A decent metal filter that is really catching all the fines doesn’t last long. It will soon be clogged with fines.

If you want to minimise waste, get an aeropress. Stick with the paper filters and use a soft clean toothbrush to clean the filter. You’ll notice that if you use the aeropress as a pour over, the draw down rate will stay consistently fast. The filters are much smaller and are good for at least 5 uses.

I just clean the filter regularly, it does drain a bit slow after a couple uses between thorough washes but it's still going strong after 3+ years

Yeah, not sure what the parent is talking about here... as long as you scrub decently or toss your metal filter in the dishwasher, fines won't be a big problem.

Would you mind sharing the model of metal filter that you use? I've been looking for a good one for my Chemex, but I haven't been able to find any decent comparison reviews. If yours has lasted 3 years that sounds like a buy to me!