These curtain rods were perfectly sufficient, especially for the price.  The hardware was not great, but a simple swap of anchors and screws made for a much sturdier connection with the wall.  The metal is lightweight and wont take much abuse...but they're curtain rods?  The finish is a true matte black, it matches the other fixtures in my room well.  The overall quality is decent for the price, but don't expect it to be super solid in terms of material or usage.  With our lightweight curtains, and including the middle bracket even for a regular size window, they look great and will function well.