lines are short and overlapping; hairline lines are long and continuous.
At arm's length a hairline panel reads as a soft, even sheen with a single band of light that follows the grain; close up the lines are fine enough that fingertips barely register them. Because the lines are continuous, panel edges and joints must be aligned to the grain direction on site or the mismatch shows. Hairline is a decorative finish chosen for appearance, not for a measured roughness. Neither ASTM A480 nor EN 10088-2 gives it a designation, so a specification should name the finish and an approved sample.
The group lists hairline sheet in 0.5 mm to 5 mm thickness and in 1219 × 1219 mm, 1219 × 1500 mm and 1500 × 1500 mm sizes. On the compatibility list it takes PVD colour, an anti-fingerprint coating, etching, Electro IH and embossing, and the page lists it for stainless steel and Corten steel. The PVD swatches shown are bronze, rose gold, grey, silver, light gold, black, copper and gold: the colour is a thin, hard ceramic layer deposited over the finished grain, so the lines remain visible and tactile beneath it.
Where it is used
- Lift car walls, lift doors and door frames
- Lobby and corridor wall cladding
- Column cladding and feature walls under PVD colour
- Door faces, kick plates and push plates
- Retail shopfronts, display plinths and signage
- Exterior work in Jeddah and Dammam: the group lists hairline for seaside use, but the base must be 316 or duplex, since 304 tea-stains within a season of salt air
Variants
- Bronze hairline
Rose gold hairline
Grey hairline
Silver hairline
Light gold hairline
Black hairline
Copper hairline
Gold hairline
Compatibility
| Base materials | Stainless steel, Corten steel |
|---|---|
| Combines with | Hairline, PVD, Anti-fingerprint, Etching, Electro IH colouring, Embossing |
| Indoor | Yes |
| Outdoor | Yes |
| Seaside | Yes316 or duplex; 304 stains in Jeddah/Dammam |
Care & maintenance
Clean with warm water and a mild detergent on a soft cloth, wiping along the lines, then rinse and dry. Cross-grain wiping with anything abrasive leaves a scratch that only re-finishing removes. Keep bleach, hydrochloric acid and other chloride cleaners away from the surface; they pit the steel. On PVD-coloured hairline avoid abrasive metal polishes, which wear through the thin colour layer. Coastal exteriors need a periodic fresh-water wash to remove salt deposits.
Products with this finish
No published products carry this finish yet — it is available on enquiry.
Frequently asked
- 01What is the difference between hairline and brushed stainless steel?
- Hairline has long, continuous, very fine lines and a smoother, brighter surface; No. 4 brush has shorter overlapping scratches and a more matt satin. They are made by different abrasive routes and should not be mixed on adjacent panels.
- 02Does hairline stainless steel scratch easily?
- Scratches along the grain disappear into the pattern; scratches across it show. For lift interiors and door faces, an anti-fingerprint coating from the compatibility list reduces marking, and a PVD layer is harder than the bare steel beneath it.
- 03What thickness and sheet size does hairline stainless steel come in?
- The group lists 0.5 mm to 5 mm thickness in 1219 × 1219 mm, 1219 × 1500 mm and 1500 × 1500 mm sheets. Confirm the grade on the enquiry: the page names none, and the location decides it.
Next
- Request a Sample
- The service behind this finishPolishing & Surface Finishing
- Metal surface area calculatorFinishing is priced by the square metre. Work out the area before you ask for a quotation.
Judge it in the hand
A physical swatch of this finish, on the metal you intend to use, ships with our compliments. Screens are not color-accurate — the sample is the specification.