Re: prop polishing and performance??
Painted suggests alum and shiny suggests SS. The higher the shine probably the better the material and workmanship and I have found them to corrode (rust) less.....yes SS props can rust.
I'd take the SS any day unless I lived in a rock lake...and I don't mean rip rap....where you know where it is; I'm talking about a boulder the size of the boat just under the surface where you can't see it......Lake Austin, in Central Texas is just one example.
Mark