DLC coating vs cardboard

DennisM said:
I'll start. My wife is an internet shopaholic and our extra bedroom has become her staging place for all of the cardboard boxes, I probably contribute too with my weekly mail calls. 😁 That said, I have a huge task at hand. I am considering replacement blades for my Kobart Utility Knife ... should I go with Kobalt replacements blades or is the value pack at Harbor Freight a better option? OR ... should I just F up the finish on my prized knives and use them? 🤔 Hmmmmm????
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Buy a K390 spyderco and have fun!
I roughly cut my boxes and burn in the outdoor chimney but cutting cardboard is kind of fun for some reason
 
TDLC (Tungsten Diamond Like Carbon), sometimes called DLC is a Tungsten Carbide coat with a hardness of around 72 HRC. The SiO2 found in cardboard is < 72HRC. So you should be OK. I have Tungsten Carbide blades in my box cutters, and they have no scratches.IMG_2521.png
 
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shinyedges said:
Dlc will often have particles of whatever is cut left on it, due to how hard it is. It's exceptionally durable. The marks from whatever was cut may look like scratches in the coating, it isn't.
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Exactly. True DLC is damn hard to scratch. It picks up junk from what you cut but when you wash it with some dawn and oil it, nada.

In my experience it’s taken years of use for any wear to show on it at all.
 
Use the knife to cut the cardboard and report back. Then there will be some real world evidence to answer the question for future inquiries. Worst case scenario is that you will have a tool that tells the story of your recent move. Scratched knives work just fine, and used items often look more interesting than new ones.
 
Spyderco911 said:
Is a DLC coating on a knife hard enough to withstand cutting through a bunch of cardboard without scratching like crazy? I understand it is pretty hard stuff. Figured it couldn’t hurt to ask before I cut up a bunch of boxes from a recent move, and was debating using a Cold Steel Recon 1 that I am breaking in.

Thanks in advance for your input!
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If the worn look will bother you, just use a naked (hehehe) blade. Make it your beater knife. Minor scratches on a plain Jane blade are arguably less noticeable than a worn DLC blade.
 
Spyderco911 said:
Since we have also discussed OLFA’s and DLC coatings. The combo I happen to have at work with me today.

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What's the handle made of on that Olfa my good sir? That thing's sweet. I searched them and saw that there is a version with a stainless steel handle, which is cheaper and looks thinner, but I like the handle on yours better. Aluminum? Thanks.
 
I alternated for several months between a PM3 in S110V and a DLC coated S45VN blade. I figured if all the chippy talk about S110V was true I would retire the knife and if the DLC wore like crazy I would retire that one. Both are still in the rotation and both look like new. The S110V never developed chips and diamonds made it easy to sharpen. The DLC Spyderco uses must be next level because I initially thought it was showing wear only to clean the "wear" off leaving it looking brand new again. I cannot even tell I carried and used that one. Whatever they do for the coating and keeping the hardness of the blade may as well be magic.
 
Spyderco911 said:
Cold Steel Recon 1
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As someone who currently carries Recon 1 Tanto as his EDC for months now, and doesn't want to change it anytime soon - I say put some schratches on it. Recon 1 is a knife that is made to work, mine is schratched up already and I like it that way. The sooner that "initial schratch" happens - the sooner you'll start fully enjoy the knife.
 
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This is how mine currently looks like.
 
I don't think CS uses DLC. Whatever it is, it is not diamond like in hardness.
 
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