Abstract: A faux stainless steel sheet material preferably formed of a carbon sheet steel core coated with a metal zinc alloy, which may include zinc-aluminum with or without other minor elements or zinc-nickel compositions. The coating is polished in a polishing apparatus comprising a series of conventional polishing heads each of which utilizes a polishing belt of a predetermined grit mesh and size, belt speed, belt oscillations transverse to the sheet steel conveyed direction, at predetermined conveyance rate of the sheet steel and pressure. The polishing heads scratch the coating to a partial depth of the coating a portion of which remains after polishing. The scratches mimic stainless steel finishes which may include matte to bright silver blue and generally mimic a #4 stainless steel finish. Four polishing examples and four samples polished according to the examples are disclosed.