Doug Ritter "Stonewash" Finish on S30V SS and Batoning?

T

TommyGuns

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Feb 14, 2010
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Does anybody know what a Doug Ritter RSK3 MK3 stonewash blade would look like if you used it for batoning? Would there be scuff marks on it or would it actually slide through wood easier because it is smoother? Would it look less scratched compared to a vg-10 satin/scotch brite finished knive? (dang I'm getting carried away with the questions, sorry)

I realize it's not designed to be a great knife for batoning, spliting wood, but was wondering what the finish on the blade would look like if I did.

"Blade (and tang) finish is my strikingly beautiful, but very practical "stonewashed" tumbled finish that also serves to seal the metal's pores for added corrosion protection and strength." And "As many RSK® Mk3 users have discovered, this finish holds up very well and doesn't show minor scratches much at all. It's the perfect finish for a practical using knife."
- From Doug's Webpage

Maybe stonewash is bead blasting?

I see some videos with some knives (1095 Power Coated) after they have split wood with them and the coating gets scuffed up. I don't like that look and was wondering if the Doug Ritter knife would look this way?

Anyway I'd greatly appreciate some information if anyone knows. :)

Thank you very much.
 
Stonewashed has a unique finish that hides scratches well... that said... like all coatings/finishes, it will still scratch... just be less noticeable...
 
Nothing like a mirror polished blade (complete blade not edge) to make your knife looks like crap after the 1st time you handle it. (smudge makrs, scratches, etc..) Stonewash finish is awesome. It is still a fairly smooth surface so the blade will still glide through materials easily and any scratches you get will be hidden within the thousands upon thousands of scratches already on the blade. Perhaps a really deep scratch will show, but other then that your knife will look as good as the day you got it.
 
TommyGuns said:
Does anybody know what a Doug Ritter RSK3 MK3 stonewash blade would look like if you used it for batoning? Would there be scuff marks on it or would it actually slide through wood easier because it is smoother? Would it look less scratched compared to a vg-10 satin/scotch brite finished knive? (dang I'm getting carried away with the questions, sorry)

I realize it's not designed to be a great knife for batoning, spliting wood, but was wondering what the finish on the blade would look like if I did.

"Blade (and tang) finish is my strikingly beautiful, but very practical "stonewashed" tumbled finish that also serves to seal the metal's pores for added corrosion protection and strength." And "As many RSK® Mk3 users have discovered, this finish holds up very well and doesn't show minor scratches much at all. It's the perfect finish for a practical using knife."
- From Doug's Webpage

Maybe stonewash is bead blasting?

I see some videos with some knives (1095 Power Coated) after they have split wood with them and the coating gets scuffed up. I don't like that look and was wondering if the Doug Ritter knife would look this way?
Anyway I'd greatly appreciate some information if anyone knows. :)

Thank you very much.
Click to expand...

Stonewashing is not the same as bead blasting, completely different finish on it as the media used is different. In theory you could use that knife for batoning, but all you are going to do is ruin a pretty spendy knife.
The blade coating on the 1095 blades serves to protect from corrosion more than anything else. If you baton one of those fixed blades then there is no doubt that the coating on any knife will wear to some extent.

As far as not liking the way it looks, not much that can be done if you use that particular tool for that task. You could always carry a small hatchet and use that for splitting wood. I do think that some of those marks give the particular knife character, they serve as reminders of adventures and experiences you've been though. I prefer to look at it that wayrather than having something remain pristine through unconventional care and use. Most tools get dirty (table saw, sharpening stones, wrenches) - as long as they continue to work as they are intended, use them.
 
Bead blasted blades show wear very quickly, It's just a series of peaks and valley and the peaks get scratched off very easily leaving scratch marks all over your blade.
 
Wow! lots of replys. There is really some good expertese in these forumns with lots of knowledge.

Thank you:
myowngod, incahiker, steven andrews, and nevermind35. Your comments were what I needed to hear to confirm my decissions to get a Doug Ritter.

I didn't know revdevil that stone washing was different than bead blasting, thanks for pointing that out. I think the DR Mk3 will be a great all around camp knife/survival and if pressed into emergency situations should manage to perform anything I'll need it to do.

Overall Stonewashing sounds like an impressive finish. I guess Doug Ritter knows a thing or two.

Thank You All!
 
RevDevil said:
I prefer to look at it that way rather than having something remain pristine through unconventional care and use. Most tools get dirty (table saw, sharpening stones, wrenches) - as long as they continue to work as they are intended, use them.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I used to waste so much time attempting to return tools to their unused appearance after using them in their intended role.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And cosmetic appearance doesn't qualify as "broke".
 
Character marks, take pride in the fact that your knife will actually appear to have been used. A tool should look like it's been used.
 
Beadblasting is a kind of media blasting; in this case the steel is blasted with tons of tiny beads of glass. The result is the surface gets millions of tiny pits/dings/dents, giving it a smooth, uniform, non-reflective finish.

The main purpose of beadblasting is cover up machining/grinding/tooling marks. It's common on lower end knives because it's a cheap way to finish the knife, rather than time consuming/expensive methods like satin finishing or mirror polishing. Some companies (like Strider) market the non-reflective attributed as "tactical". Beadblasting is also often done before coating a blade (or handles) because the roughed up surface gives the coating more area to bind to (like sanding primer on your car).

Beadblasting is NOT a method of reducing the wear a knife will show. In fact, short of a coated blade, a BB blade will show wear quicker and easier than other finishes. It's particularly easy to mark up a BB blade because there's a relief to the finish (think peaks and valleys) and the outer part will deform (scratch) easier.

The other main disadvantage to a BB blade is that the millions of tiny pits act as places for moisture to find purchase and start corroding. Even a 420J BB'd blade will rust easily if it's not paid close attention to.

Stonewashing (and tumbling) is the process of taking an already-finished (but not beadblasted) blade and scratching the hell out of it. Thousands of visible little scratches. You still have a "uniform" finish, but if you get a scratch on it, unless it's huge, it won't be noticed against all the other scratches. Great for "working" knives. You probably won't be able to see yourself in the finish, but it'll still have light reflective properties.

Some companies, rather than go all out with a stonewashed finish, will offer a "tumbled" finish. Benchmade, for example. They'll take a blade with a polished machine satin finish, and very lightly tumble it. So it still has the shiny luster of a satin finish, but with some light scratching to hide future wear. Basically the same thing as stonewashing, just to a lesser extent.

Don't baton with a folder.
 
S30V is very wear resistant and that's why it's so hard to polish !! Don't worry about it !
 
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