I've duracoated a few knives with decent success.
So far I haven't really abused one after coating though. The key in general is to make sure these coatings get a good surface to bond to, then cure them properly.
There is certainly an art to it, just like the rest of the process.
I do have to agree that the kind you apply with your own sprayer work much better. I use an airbrush generally but have used larger guns for non knife stuff and the key is even layers and following instructions carefully. If they say thin layers and let it flash off but not sit more than ten minutes between coats, then they really mean it. In the case of duracoat, you can almost spray one side, flip, spray, flip back, look it over for any issues, spray another layer, flip, spray, leave to cure. You don't need super thin coats, and with an hvlp gun you actually get a very good result with just two fairly heavy coats. The only reason for thinner ones is if it's a tight tolerance part and you want to just build up enough to do the job but without significantly increasing dimensions.
