Talonite VS ....

B

Blade Santa Cruz

Joined
May 6, 1999
Messages
321
... any high quality stainless now routinely used. I'm having some serious doubts about getting a Talonite blade vs a steel one in an EDC. I would think that a cobalt-chromium material would have a far lower strain-to-failure than a good steel. This would translate into a significant loss of toughness and a more brittle blade that wouldn't be able to take the abuse that an EDC is bound to receive.

What's your opinion? Any of you with significant real-life experience involving hard use and a Talonite blade? Thanks for chiming in here. I'm always happy to change my pre-conceived notions when reality proves me to be wrong. :D
 
I have never found talonite or stellite to be brittle when used in a small cutting blade. Might not be my first choice as a large chopper but great for smaller blades.

My hardest use was dropping the knife and falling 15' or so with it while trying to scale a waterfall (it fell out of the sheath). It got scratched but did not break. I was pleasantly suprised.

I use a Tom Mayo TNT as my EDC and it is up to every task I ask of it.

AND it is easy to sharpen on those rare occasions I need to do so.

I use a Neil Blackwood stellite small hunter as my primary fishing blade and it have never had any complaint with it. Many fish have felt the wrath of the Haynes family of alloys :)


The main problem with these blades are the expense........
 
The stuff I do with my edcs probably doesn't qualify as hard use. 2 out of 3 of my edcs are talonite right now. The third is 420v. I can't seem to get the talonite as hair popping sharp as the 420v, but that's been my only (and minor) disappointment. Both of the talonite knives are smallish and I've found them up to most everything I do.
 
I've got a CUDA Talonite Talon. I have used it extensively outside in the yard/garden while helping my wife landscape, cutting through burlap type stuff (heavily impregnated with yard dirt at the time), and trimming plants. Things such as that. I also have used it extensively cutting up cardboard for recycling; it holds its edge so well that it has become my only cardboard knife.

I just recently purchased the CUDA EDC in Talonite, and have used it quite a bit. So far, I'm just as pleased with it as the Talon. The only blade steels that I have found that even come close so far are BG42 and D2. Talonite is good, very good. But I haven't used either of my knives for prying, or trying to unscrew anything. I just use them for cutting.
 
Blade Santa Cruz :

[Talonite]

wouldn't be able to take the abuse that an EDC is bound to receive.
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Pretty much what I have seen on a half a dozen cobalt alloy blades. It means basically that for a given durability you need a thicker profile for Talonite and thus produce a lower cutting ability. Most production blades however come with very thick edges (0.03- 0.05" behind the bevel, sharpened at 20-25 degrees per side), and thus will cut anything without harm, however just not very well. You need to compare the performance to something with a high performance edge profile, ground by someone like Boye / Wilson / Schott (0.005" - 0.01" behind the edge, ground at 10-15 per side) or the ABS smiths, to see the huge difference in cutting ability, easily 100%+ .

-Cliff
 
I can't measure the thickness of my Talon or my EDC (both Camillus), but I'd have to say they are far from "thick". In fact, holding up my Talonite EDC next to my D2 EDC, and comparing the edge cross sections at the belly (the only place I can sight along the edge), they are indistinguishable. And both seem to be pretty "high performance" cutters to me.
 
rockspyder :

both seem to be pretty "high performance" cutters to me.
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Performance is relative, benchmark them against a knife with the specifications I listed in the above. Steel can be pushed far past 0.02+" at the edge on a small knife. The primary reason that edges (and blades in general) have become so thick is the use of stainless steels and the "tactical" perspective. Look at knives about two generations ago and you will see edges an order thinner than it common today - and they didn't have the same quality of steel nor heat treatment. For reference I have a full size camp class bowie coming that is 0.02" thick at the edge and it is spec'ed to resist hard chopping. None of my small blades are thicker than 0.01" behind the edge, except on those that I have readily brought the edge angle down to ~10 degrees, or of course are just excessively worn. It is on such profiled blades that you will see the problems I noted in the above. If you make the edge thick and obtuse enough you will get the necessary durability with any material, but that is a trivial argument as it ignores the consequence of such actions.

-Cliff
 
The primary reason that edges (and blades in general) have become so thick is the use of stainless steels and the "tactical" perspective.
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And guys chopping concrete and hacking up sinks! :D

My Camillus Talons are 18 to 20 thou at the edge, sharpened correctly and are great slicers!
 
I've got both sizes of Camillus' Talons, and one small custom from Rob. I just bought another one of Rob's, a Cetan, from a fellow forumite, and if USPS can ever find my address maybe it will get here. (You think I'm kidding, the tracking says in was in Cincinnati, 100 miles away, two days ago, then they shipped it to Memphis. I think it's trying to follow the Olympic torch! If it shows up in HI Tom, please send it to me via Fed Ex.)

The camillus pair I'll use, and the Simonich pair I'll show off, carry when I don't expect any heavy use, and will give to my children when I kick the bucket. They'll still be in great shape.

I tried to buy a Mayo fixed blade a couple of weeks ago from Phil but couldn't get enough fun money together in time and it went to someone else.

Can you tell I like Talonite?

I don't plan on carving concrete. I take good care of my carbon knives so they don't rust. If I need to do something heavy duty, something on the border of what a knife should be used for, I'll pull out my Busse or Strider, or better yet a cheap beater so if it breaks I won't have to cry.

I'm rambling a bit here but let me say I think for what its' intended use is, Talonite is a great material for a knife. I'll leave stainless for the steak knives in the kitchen.

There are plenty other people here with more experience and knowledge, but here's a vote for Talonite from a simple user.

Mark
 
Not that I disagree with you at all, because I'm a big Talonite fan as well.... but.... you didn't really say in your post what you use Talonite for. Just that you will "use" the Camillus pair. Are you saying you use the Camilluses (Camillus's/Camilli?) for EDC doing everything except what you list you use the other knives for? Just curious. I was reading through you posts and thinking "OK, now this guy is gonna come in with some detailed good usage for Talonite." Then I got to the end and went, "Huh?" :)

Elaborate on the Talonite a little, please.
 
Nick Blinoff, a professional chef in So CA, has been using the original Talonite chef's knife for about two years now, and still raves about it. Absolutely no problems with it at all, despite vigorous daily use. Walt
 
You're not the first person to go "Huh?" after I got through talking!:p

I don't really care for folders so I tend to carry the mini Talon in my pocket, not around my neck. If I'm working around the home the Talon rides on my hip for whatever my needs might be.

I've used the mini to open boxes, cut up cardboard, trim/cut wire at work, trimmed a few burrs out of my dog's hair, pried rocks out of the tread in my boots, cut twine when I went to get the Christmas tree a few weeks ago, etc. That's what I meant when I said I'm a simple user. I didn't try to cut the Christmas tree down with a three inch Talon. Oh, it happened to be raining the day I go the tree, and the knife probably got wet, but it just ended up back in my pocket.

The Talon came in handy when I ran over some rope with my lawnmower and had to cut it off the blade spindle. I trim a few wild growing shoots off my bushes as I walk around the house. I've been known to take a few screws out with the blade, not real tight ones of course! I put down some left over carpet on the basement stairs and the Talon trimmed up the edges real quick.

Obviously all of the above could be done with any half decent knife made of most anything, but Talonite just works for me, no worries, and easy to resharpen, but then it doesn't need that very often either.

Mark
 
Ahhhhh... much better. ;) Yep, that sounds pretty much like an EDC to me. About the same that I use my Camillus Talonite EDC for, so far. Works like champ. And the blade has that nice, slick feel to it. Mmmmm... Talonite...
 
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