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Home Stainless Steel Plate & Sheet Supplier [CO:wp/v2/products/name] Brushed Stainless Steel Sheet

Brushed Stainless Steel Sheet

Brushed stainless steel sheet is sheet whose surface has been abraded in one direction with a belt or brush, producing the fine parallel grain known as a No.4 finish in the ASTM system or 2G and 2J in EN 10088. It is the most widely specified architectural and equipment finish in the world, because it hides fingerprints, scratches and cleaning marks in a way no reflective surface can. Walmay supplies it in 201 for cost-driven indoor work, 304 as the general standard and 316L where salt is present, from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm thick, PVC filmed with the grain direction marked on every bundle.

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  • Decorative Appeal

    The brushed texture (0.5 mm line spacing) provides a satin finish with gloss levels of 60–70 GU, enhancing modern interiors.

  • Cost Efficiency

    Priced at about 60% of 304 stainless, it is widely used in hotel lobbies and large-scale decoration projects.

  • Easy Maintenance

    The passive film resists fingerprints and dust; a simple dry wipe restores the original brightness.

Product Specifications

What a Brushed Finish Actually Is

There is no such thing as brushed stainless steel as a material. It is ordinary stainless sheet, most often 304, that has been mechanically finished after rolling. The mill produces a 2B surface; a polishing line then runs abrasive belts across it to leave a controlled directional grain. Nothing is added and nothing is plated, so the finish cannot flake, peel or wear through: it is the same alloy all the way through the section.

DesignationSystemDescription
No.3ASTM A480100-120 grit, coarse visible grain
No.4ASTM A480150-180 grit, the standard brushed finish
No.6ASTM A480240 grit plus Tampico brushing, soft satin
HL, hairlineJIS and trade usageLong uninterrupted fine lines, architectural
2GEN 10088-2Ground finish, equivalent band to No.3 and No.4
2JEN 10088-2Brushed or dull polished, equivalent to No.4
2KEN 10088-2Satin polish with a specified Ra ceiling
Finish Range and Roughness
FinishGritTypical RaGrain appearanceCommon use
No.3100-1200.4-1.0 umCoarse, clearly visibleIndustrial equipment, hides heavy wear
No.4150-1800.2-0.5 umEven, fine, uniformKitchens, appliances, lift panels
No.62400.2-0.3 umVery fine satinInterior architecture
HL hairline150-2400.2-0.4 umLong continuous linesFacades, doors, tall panels

If a food or pharmaceutical specification cites a roughness limit, quote Ra rather than the finish name. A No.4 covers a range from 0.2 to 0.5 micrometres, and a specification calling for 0.4 micrometres maximum can be met or missed within the same designation.

Specification
ItemDetail
Grades201, 304, 304L, 316L, 430
StandardsASTM A240 / A480, EN 10088-2, JIS G4305
Thickness0.5-3.0 mm
Width1,000, 1,219, 1,500 mm
Length2,000, 2,438, 3,000 mm, or cut to size
FinishesNo.3, No.4, No.6, HL hairline
GrainAlong the length as standard, across on request
ProtectionPVC film on the brushed face as standard
CertificationEN 10204 3.1 plus finish and Ra report
Choosing the Grade Under the Finish

The finish looks the same across grades on the day of installation. What differs is how it behaves two years later.

GradeNickelRelative priceCorrosion resistanceWhere it belongs
2011.0-1.8 percent, manganese substitutedLowest austeniticBelow 304, stains in damp serviceDry indoor panels, signage, furniture, cost-driven volume
3048.0-10.5 percentBaselineGoodThe general default, indoors and inland outdoors
316L10.0-14.0 percent plus 2-3 percent molybdenum25-40 percent above 304Chloride resistantCoastal, pool halls, food plants with aggressive cleaning
430None, ferriticLowIndoor only, magneticAppliance panels, trim

201 substitutes manganese and nitrogen for part of the nickel, which cuts cost and price volatility but also reduces corrosion resistance and makes the material harder and less formable. It is the right choice for interior panels, furniture frames and signage in dry conditions, and the wrong choice for anything exposed to weather, condensation or chloride cleaning. Our 201 versus 304 guide sets out the trade-off in full, and 430 versus 304 covers the ferritic alternative.

Ordering
ItemDetail
Minimum order1 tonne, or 50 sheets in stock sizes
Lead time from stock7-12 days
Lead time brushed to order18-28 days
Stock sizes4x8 ft and 1,219x2,438 mm in 0.6-1.5 mm, 201 and 304
PackingPVC film, interleaved paper, crate, panels labelled by grain direction
IncotermsFOB, CIF, DAP

Specify the grade, thickness, finish, grain direction, any Ra limit, and sheet size or cut list. Related products: mirror and polished sheet, 304 sheet, 316 and 316L sheet, embossed sheet, colour coated sheet, 201 plate, and the full sheet and plate range.

Pricing Calculation

Workshop & Manufacturing Machine

Stainless Steel Plate Bending/Stamping Process

Stainless Steel Plates on Storage Rack

Palletized Stainless Steel Plates

Stainless Steel Plate Rolling Line

Precision Thickness Inspection of Stainless Steel Plate

Forklift Loading Stainless Steel Plates for Shipment

Stacked stainless steel sheets on a warehouse rack with mill markings on the edge and a forklift in the background
Close-up of a stainless steel sheet corner being measured with a caliper, showing the rolled surface and cut edge

Brushed stainless steel sheet is sheet whose surface has been abraded in one direction with a belt or brush, producing the fine parallel grain known as a No.4 finish in the ASTM system or 2G and 2J in EN 10088. It is the most widely specified architectural and equipment finish in the world, because it hides fingerprints, scratches and cleaning marks in a way no reflective surface can. Walmay supplies it in 201 for cost-driven indoor work, 304 as the general standard and 316L where salt is present, from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm thick, PVC filmed with the grain direction marked on every bundle.

Banded stainless steel sheets stacked and shrink-wrapped on a pallet, ready for export shipment

Fabrication and Grain Direction

Grain direction is the single most common cause of rejected brushed panels, and it is entirely avoidable.

  • Mark the grain on the drawing and the cut list. Panels in one elevation must all run the same way. A panel rotated 90 degrees reads as a different colour under raking light and cannot be corrected without repolishing.
  • Nest cut parts with grain in mind. This constrains yield, so allow for it when calculating material.
  • Cut and bend through the film. Remove it only after installation, and use protective tooling or urethane pads on the press brake.
  • Bend along the grain where possible. Bending across it stretches the lines visibly at the radius.
  • Dress welds along the grain, finishing with an abrasive pad of matching grit. A No.4 can be blended on site convincingly, which is one of its practical advantages over a mirror.
  • Passivate after grinding and welding, then re-film.

We run surface treatment and polishing alongside cutting, bending, edge finishing and packaging, so panels arrive finished, filmed and labelled by elevation.

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Stainless steel sheet being cut on a laser cutting table in a fabrication shop
Gloved hand inspecting the clean cut edge of a finished stainless steel plate part

Applications

FAQs

Is there such a thing as brushed stainless steel?
Yes, though it is a finish rather than a material. Brushed stainless steel is ordinary stainless sheet, usually 304, that has been abraded in one direction with 150 to 180 grit belts to produce a fine parallel grain. Its formal designation is No.4 in ASTM A480 and 2J or 2K in EN 10088-2, so it can be ordered and inspected against a standard. The phrase is used loosely in retail, where anything with a satin appearance may be called brushed, but in industrial supply it has a precise meaning.
Is brushed stainless steel real stainless steel?
It is, entirely. The brushing removes a thin layer of surface material and leaves the same alloy exposed, with the same chromium content and the same passive film. Nothing is plated or coated, which is why the finish cannot peel or wear through the way a chrome or painted surface can. The one caveat is that the grade underneath still matters: a brushed panel in 201 will stain in damp conditions where a brushed panel in 304 will not, even though the two look identical when new.
Can you get brushed stainless steel?
Yes, it is one of the most widely available stainless products. It is stocked in 201, 304 and 316L in the common gauges from 0.5 to 3.0 mm, in 4x8 ft and metric sheet sizes, and it is also available as coil for volume production, as tube and as bar. Because it is a mechanical finish, it can also be applied to order on almost any flat product, so unusual sizes and grades are a lead time question rather than an availability one.
Are brushed stainless steel and chrome the same?
No. Chrome is a thin electroplated layer of chromium over a base metal, and it is bright and reflective. Brushed stainless is solid alloy with a directional matte finish and no plating. Practically, chrome can chip, blister and peel, exposing the substrate to rust, while brushed stainless has nothing to lose and can be refinished on site with an abrasive pad. Visually, chrome is mirror-bright with a slight blue cast; brushed stainless is matte and warmer. Brushed nickel, a third finish often confused with both, is a plated coating with a warmer, softer tone.
How does brushed compare with a mirror finish for durability?
Brushed wins in service. The directional grain disguises fingerprints, scratches and cleaning marks, so a No.4 panel in a busy corridor still looks acceptable years later, while a mirror in the same location shows every mark. Brushed can also be blended and repaired on site with a matching abrasive pad, whereas a damaged mirror needs full repolishing. Use a mirror above hand height and for feature areas, and brushed anywhere people touch.
Which grade should I choose for a brushed finish?
201 for dry interior panels, furniture and signage where cost dominates. 304 as the default for interiors, kitchens and inland exteriors. 316L for coastal sites, pool halls and food plants with chloride cleaning. 430 for appliance panels where a magnetic ferritic grade is acceptable and the environment is dry. The finish cost is broadly the same across grades, so the decision is entirely about the environment.
How should brushed stainless steel be cleaned?
Warm water with a mild detergent on a soft cloth, wiped along the grain and not across it, then rinsed and dried. Avoid abrasive pads except when deliberately blending a repair, and avoid any cleaner containing chloride or bleach, which will pit the surface. Wiping along the grain matters: cross-grain cleaning marks show up under raking light and accumulate over time into a visibly patchy surface.

Need more details on stainless steel products? Feel free to contact Walmay anytime.

Walmay will help match the right stainless product form and specification for your application, confirm quantities and packing needs, and provide requested documents based on order requirements.

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