Black Coating on Cold Steel Knife?

T

The Mighty Ginsu

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Aug 11, 2016
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I got myself a Cold Steel Recon I with CTS-XHP steel. Hope I'm spelling that right. I don't like painted knives, but I was only able to get this steel in the shape I wanted with a black coating.

Question: is the black stuff on this blade going to make me regret I bought it? In my experience, black coatings come off and show scratches very badly. I like polished knives because you can buff them and improve the appearance when they get roughed up.
 
Black coatings in general show scratches more because of the contrast of the surrounding black against the light catching on the scratch.

I don’t know if the DLC finish is the same as it is on the 3V master tanto, but, if it is, it won’t be super dramatic. Maybe look for some pictures or videos of used XHP recons?
 
No I don't think it will make you regret buying the knife. If it is DLC it is pretty darn hard stuff. It can be scratched with abrasive material like wet or dry sand paper. So be careful cutting up dirty / muddy stuff.

I bought this one and knew when I bought it I was going to grind the blade thinner. The bench grinder takes the coating off right quick so probably it wouldn't be too hard to use some wet or dry sand paper to remove the coating when and if it gets to where you don't like it any more.

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The Mighty Ginsu said:
I got myself a Cold Steel Recon I with CTS-XHP steel. Hope I'm spelling that right. I don't like painted knives, but I was only able to get this steel in the shape I wanted with a black coating.

Question: is the black stuff on this blade going to make me regret I bought it? In my experience, black coatings come off and show scratches very badly. I like polished knives because you can buff them and improve the appearance when they get roughed up.
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No I don't think so, you just gotta get used to a knife you use looking like you use it.

I received a KA-BAR Dozier 4062 on Monday and there are already some small chips / flakes in the black coating at the edge on one side, and it's only been 5 days of minor use.

I don't really like how a bare stainless knife looks all scratched up compared the beauty of patina on carbon steel, I'm also not big on tacticool black blades but in my opinion a worn black coating does look better than a really scratched up bare stainless blade.
 
I have coated Recon 1 and an American Lawman and the finish is super durable.

It will show scratches, but not as bad as Spyderco, ZT and a couple of other brands I have owned.
 
I have a micro Recon in DLC. I use this knife all the time including some hiking/fire starting apps.
It holds up pretty well. Fairly thick coating IMHO.
 
black is tactical, as when you have your knife out it's harder for other people to see. I see this as a major plus as it draws less attention from using your knife in public
 
:mad: I used to OCD over this kinda thing , but that path leads to madness ! Noway is a real user ever gonna stay perfect . I had to adjust my aesthetic perception to develop a positive appreciation and pride in that "well used look " . Much happier and more relaxed now . You're welcome ! ;)
 
SoCalEDC said:
I have a micro Recon in DLC. I use this knife all the time including some hiking/fire starting apps.
It holds up pretty well. Fairly thick coating IMHO.
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The Micro Recon uses the Tuf-Ex coating which is less durable than the DLC.
 
I believe old CS Recon 1 (with AUS8A steel) was cheaply black painted and yes - the paint would go off if you just stared at the blade long enough. I heard the new Recon 1 with CTS XHP or S35N is DLC, which should be much much more resistant to scratches.
 
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