BBF, or Brilliant Buff Finish is a finishing technique currently utilized only by Enkei and Rays in Japan and I think also HRE here in the US. It’s considered by many to be the most difficult finish to achieve and can only be achieved with Gravity Cast and/or Forged wheels. Performing this process with a Low Pressure Casting (more on Gravity vs. Low Pressure casting later) technique will almost always ensure pinholes and other imperfections that cannot be concealed. The BBF process begins with a very fine filing and sanding of the disk surface. After the filing and sanding, a specific compound is applied on the surface and waxed countless times. Then, the wheel is buffed and a clear coat is applied. A BBF-finished wheel is essentially a raw wheel that is brilliantly buffed to an immaculate shine.
Here’s a close up of the spoke in a BBF finish. Sort of looks like chrome. We’ll get into 3D chrome next time.