How do you rate coatings like DLC, PVD, etc?

Locutus D'Borg

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I was out of the knife and EDC world for a few years. I think I'm up on the latest steels, but there isn't much talk on coatings. Many years ago it drove me crazy that black-coated blades would lose their coating pretty quickly. Then DLC and PVD were used and there was a jump in protection/durability. What is considered the most durable these days? Thanks in advance.
 
I buy DLC more for the look than anything else. Although I don’t like some knives with it. It all just depends on what grabs me. But I agree, I don’t consider it a greater barrier for anti corrosion.
 
I'm not a fan of coatings either. For a folder, I don't need or want them.

The only real exception is 1095/1075. Not so much that I need it. I know how to care for my knives. It is more about how they come to me from the company. An ESEE, TOPS, or Kabar is going to have a coating. Whatever they use, I'm ok with.

If I had to choice from ESEE on a new model 4 with a coated or uncoated blade, I'd probably pick the coated blade just for the little, extra protection it provides.
 
I'm a bit schizophrenic on the topic.

I really enjoy my garishly coated Microtechs, and have some other oddballs in unnatural colors. But for anything I actually carry, I'm usually a stonewash person.

Technically speaking, I believe DLC is a type of PVD.
 
Right now I am trying Spyderco's DLC vs their TiCn and seeing how it holds up. Rubbed a little bt of DLC off of my new wharnie PM2 with aluminum, accidently. I was really going at it though.
 
Then maybe some of the crappy (albiet crappy, but black, so odd that it would leave what it left) titanium/coating from China rubbed off on the coating, you tell me what happened.
It’s likely the aluminum smearing onto the DLC. Rub some oil on it. Bet the marks come right off.

Real DLC takes a lot (and I mean a LOT) to even scuff it. It’s the hardest wearing coating I’ve ever seen by a long shot.
 
Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. That clarifies the coating picture in a meaningful way.
 
I love coated blades; the harder the better. The hardest is TiAlN (Titanium Aluminum Nitride) at 92 HRC. This is a Charcoal colored coat, not too pretty but wear resistant. The next hardest TiCN (Titanium CarboNitride) at 88HRC. It is dull Purple in color. Then comes ZrN (Zirconium Nitride) at 85HRC. It is Champagne colored. After that we have TiN (Titanium Nitride) at 82HRC. It has a bright Gold color. TDLC (Tungsten Diamond Like Carbon) or DLC is a Tungsten Carbide coating at 72HRC. It has a shiny black color. All of the aforementioned coatings are applied by (PVD) Physical Vapor Deposition in a vacuum chamber. They are ceramic coatings that are used to increase the wear resistance of tooling and knives.
BuckCote blades utilize some of these coating and are chisel sharpened so that the micro edge is ceramic.
I use these coated blades as finishing steels to touch up my micro edges.
Cerakote is paint with added ceramic particles. The bond is not strong compared to PVD coatings. Parkerize coating is a Phosphate dip that slows red corrosion. Not much abrasion resistance.
The tool coatings can be applied in layers to take advantage of varying physical properties such as lubricity, heat resistance, wear resistance, etc.
 
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While my use of knives is fairly light, and I only have 2 coated blades, the DLC on my ZT 0095BLKS90 has held up well.

The PVD finish on my A Purvis Progeny has shown some wear, if minor. However, I've only owned it a little more than a year and a half, while the ZT is 5 years old.

Make of that what you will, i bought them for looks as M390 and S90V are quite stain resistant.
 
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