Hard Use Coating

KNIFEABILITY

KNIFEABILITY

Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Messages
399
I want to praise another area often overlooked in buying decisions where ESEE Knives is setting the standard. The coating is extremely durable compared to all my other knives that the coating has chipped, flaked, and completely rubbed off. This coating seems to just smooth out long before it starts exposing metal which in a hard use carbon steel knife is a big deal and means far less maintenance. This is the toughest coating I have ever come across so far and I own knives that cost three times as much! Has anyone out there come across a tougher more functional coating? Would like to know.
 
KNIFEABILITY said:
I want to praise another area often overlooked in buying decisions where ESEE Knives is setting the standard. The coating is extremely durable compared to all my other knives that the coating has chipped, flaked, and completely rubbed off. This coating seems to just smooth out long before it starts exposing metal which in a hard use carbon steel knife is a big deal and means far less maintenance. This is the toughest coating I have ever come across so far and I own knives that cost three times as much! Has anyone out there come across a tougher more functional coating? Would like to know.
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I have to agree, ESEE's coating is exceptionally hard-wearing compared to what the other manufacturers use.

As for a tougher coating, well, i dont know if its tougher, but Chris Reeves Gun-Kote thats used on my Shadow is some pretty durable stuff too. Very happy with the way its held up.

The DLC coating on my ZT, has help up pretty good too.

Ontario's zinc-phosphate coating on my TAK, has worn down and is visibly faded now, but thats after some hard use, i rate it above average. It hasnt flaked or anything, even though the knife has batoned firewood en masse.

Beckers coating on my BK11 and BK2, is not very good, and it starts to flake off from the very first time its batoned. It seems more like its been painted for looks.

Ive also heard that Fallknivens coating isnt very durable.
 
its been surprisingly hard to get my 5, HEST and Izula to show enough wear that I'm no longer embarassed to show 'em! ....but I'm gettin' there! :)
 
I actually think that the coating on my BK9 was VERY tough. I think it has something to do with how smooth it is.
 
I love it. It seems to protect even when it is gone. As if there is still a little bit still in the pores of the steel.
 
The only knife I have more hours on than my ESEE 6 is my BK-7, but not for long. The coating on the BK-7 made me look like a pro woodsman after a few uses. The ESEE-6 looks like I have done some light carving and a little batonning when really it has been through camp hell. When I think about all I have done while looking at the knife I cannot believe it. I am not saying other knife companies have bad coatings at all, its just this coating kicks ass.
 
Sometimes it's a little bit too good - I've put my knives through some hard work and my friends ask me why I'm not using them! The coating has gone dull, but it's still hanging on in there. Impressive stuff.
 
The coating really is pretty tough.. :thumbup:

It will definitely come off, but you really have to use it hard. :D


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The only coating I have come across that compares, is Swamp Rats.
 
hard use coating = when the original coating has been worn off completely from use :eek: i'm lagging behind eloreno though with all these mountain biking i've been doing.
 
how about Hard Chrome or Titanium Nitride?

TiN gets used on even fairly cheap drill bit sets so it can't be that spendy if done in quantity. CRKT does gold TiN on some of their knives, especially ones with tan scales.

AFAIK you can't do Tenifer in the states and it's exclusive to Glock, but the Melonite like S&W uses on some stuff is available to anyone and can be done here.
 
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