Hi everybody, here is another fan of hand tools!
SOme answers to the thread:
a) Europeans like finishings that do not glare (they consider them more industrial, rough...tools are things for men!)
b) Americans like shiny finishings (tools are not only for men, they must show perfectness and must be beauty, they are the few jewels men can enjoy)
Of course this is stereotyping, but there is some truth in it.
Having said that, one thing is coating and another is finishing (nomenclature can vary, but it is usually like this):
a) Cheapest chrome plating finishing is "matt chrome". Forged pieces are cleaned and chrome plated. Surface is rough. Due to this reason, plating chips off easier. Most of Gedore tools on the pictures shown are this kind of finishing (which is hardly understandable...).
b) After it comes "satin matt chrome". Forged pieces are sandblasted, then chrome plated. The finishing is matt (not shiny) but not rough. Plating is more resistant.
c) Then "mirror polished chrome". Forged pieces are finely polished, then plated: the finishing is smooth shiny. Plating is even more resistant.
d) There is a more expensive finishing called "fine satin matt chrome" or "aerospace satin chrome": forged pieces are finely polished for deleting any surface imperfection (as best tools should be), but in order to comply with European "taste" they are after very finely sandblasted to take out the glaring shiny finishing, and after chrome plated. This is the most expensice chrome plating, and most resistant.
I guess there may be more coatings and finishings, but these are most used, but costs and (most important) benefits are unknown to most users.
Hope it helped!