coated blade vs non coated

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lamepro

Joined
Jul 11, 2008
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what do you guys prefer? i was thinking of getting a BM mini stryker but dont know alot about D2 and have heard mixed reports. and thought about getting a coated blade. what do you guys think? or just on any knife coated or not coated?
 
Personally, I prefer knives without any coating. This is only because I don't care for the scratches and scuffs that eventually appear. That said, I do have knives with coated blades and I certainly see where there is a need with certain steels. I believe that D2 is one of those cases where a coating is beneficial but I am sure someone with more knowledge than I can offer info on that.

Russ S.
 
lamepro said:
what do you guys prefer? i was thinking of getting a BM mini stryker but dont know alot about D2 and have heard mixed reports. and thought about getting a coated blade. what do you guys think? or just on any knife coated or not coated?
Click to expand...

D2 is so close to being "stainless steel" it can get by easily with no coating. As others have said, coatings can look pretty lousy after they get scratched up. Kydex sheaths and coated blades make for an ugly combination. Coated blade folders, on the other hand, usually stay looking good for a long time.

Anyway, coatings certainly do have their place in helping to protect carbon steels from corrosion. Your D2 Stryker doesn't really need it but if you like the looks of it, go for it!

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
desmobob said:
D2 is so close to being "stainless steel" it can get by easily with no coating. As others have said, coatings can look pretty lousy after they get scratched up. Kydex sheaths and coated blades make for an ugly combination. Coated blade folders, on the other hand, usually stay looking good for a long time.

Anyway, coatings certainly do have their place in helping to protect carbon steels from corrosion. Your D2 Stryker doesn't really need it but if you like the looks of it, go for it!

Stay sharp,
desmobob
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yeah i dont like coatings that much unless its needed. just heard some people saying D2 rusts easy ... then others saying it doesnt.. so i got confused then thought id make it a general question.
 
"D2 is typically austenized at just slightly higher temperatures, 1850 F, which like A2 is usually done in stages. It has very high wear resistance due to the carbide content which also lowers machinablity and grindability. The corrosion resistance is high for a tool steel, significantly more than A2 and it resists forming a patina strongly. D2 however doesn't have the corrosion resistance of martensitic stainless steels as most of the chromium in D2 is in the form of primary carbides due to the high carbon content and low austenizing temperatures."

http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/blade_materials.html#T_D2
 
I like a nice stain finished blade. I just don't care for the black coated blades as much.
 
Gespenst said:
"D2 is typically austenized at just slightly higher temperatures, 1850 F, which like A2 is usually done in stages. It has very high wear resistance due to the carbide content which also lowers machinablity and grindability. The corrosion resistance is high for a tool steel, significantly more than A2 and it resists forming a patina strongly. D2 however doesn't have the corrosion resistance of martensitic stainless steels as most of the chromium in D2 is in the form of primary carbides due to the high carbon content and low austenizing temperatures."

http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/blade_materials.html#T_D2
Click to expand...

thanks for all the info but what exactly does that mean... hehe. i was hoping to gain some info from people who have used D2 and what they think of it performance wise.
 
It is basically saying that D2 does not offer quite the same corrosion resistance as something like a 440A. I've heard that it rusts easily as well but take that with a grain of salt since it is second hand information and I have no personal experience with it.

Russ S.
 
lamepro said:
what do you guys prefer? i was thinking of getting a BM mini stryker but dont know alot about D2 and have heard mixed reports. and thought about getting a coated blade. what do you guys think? or just on any knife coated or not coated?
Click to expand...

I think coated blades look nasty. I refuse to own one. YMMV.

D2 is not stainless, but it is close. Any steel with over 8% chromium starts getting corrosion resistant, because there is enough chrome to impact the oxide layer. D2 is 11-13%. It is fairly corrosion resistant in and of itself. If you take reasonable care of it, corrosion should not be a problem.
 
From the Bladeforums Steel FAQ:

D-2
D-2 is sometimes called a "semi-stainless". It has a fairly high
chrome content (12%), but not high enough to classify it as stainless.
It is more stain resistant than the carbon steels mentioned above,
however. It has excellent wear resistance. D-2 is much tougher than
the premium stainless steels like ATS-34, but not as tough as many of
the other non-stainless steels mentioned here. The combination of
great wear resistance, almost-stainlessness, and good toughness make
it a great choice for a number of knife styles. Bob Dozier is one
maker who uses D-2. Benchmade has begun using D-2 in its Axis AFCK.


I have several knives in D2 (Benchmade 710D2, Ontario TAK, three Queen slipjoints.... and probably more I'm not thinking of) and I like it. It really holds an edge and I haven't had any problems with corrosion or staining.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Coating a blade is a cost savings method used to cover up blade imperfections that do not have to be polished out. Strip one and compare for yourself. They certainly don't improve cutting ability no matter how smooth.
 
Coatings are not put on higher quality knives to "cover imperfections". A highly polished surface is not conducive to coating adhesion. In fact, some makers go to an extra effort to make a surface rougher for coating adhesion.

I like some coatings, but the recent coatings that Benchmade has been using on the knives I have bought seem to mar easier than some of the previous coatings.
 
Without coatings. I have a RATRC3 that looked great but after some good use actually got some splinters wedged between the coating and blade. Stripped in down and it looks great and actually it may be psychological but it seems to slice and batton easier.
 
Depends. I own quite a few of both. For wet environments, I like coated blades. Non-coated blades are prettier, but I never cared much about that. Coatings do interfere with cutting performance, though, and I do prefer non-coated for environments that aren't extremely wet.
 
I hate coated blades!! Theyn will cut down on the performance/cutting ability and over time will look bad. I have not had a problem with D2 rusting but it will tarnish or stain with use if you are not careful. D2 is one point short of being classified as stainless. My D2 is Bob Dozier and Tom Krein Knives and I have had no problems. Also, a few Benchmade in D2. Rust not really a problem. Use a Tuff Glide cloth or a little Ballistol on the blade and you should not have a problem.

RKH
 
Uncoated for me, coated knives are pain to sharpen, coatings clog stones, if they get scratched the look terrible.
 
I prefer a sheen or stone wash on my high tech folders and a polish finish on my premium slip joints since they are for showing off just as much as for using. My least favorite finish is a bead blast but I don't mind if it's done right as by say Kershaw. If I get a knife with a rough bead blast like the way Benchmade does it the blade comes out and I sand off the finish as they rust to easy no matter what steel it seems!
 
There is no coating that will hold up to hard use. DLC is probably the best and a William Henry that I have is DLC coated and looks fine after a couple of years but it is not a knife that I use very hard. As others have said coatings look bad after they get scratched up and they all will get scratched if you use your knife very much. The worst are the epoxy paint type coatings, they really look like h#ll to start with and get worse over time. The little bit of protection that you get from rust or corrosion is better taken care of by properly caring for your knife in the first place. The most important part of your knife will never be coated anyway and therefore gets no protection from it and that is of course the edge.
 
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