It appears to be the 'Time Crystal' but who knows how hard. Did they say soft, medium, etc when you bought it? I'm convinced now they can't be 'burnished', in the traditional sense, because they are layers of (polyester?) 'microfiber' and some binder, probably polyurethane. Only Rhino can speak to that. I suppose you could get shiny finish on the sides by coating with some liquid acrylic but that would probably wear off quickly and/or look worse after use. I have them (#4, so MH I guess) on both my play shafts now and will report on them again at six months.