And just what is this Talonite stuff??!

Crayola

Crayola

Joined
Sep 23, 1999
Messages
3,831
I spend a few weeks away from the forums studying for exams and when I come back, I read a zillion messages that mention Talonite. I even saw some pictures of knives made of this stuff!!! So, what is Talonite? (I know it is steel, but I want to know what it's composition is, etc.)

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"Come What May..."
 
Crayola, you can take anything Rob says on the subject to the bank. His reputation is unparalleled in all things slicey
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One neat thing: Talonite is NOT STEEL. No iron content at all - it's a *cobalt* based funky alloy with crazy edgeholding properties, rust resistence up the wazoo and lots of other cool properties.

Very pricey. I think it's overkill on a "pure fighter" but for a serious utility or saltwater exposure piece it's da bomb
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Jim
 
Actually it's about 5% Fe, if I remember correctly. Still not steel, but....
Aaron


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amacks@nist.gov
Don't forget to pay your taxes...they eventually become my knives:)

 
Actually, the certs on the last run had as follows,
C 1.05%
Cr 29.86%
Fe 2.64%
Mn 1.44%
Mo .07%
Ni 2.46%
P <.01%
S <.01%
Si .58%
W 3.85%
That leaves about 58% Cobalt, they always show the cobalt as the balance.

Thanks for the comments Jim, appreciated and I agree with you on most of them!
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www.simonichknives.com
 
Crayola,
Quite simply, Talonite holds an edge in utility chores[mainly skinning game] better than ANYTHING I have ever used, period. It also resharpens easier than anything I've used,...... and it WILL NOT RUST.

Can ya' tell I like the stuff.....

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Stay Sharp!
Will Fennell
Camillus Cutlery


 
On the down side it is about as expensive as damascus (Rob Simonich is the only source), and from what I hear the edge will roll if ground thin.

Other than that, it sounds fantastic.

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Lynn Griffith-Knifemaker

My website
GriffithKN@aol.com




[This message has been edited by Lynn Grififth Knives (edited 09 December 1999).]
 
Lynn,

As with any material, the exceptional maker learns the advantages and disadvantages, and to employ the best forms/designs for functions. So, yeah, grinding super thin is stupid with Talonite. But that statement holds true for many more conventional materials.

I have 2 fixed and one folding Talonite blade. They all were built and ground (flat) to optimize the material. They are absolutely fantastic. As Will said, this stuff is very easy to like because of its characteristics. And yes, Rob is the exclusive distributer to the cutlery industry. Like Kahn(?) of Remington, he liked the product so much he became the distributer (whereas Kahn bought the company). Sounds like a damn savvy business move to me
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-=[Bob Allman]=-
..Rapid City, SD..

I did NOT escape from the institution! They gave me a day pass!

BFC member since the very beginning
Member: American Knife & Tool Institute; Varmint Hunters Association;
National Rifle Association; Praire Thunder Inc.; Rapid City Rifle Club;
Spearfish Rifle & Pistol Club; Buck Collectors Club (prime interest: 532s)
Certified Talonite(r) enthusiast!




[This message has been edited by bald1 (edited 09 December 1999).]
 
My new list of life goals - by Jason

#1 - To see AC/Dc in concert

#2 - to score with that girl in my Kinesiology class

#3 - To own a Chris Reeve Project I

NEW - #4 - To own a Rob Simonich SRT Trailmaster

wow, this college crap really leaves me broke...
 
Lynn,
Your right, Talonite is not cheap, but then, sometimes you have to pay for exceptions performance.

I'm not sure what you consider a thin edge, but my Simonich Talonite CETAN is .0210" right behind the sharpening bevel. I have dressed and boned out 26 big game animals[whitetail deer and wild hogs] with this knife over the last 9 months, and have never chipped or rolled the edge. Now, I wouldn't expect to damage it skinning, but when boning out the back straps, and dis-jointing the hams, you are constantly bouncing the blade off bones, and twisting the blade between joints. Never rolled or chipped. I have also done quit a bit of cardboard cutting and wood 'carving'[cutting and trimming shooting sticks out of hardwood, or bamboo]. Still, no problems.

Just my experience, no labratory test. But NO steel knife I have ever used would have held an usuable edge as long as this knife has. I have considerable experience with 440a&b, 8A, ATS-34, BG42, 1095, A2, and O1. Limited experience with 440V. Nothing comes close.

Again, I have experience no chipping or rolling of the edge with any of the 3 Talonite CETAN's that I have worked with. Granted, these are 3.5" bladed skinning/utility knives, so I haven't been pounding or chopping with them, but I have used the hell out of them[especially mine], with nothing but very positive experiences.



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Stay Sharp!
Will Fennell
Camillus Cutlery


 
Will,
You mentioned all those steels but no D2! That's the main reason you said nothing comes close!!! Just kidding......
I only work with steels that I can heat treat in my shop. So, since Talonite doesn't NEED heat treating, it falls into this catagory!! Rob, I'll be calling you after the holiday rush is over!
Neil

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Update in process! New knives, pictures, Sheaths!!
http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Meeting/5520/index.html


 
Hello,

Yep I love the Stuff too, its just Different to grind, but as you do more of it you actually get to like it because it has the same characteristics in grinding as steel does in a hardened state, which with the way I grind I achieve much better control.

Its alittle Slicker feeling in the grind, but it works great, but I have also found out that if you do not use very high quality abrasives its a constant battle.

As far as Cutting and Rust resistance, I think for the Utility blades made out of it not much else comes close to the Edge retention. As far as RUST, that is a Foreign word to a TALONITE blade.

my . 02
Allen Blade
 
Lynn,

I don't know about "rolling"..., but I went to see Keith Kilby last weekend, to pick up a damascus knife he made for me, and I took my SRT, with the Talonite Parasite.

The Parasite had some little nicks, and Kilby got them out with a worn out belt, then stropped it. The burr kept turning and turning.. took him about 5 minutes to get it off. The Talonite IS soft!
 
The edge behaving as Kirk describes sounds very much like the way soft steels behave as well. Rolling and impaction seem to be a common concern because of the low RC. Of course you can counteract this by grinding the edge thicker, but this has a strong effect on cutting ability. Talonite is supposed to be slicker than steel though which should compensate for this somewhat.

-Cliff
 
kirk:
yes its soft, but it holds an edge longer as every other knife i have, i have 4 talonite knives so far and i will get more in the future... i love this stuff...
 
Hello,


Ya and it eats Bi-metal band saw blades alive ! ! !

But i do agree completley with ROB i took a brand new Chainsaw Round file to Rough in(i thought) some finger Grooves on a TaloniteBlade and all i did was manage to Turn all the File teeth nice and shiney.

weird weird stuff!!,,,,,, but it sure cuts Fantastic!!


Take Care,
Allen blade
 
SharpCdn, cobalt in dust form is indeed toxic, in solid alloy like Talonite, no. It is approved and in use in food manufacturing. Those Kellog Cornflakes so many have for breafast? The big stainless steel vats used in making the corn flakes are scraped clean with scrapers made of Talonite. In that particular use, Talonite has outlasted Stellite 6k by 35%.

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www.simonichknives.com
 
Thanks for the top knotch info. What would I ever do without the forum?

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"Come What May..."
 
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