Coated or uncoated blade? - cast your vote-pinions!

Coated or uncoated blades?

  • Coated

    Votes: 8 4.8%

  • Uncoated

    Votes: 123 74.5%

  • Indifferent

    Votes: 34 20.6%
  • Total voters
    165
DocJD said:
Likewise !

Lumpy thick or fragile coatings, I'd rather do without .

Nice smooth , slick , very durable, DLC type coatings, are OK and sometimes even a plus . IMO :cool: :thumbsup:
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I think the dlc coatings on my Cold Steel work knives may be a plus, for an intersting reason. When using a work knife in public, the dark blade looks more like a tool, and less “scary” to the non knife people than a somewhat large uncoated blade. The dlc wears well, and may offer some wear protection. Whether it offers significant rust protection, I m not sure.
 
Kinda like the shiny Ti-Ni coating but high polish stainless or nickel is also a favorite of mine.
 
Coating is just meant to make scratches more visible!
I tolerate it on Emersons, because of the tactilol bonus.

I much prefer acid wash and stuff like that.
 
I voted for uncoated, because nearly every coated knife I've ever had ultimately became "uncoated". Either through abrasion in use or simply wear in time.
In the case of abrasion, the blade kind of looks like a well used mess.
The only exceptions are my knives in DLC which appear to be holding after several years.
 
Usually uncoated, for a few reasons.

- coatings are commonly used to conceal poorly finished blades,
- I prefer naturally developing patinas as a protective layer and also aesthetically
- tactical is not my style. The SC36GPCMOBK is the only coated knife I really (really) like.
- some coatings are porous, so corrosive liquids can still reach the steel and corrode it


If I must have a coated blade, then DLC is the best by far, because it gives even greater wear resistance and surface hardness than the steel itself.
According to wikipedia, some DLCs can scratch even diamond. And its pores can be treated almost like wood I guess, by applying multiple layers of linseed or other drying oil, letting polymerization happen so no moisture can reach the steel.
 
Not a make-or-break feature for me. I like coatings on tool-steel knives, and I have one all-black folder that looks vaguely like something from Blackhawk, for when I want to play apprentice mall-ninja. If I see something that has the other features I like, and it has a coating, I might pick it up.

Most of the time, stonewash, satin, or bead-blast does it.
 
Nothing beats a good DLC coating with green micarta!!! I do not like the paint or powder coatings though.
 
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I guess if your goal is to have a knife that appears scratched and beat up after a very short while, go for coated. That's been my observation with the few coated beauties I have had.
 
It depends on the knife and how much I like it, so went with indifferent. Most of the knives I gravitate toward are stonewashed, but there are knives that I really like but only come coated. Both my full size and mini Adamas show some wear from times I've had to scrape them up against metal, but they don't look bad. The blade on my Guardian Tactical Recon is a darkened wash, and it seems to be holding up just fine.

The only coating I don't like so much is painted.
 
Certain protective coatings on non-stainless steels make sense and I am fine with them. At least as long as they are tasteful and don't introduce too much friction, or wear ungracefully. This would include Parkerizing, nickel or silver plating, and especially hard-chrome (which isn't really done on knives anymore, sadly).

Otherwise, I prefer an uncoated blade. Steel has a beauty and luster all of its own, and I find it a shame to hide it underneath coatings. A well finished blade is far more beautiful then any coated blade. For much the same reason I dont usually like stonewashing anymore either. Most (especially black) coated blades just look tacky to me. Satin or polished finish for me. I dont actually own any coated blades, with the exception of a Böker dessert warrior and a cold steel machete.
 
Generally I prefer uncoated.

However, when I’m feeling particularly special ops/mall ninja, I appreciate DLC with satined flats. :)
 
Did you know, RIT synthetic will dye the blade coating?

I didn't. Even tested a spot. Nothing. Until after 30 seconds in the dip.

Now I have a purple fixed blade. The handle came out as expected. Then things happened and the coating stained. (I know, I should have removed the scales. But Benchmade has them thread locked something serious.)


If Barney the Dinosaur carried a knife...( I can always dye it in the dark graphite color, so it's not a big deal.)


Plus coatings can be a pain during sharpening.
 
My vote is for uncoated. I guess we don't count stonewash etc. processes as coating. That's why a stonewash (sandwash or another washed) knife is always ideal for me. I definitely don't like mirror polish/finish knives. It scratches easily, it's for display rather than use (I know there are people who use it). They also attract a lot of attention. I agree they are very cool.
 
I don't see a need for coatings on blades. For me it's more for asthetics than anything else. I just take care of my knives and make sure I always clean and oil the blades after use. Never had rust, even on steels like Maxamet ans K390.
 
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