Removing Coldsteel "Teflon" finish?

M

maury

Joined
Sep 24, 2000
Messages
606
OK, I finally broke down and, despite Mr. Thompson's testosterone-laden promos, bought a CS Recon 1 Tanto folder. To be fair I have to say that all in all is a respectable blade for the money and I am basically happy with my purchase.

My single complaint (so far anyway!) is the shinny black "Teflon" coating on the blade. I have to wonder if it really is Teflon since cutting a few small pieces of corrugated cardboard left some noticeable scratches on it. Be that as it may, I think it just looks cheap. I really see no reason for a shinny black finish on the blade anyway. Certainly the shine defeats any "tactical" advantage.

So: is there any practical reason for this finish on a piece AUS 8A steel? If not, any advice on to how to remove it?

Thanks!
 
Well, the coating protects the blade from rusting and corrosion but I have heard that you can use acetone or paint stripper to remove it.
 
I don't know if its actually teflon, but I just saw an article that overheating or using chemicals on teflon pans can release dangerous vapors, so be careful.
 
I had a cold steel pro-lite folder w/blck finish and hated the scratches so I took it to wire wheel on my grinder, it took the finish off and left a light black tint to the blade, which didn't show any scratches.
 
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I have no personal experience with teflon removal, but I do want the exact same knife myself. Coating sounds like garbage if cardboard scratches it up. AUS8 should not rust unless totally neglected for some time. Chemical stripping would be the better option IMO. Sanding may work, but will be time consuming. I have a cheapo S&W with a supposed teflon coating, and I might have to try the wire wheel method to see how it looks.

Maybe if you remove the teflon finish it could be powdercoated black for more durability. Why cant Cold Steel just do that to begin with?
 
I'd say, if it's really teflon, the wire wheel is probably the best route. Chemical stripping would involve some pretty whacked out chemicals for teflon.

I doubt powdercoating would be all that much better. Teflon in particular may be preferable to paint/powdercoating, as it's slippery qualities probably decrease friction and binding when in use. But no coating will last forever under use. If the blade is blued, patinized, painted, coated, etc. in any way, it'll scratch with use. Just something that happens. Ultimately, you have to decide if you want a knife to look at or to cut stuff and accept the wear.
 
I used Zip-A-Strip paint remover to take off the epoxy coating on my Recon Scout.
I don't have a clue about the teflon finish.

Do be prepared to do some finishing work after removing the coating.
The steel under my epoxy coat was not polished.
 
From the website:
http://www.ltspecpro.com/recon1.html
To compliment their tactical mission we have given each blade a tough black Teflon® finish. Our testing has shown this coating or finish offers three major advantages for use on tactical blades. The first is; it is highly resistant to scratches and abrasions while keeping rust at bay. The second is; it eliminates glare and light reflections which may give its user away. The third is; it’s a superior lubricant, which causes the blade to slip through even tough material with markedly less friction. This means you can cut deeper and far longer than with a non-Teflon® coated blade.

So yes it is teflon, and it is there to reduce drag.

I knew a knife shop owner who used steel wool, flitz and fine sandpaper to polish a blade that was beadblasted. That should work with teflon coatings too.
 
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