For those of you with polished nickel, what kind of sink do you have? And are polished and brushed nickel the same?

Satin nickel is a different story. IMO, it has a totally different look...not so dressy and rich looking and too dull for what you're doing.

I think I'd like the PN with white silgranit better than the stainless. Have you thought about fireclay?

If PN tarnishes, do I have to polish it?

I called Rohl Customer Service a month ago before ordering my shower valve and the lady I talked with said PN will tarnish, needs to be polished, and it helps if you keep it waxed. When I mentioned that to my local plumbing supply store, the lady called Rohl and got a different answer - said it was easy to care for and didn't have to be polished. Who do you believe? ... when you get different answers from the same company?

I guess the best would be to have Polished Nickel with a PVD finish. I just checked Waterstone's website and their PN, SN, and PB faucet finishes are all PVD.

FYI, my DH says PN should be cheaper than chrome, bec chrome is triple-plated and PN is only double-plated. Automotive car bumpers (and brass faucets) are first plated in copper to fill in all the pits, polished & plated in nickel bec its much harder than copper, polished again & plated in chrome to prevent tarnishing.

If you look at the bottoms of the RH stuff it looks like the plate is much thicker, I couldn't say for sure that it is. I put RH fixtures in my other bathrooms and they look great.

Cambro5: I've read that fireclay is very resistant to scratches and stains. You could do a search here and get first hand information. I was thinking about the Franke Orca in fireclay but am worried that I'll break things in it (stainless steel is so forgiving, I'm afraid I've become careless). I may still get it with a grid but I'm also considering black silgranit.

I also have a Newport Brass polished nickel faucet in my guest bathroom. That faucet doesn't get as much use, but it has no tarnish whatsoever.

I think that with the kitchen the OP described, and with a silgranite sink, either polished nickel faucet or chrome faucet would look fine. Chrome tends to be a more contemporary look, and polished nickel more traditional. You most often see polished nickel kitchen faucet with the fireclay apron sinks for a traditional look. I am not sure that polished nickel would go as well with a stainless steel sink.

If the OP is on a tight budget, I do not see it worthwhile to spend the upcharge, which is often substantial, for polished nickel or for satin nickel (a brushed finish). If I were the OP, I would be much more concerned with getting a good-quality, long-lasting faucet for my kitchen, and so, spend more on the faucet itself than on the upcharge for the nickel finish. Also take care to get a kitchen faucet with an appropriate reach (not too long, not too short). If you've chosen a particular brand/model, this forum can provide feedback on it, or you can do a search on this forum for that brand/model and see what people have written in about it.

The OP should do a search on this forum for "silgranite sink". You'll come up with threads with a lot of pics, to help you. There are several pics with dark counters and the silgranite sink color called "anthracite". They look sharp, and the anthracite won't show stains as easily as white would (tomato sauce, wine and the like).

Also, cost. Polished nickel finishes tend to be pricier than Chrome, which is the "standard" finish for most faucets.

Finally, the look. Chrome has a bluish tinge and polished nickel has a brownish tinge, but overall both are reflective and you wouldn't know the difference unless you put them side by side.

This is my opinion...but also that of others on this forum too. In one of the posts around "what did you buy that once you owned it, you didn't think it was worth buying" (I am SO off the mark on the subject title but it was along those lines). Multiple people said that they regretted spending more money on the polished nickel because it didn't look drastically different than the chrome.

Good luck - I'm sure you'll make the choice that's right for you!

I know the Rohl Country collection is made in Italy, the Rohl Cisal is New Zeland (I think), and Perrin & Rowe is England.

redroze, I've read that thread you referred to before! I should re-read it!

and here is a link to the website I bought the "Rohl" faucet from:
http://www.homeandstone.com/detail.cfm?Group_ID=2557&Product_ID=20797

this Rohl faucet business is very curious. I hope it isn't going to cause me problems. It wasn't exactly cheap!

3) Polished nickel Perrin & Rowe faucets - they are beautiful in form and function but I could have probably gone with a less expensive, chrome faucet that looked similar for a LOT less money and been equally happy in the long run.

I agree with zoe about my polished nickel faucet - chrome would've been less expensive and doesn't look much different. I also wasted money on a matching polished nickel flange ... ruined it right away with Barkeepers Friend.

Now that I have X...

I still love PN, nothing else looks quite like it, but because I'm not into metal polishing, I wouldn't buy it again. The chrome fixtures I put in from RH look gorgeous with very little maintenance.

redroze, I did go find that link and re-read it! In fact, I spent a lot of time reading old threads yesterday - I've been so TKO this week, it's not even funny! I'm glad I did because I discovered the Ticor sink which is a lot less than I had planned to spend on a Kohler! Of course, it's 9 1/2 inches deep, but for the price I might be willing to try it! You can't beat the information you find on this forum!

Thanks guys!

Does your PN clean up nicely when you polish it?

You may have inspired me to try polishing them. I'll let you know how successful it is.

Here's the text from the website (Rejuvenation):

Polished Nickel

Description: Brass, mirror-polished, and nickel-plated: shiny silver with warm, amber undertones.

Protective Coating: None; can be waxed to protect finish surface.

Wear Expectations: Nickel, a hard and durable coating, will naturally develop a dull, milky-white tarnish over time - especially in humid environments.

Maintenance: Tarnish is easily removed with a soft cloth and a mild solution of household ammonia.

Comments: Nickel was popular on all kinds of hardware even in the mid-1800s. It was the standard finish in kitchens and bathrooms until the 1930s and has a warm, amber tone that distinguishes it from chrome's colder blue. It's classy and classic.

fwiw, I chose BN because I'm really lazy and don't want to worry about polishing stuff. I love distressed hardwood for the same reason -- it's not grungy, it's hand distressed! :)

Can you tell me the brand name of your fixtures, and if everything is tarnishing (shower, faucet, towel bars, etc.)?

cheri127, Did you ever polish your PN fixtures that were tarnished? Would like to know what you used.

Thanks for the caveat, "Do NOT under any circumstances use Brasso!"
I remember now, Simichrome is one Rohl recommended.

(Other fabulous uses for Wenol: getting the scratches out of porcelain coated bathtubs and sinks, and polishing up scratched dinner plates.)

The red tube -- slightly more abrasive -- is great, too.

To answer the original question, I have a polished nickel faucet and a stainless steel prep sink, and they go beautifully together.

That faucet is an Herbeau, and not a spot of tarnish over two years. The main sink faucet is a Barber Wilsons, and I do have one spot of tarnish on it that I need to take care of eventually, it's not the end of the world. It's clear that something got on it and tarnished it. Who knows what. The rest of is like new. But I do wipe it down as I wipe down counters etc. My master bathroom has Barber Wilson's plumbing fixtures and Waterworks accessories. All polished nickel. All like new, not one spot of tarnish. I admit to having to rub the exposed shower system a bit more than the others to get water spots off, but that's it. They're exquisite.

I'm one of those who can absolutely tell the difference between nickel and chrome, without their being next to each other. If you love it that much, then it's worth a little extra effort (a very little in my case, so far). I have chrome in son's bathroom, powder room (Dornbracht, expensive enough in chrome). But in the kitchen and my personal haven, I've got polished nickel, because it feeds my aesthetic senses.

Ivette