Satin Finish or Black Blade?

Is it a cosmetic preference?

If it is I choose black. I absolutely love black on blades. No reason really other than it looks great when first bought and FANTASTIC once used.
 
Psychopomp said:
I find that [black coating helps to prevent the enemy from spotting a shiny reflection of the blade] very hard to believe ... If the enemy can see the reflection of your knife, the enemy is way too close to begin with.
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You're kidding, right? Why do US (and many others) military specifications demand (and presumably pay a premium for) black phosphate coated blades?
 
While practically everything I had to say about this topic has already been mentioned, I still would like to add that aesthetically, I prefer the satin or polished finish. There's something sexy and alluring about seeing a nice blade. It's even nicer when a blade has a nice patina developed from years of use.

Just my two cents.
 
I think a lot depends on if you ever want to use it and then possibly resell it. If I were buying a knife to evaluate with the intention of selling it if I didn't like it then I would definitely choose satin. The first time you use a coated blade it usually looses its pristine appearance. You can use a satin blade quite a bit and still have it look pretty good. Most buyers don't want to buy a blade that looks used unless given a steep discount.

If I'm buying it for me than I think the black blades look pretty good---but I'm a person who seeks out vehicles with as little shiny chrome as possible. For some reason I've always preferred matte black hardware to the shiny stuff. It's all personal preference.
 
I generally avoid black coated blades. There are exceptions to that. For example my Terzuola 514, looks stunning in all black. THIS is the only knife I own with a black blade. I love satin finished blades.
Terzuola514open.jpg
 
Psychopomp said:
It's just a marketing ploy to try and attract this armchair commando crowd that's been obsessed with anything and everything military related recently. If the enemy can see the reflection of your knife, the enemy is way too close to begin with.
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Perhaps my instructors at Ranger School were part of your "armchair commando crowd," but what they taught students when I attended in 1977 directly contradicted your statement. An RI, using very explicit language, told me to spray paint the blade of my original model Gerber Mark II black. I'm puzzled why, at least three times during my Army service, we were trained to use (blackened) knives to eliminate sentries when, according to you, that means we'd be "way too close" to them. It's probably "armchair commando" nonsense to you, but there are occasions when it's necessary to kill an enemy soldier without the noise of gunfire giving away your position.

Psychopomp said:
In my opinion, coatings only belong on non-stainless blades that aren't going to be cleaned immediately after use. I can see no valid reason for coating stainless.
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No valid reason? Until I switched to using a titanium knife for ocean scuba diving, every uncoated stainless knife I tried (AUS8, Katz XT70, etc.) promptly began rusting. While not rustproof like titanium or H-1, coated stainless blades sure beat uncoated ones after exposure to salt water.
 
i dont use black blades, i find for me they just seem to scare people for no good reason, the only real virtue to them is corrosion resistance. besides that gimme satin or stonewash

Cheers!

the Colonel
 
Get the black blade if you want your new knife to look like it was pulled behind a pace car in 2 months. Keep your knife clean and don't worry about the corrosion resistance. Stainless steel works pretty good in that department. If you get a knife w/ D2 steel just keep it clean and periodically wipped with a silicone cloth. Best.
 
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AbnInfantry said:
Perhaps my instructors at Ranger School were part of your "armchair commando crowd," but what they taught students when I attended in 1977 directly contradicted your statement.
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Conventional wisdom on this issue changes along with the years.
Personally, I'd think that if you were deanimating sentries with a knife, it'd be from behind, meaning they'd not see the gleam of metal. Seemed to work well in World War Two at least.
There probably are some situations where it would make a difference, but likely not many.
 
If you want to stab someone a black blade may very well be more effective.

If you want to scare someone (which certainly is a valid means of enhancing your chance of survival) a shiny blade will no doubt be more effective than a black one, especially if it opens with a ridiculously loud CLACK! like say the CRKT Hissatsu folder. (Yeah I own one plz don't get me started)

If you like to toy with your knives, and possibly use stones or sandpaper, then the black coatings are bad news.
They're often hard to remove fully, but easy to damage.
 
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