talonite and or stelite ?

Matt Shade

Matt Shade

Joined
Nov 24, 1999
Messages
4,981
Well I keep hearing more and more good things about this stuff. In terms of performance, but I also keep hearing more and more bad things ( at least from my stand point ) on working it. Like its hard to grind and hard to machine and expensive.Despite all that I would kind of like to try it out. So what I was wanting to know is-
How expensive is it? I'd probably use stuff in the .125 x 1" range.
And just how hard is the stuff really? I know it takes awhile to grind (so it will take me a really long time to do it on my 4x36) But what about drilling? Do you have to use carbide? And if so how easy does it drill then? My drill press isn't the greatest and I don't want to just start shattering bit after bit on one hole.
I'm guessing it can't be cut with your average file, so I'd probably go for a small fixed blade rather than a folder. If only I had a mill
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Thanks for any info.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.
 
Matt,
As one who has use quite a bit of both, I hope I can help.
With good sharp grinding belts, both can be ground easy enough. Problem is, it dulls belts very quickly.
You have to use carbide drills to put a hole thru it.
A file won't touch it.
If I Rockwell test it, it comes to a Rc 44-46. That's deceiving. The cobalt particles are way hard. You are punching into the matrix around the cobalt, not the cobalt.
It can frustrate you during the learning curve but then, it ain't all that bad. The final product is worth it.
As Tom Mayo says - "Cobalt Rules"
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tom who? a piece big enough for a regular sized hunter will cost you around $80... in 5/32" thick stuff.....125 is ok for small knives...but you can bend it sorta easy, so i like to use thicker stuff....its not that hard to grind...about like hardened steel. polishes pretty easy....as kit says, you MUST use carbide to drill it....the concrete bits at the hardware store are the cheapest, and the most inaccurate....I start with a dbl ended center drill and then drill the hole size i need.
 
Thanks guys.
$80 for a peice big enough to do a normal hunter
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thats even more than I was expecting. I may still try it though depending on how things are going.
Sounds like my two biggest problems with working it would be drilling and cutting it. The knife would probably end up about the same length as the bar I ordered, and all of a sudden I'm really liking knives with no scales
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I can get carbide bits but the spindle on my drill press is kind of wobbly. It would probably drill nice ovals.
I think I'll be trying some of the stuff from CPM first like 440V or 420V( or whatevr they call them now) if I switch from ATS34. But I won't write talonite off the list.
Thanks again.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.
 
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