Talonite Good, Bad or Ugly?

[copfish]

So far, I have been using and abusing several different Talonite blades. I have noticed that Talonite cuts forever, but loses that hair popping sharpness as fast as BG-42 but cuts cleaner much longer. Also does not stain or corrode! Makes a fairly decent prybar too... A small skeleton neck-knife out of Talonite is my choice for a daily carry, along with my Mayo TNT Ultralight and Allen Blade MEUK!

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"Hi, I'm Fish, and I'm a Taloniteaholic..."
copfish@aol.com

 

[grnamin]

I've been wondering about Talonite, too. I had a talk with Dexter about its properties and, based on what I learned, shouldn't it be better than titanium in blade applications, and, therefore, replace it? How about, for instance, a Mission MPK in Talonite?

-Greg

 

[e_utopia]

Based on what I've heard, and read (material data sheets are your friend, hehe), Talonite is a better knife material than Ti. However, Talonite is not non-magnetic, so it cannoit replace Ti. The only real reason to use Ti is for it's lack of magnetic properties (won't set off magnetically-activated mines). At an understatement, that is a specialized market, and most Ti blades go to those who just want them because of the gadget factor. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you're looking for an extremely corrosion-resistant blade, Talonite is a better choice. If you need to mess around with mines, Ti is better.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com

 

[Dr.Lathe]

So far, now that I finally made MYSELF a Talonite knife.....I love it!!
It's been great around salt water. The edge held up quite well preping several large fish. The best part is not even thinking about corrosion. I put the wet knife right in the sheath and later found dried salt on it with no trace of rust or even discoloration!
I found the edge holding ability to be outstanding and very easy to resharpen with my extra fine DMT stone.
It's taking time but slowly my customers are using their Talonite knives. So far they seem to be pleased with the material. As long as the response continues to be good, I'll keep using it!!
Neil

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Talonite, New Pics, Etc., Etc.!!
Blackwood Knives
http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Meeting/5520/index.html

 

[Allen Blade]

Hello,

I like it too!!,,,,, i think its a great all around material ,excelling around wet environments especially. I think that Rafters, Kyakers, Jungle runners and such will find it a great using blade with hardly any maintainence involved other than sharpening a bit. It is a bear to grind,
and work ,but the results are well worth it.

Regards,,,,, Allen Blade

 

[The Edge Equipment]

Have to concur with Neil, Allen and Fish,

No worries about corrosion period , excellent long term edge retention (can't start to dull by corroding on the sharpened edge either) and easily touched up on a smooth kitchen steel.

This material is not for everyone at it's price point but if you need or want these particular qualities it is a terrific knife blade material.

Kevin

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Kevin Pensinger
The EDGE Equipment
sales@theedgeequipment.com

Contact The EDGE for your custom cutlery needs!

 

[Dexter Ewing]

Count me in among those for Talonite. Its definitely a hardcore performer. Not only does it keep on cutting even when the edge has lost its bite but I find that Talonite cuts smoother than steel blades due to its inherent lubricity.

I've had ATS-34 blades stain on me even after cutting meat if they aren't cleaned right away. With Talonite, I can cut food and clean the blade at my convenience without worry of stains setting in.

Talonite may be a softer material than steel, thus losinig its edge quicker, but OTOH is easier to resharpen. In terms of ease of resharpening I find it on par with 440A. A Talonite knife is something you'd want with you in the field or campsite for its ease of maintenance and superb cutting performance.

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AKTI Member # A000005
NC Knife Knuts Member
Living life "on the edge"

 

[Bronco]

You guys might want to check out the following link that was recently seen over in the general forum. It directly addresses some of the issues in question here. The thread began as a discussion of titanium's utility in knife blades but quickly turned into a comparison of beta titanium vs. talonite.
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum54/HTML/001268.html

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Semper Fi

 

[Marion David Poff]

Can anyone reconcile Cliff's results with these reports?

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Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye, Cd'A ID, USA mdpoff@hotmail.com

My Talonite Resource Page, nearly exhaustive!!
My Fire Page, artificial flint and index of information.

"Many are blinded by name and reputation, few see the truth" Lao Tzu

 

[Samurai6]

Mmmmmmmm, I'm still withholding judgement on Talonite. If you need a knife that is corrosion proof above all else, then certainly there is no better choice, but you have to need a blade more corrosion resistant than CPM440V to justify it in my opinion. The stronger, thinner, and thus more efficient cutting edges you can run on 440V or Boye Dendritic 440C, or even 420V make them much more desirable to me as a corrosion resistant blade material. Talonite is a trade-off between corrosion resistance and cutting edge efficiency for me.

 

[Wulf]

Can anyone refer me to a good supplier of Talonite? Also, what do I need to know about heat-treating this stuff before I grind out a few blades?

 

[e_utopia]

Talonite comes heat-treated. It is Stellite, put through a certain heat-treatment process. Just grind away.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com

 

[Running Dog]

Ask Rob Simonich about Talonite...I think he is the only source...
www.simonichknives.com

Running Dog

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Running Dog Knife Company
mmurphy@premier1.net

www.runningdogknife.bigstep.com

 

[Larry in KY]

I think Talonite is great as a using blade or one that would be great around saltwater or corrosive environments. It holds an excellent edge and is easy to resharpen....I'm still holding out my opinion of it compared to a properly forged blade, I just need to use it longer than I have.
And it is rust free as far as I can tell, as I've left blood on my blade for days with no problem and have cut fruits with acid and still no problems. I personally think that it is superior to any stainless steel that I've ever used though.

 

[Gus Kalanzis]

I have only owned one for a couple of weeks now, but I have used it as my main knife. I have been very impressed as far as it's edge holding ability. Have not come close to having to touch it up yet. Granted, it has only been used for lite every day cutting tasks. (It is one of Rob'b small ones.)I agree with Larry. The edge has easily held up better than any stainless I have used under the same type of conditions.

I want to thank Rob, Walt, Darrel, Kit, Bob and whoever else pioneered the use of it as a blade. So far I have been very pleasantly pleased by the stuff and look forward to other knives made from it.

All the above comes from someone pretty biased towards forged steel.

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" I am continually reminded of the rewards of dealing with custom knife makers and the custom knife community." Jeff J.

 

[Jake Evans]

You can count me in as a Talonite lover too. Thanks to Tom Walz's generosity I am the proud owner of a Camillus C.U.D.A. Talon. I've played with it some and even done some serious cutting with it and it has made me a believer. I like it so much I'm considering making a bootsheath for it for everyday carry as a bootknife. Will Fennel and Ron Simonitch did a great job on the collaboration. I know I'll get more Talonite knives in the future and would recommend knives of this alloy to anyone who appreciates a sharp using knife.

Jake Evans

 

[tom mayo]

you mean like this?????

Good, very good. It will NOT corrode....Rob Simonich has put it in every acid known to man....NOTHING.....IT is NOT magnetic....there is NO iron in it....if it didnt cost so much I would make all of my knives out of it. Rob...where is my talonite??

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http://www.mayoknives.com




[This message has been edited by tom mayo (edited 06-20-2000).]

 

[Larry in KY]

Guys,

If you think that Talonite folder is nice looking you ought to see his Talonite, hunters! I have one and it is gorgeous, ideal design for a hunter and to top it all off, the workmanship is flawless..at least to my eyes!!

 

[tom mayo]

that is copfish's knife...ser#001....wish i had kept it....he got the first one i made for myself too.....too bad I am a gunaholic and he has lots of guns.....but I still have another one...that says prototype....so I guess I am ok.....talonite (stellite 6bh) is some good stuff...wont rust...keeps on cutting, easy to sharpen...and one lb only costs the same as 8 lbs of 420V..go figure

 

[Walt Welch]

Er, ah, Tom...as much as I hate to disagree with a person who is making me a fixed blade out of Talonite (r), the alloy IS magnetic.

The confusion comes from most people thinking that ferromagnetism (a magnet will stick to it) is the only kind. Magnetism has a broader definition than that. It means that a substance will generate electricity (eddy currents) if passed through a magnetic field. Like the copper armature rotated in a permanent magnetic field which made up your old-fashioned auto generator.

Thus, Cu, Co, and Al are all magnetic, despite most people thinking they are not. Co is so magnetic that it can be made ferromagnetic by adding rare earth elements (such as samarium) to it. Please note that there is NO Fe in this alloy, yet it is ferromagnetic. Another example of Co's magnetism is the 'doping' of iron oxide recording tape with Co to make it more ferromagnetic.

Beta Ti is used for EOD personnel knives because it generates virtually no eddy currents.

For a good discussion on elementary electromagnetism, go here: http://www.en.com/users/ktc/ebasmag.htm

Hope this helps, Walt