The More Durable Blade Coating???

ROOK

ROOK

Joined
Nov 29, 2005
Messages
219
Hi All, Another question for the KNIFEPROS ;). I was curious which blade coating is the more durable ...DLC or Titanium Nitride Coating?

I know some companies stated they use a "whichever coating" on the blades and many times appear to be nothing more than just a black paint that scratches very easy. Before you know it, the blade looks a mess. I know a hard used knife that has some scratches on it "Just Give It Character" ;), but a blade coating that gets mangled during one use:confused: Thanks for listening, Take Good Care All, and Be Safe Always.

God Bless :)


-ROOK-
 
All the coatings I 've tried scratch and eventually look rough. The one I have the most experience with is Benchmade's BT2 and I've been very happy with the protection level it gives! On the other hand 9 times out of 10 I prefer no coating.
 
Peter Parker said:
...On the other hand 9 times out of 10 I prefer no coating.
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Same here. A bit of sandpaper and some elbow grease (with the help of some skill) can make a well used, beaten up non coated knife just like new. If the blade is coated you can only hope to remove the handle (if they are attached with screws) and strip it all... Otherwise they look too bad in my eyes after a bit of rough use.

Mikel
 
I also hate coatings.

Of the many coated knives I had, the best one, which I actually liked, was on a CRKT M16. Here's a Kershaw Ripcord coated with what appears to be the same stuff.

K3200.jpg


I think what makes them special is that it's polished, whatever it is. This works in two ways. It doesn't make the blade look like its unpolished and worthless when it's new, and also, the greatly decreased resistance of the polished coating means that it's much more resistant to scratches. In the couple years I had that little M16, I never had any scratch or fade in the coat...and I EDCed it.
 
Hi,

Of the two, TiN is more durable. It bonds on a molecular level. TiN is used to coat industrial cutting tools like lathe bits and inserts and end mills. It works very well. Right up to when you resharpen your cutting edge and the coating is removed from where you need it the most. Right at the edge. Then your cutting edge is no better than the substrate it is bonded to.

dalee
 
The only coated blade I own is an Benchmade 705 from 2000.
I carried and used it everyday for about 3 years or so, and although it does show some signs of use, it has been a very durable coating..
I really prefer no coating though.....
 
I *think* DLC is tougher.

Don't quote me on it, but that's just from my use and what I've found. It's really hard to scratch the DLC on my knives.

However, the nitride wears easier, meaning if it scratches, you won't see it as much. It's kinda like the color of the entire blade.
 
DLC is Diamond Like Coating, TiN is just a bonded to the metal. It doesn't "scratch" it just wears. I have had a lot of trouble scratching my Millies DLC coating.
 
If you want pristine knives, buy two and use one. Knives are tools and dark blades should be expected to wear. I've got friends who shoot their srainless revolvers and then go through incredible lengths to remove any vestige of powder. I can understand this to a degree, but it can get out of hand.

One of my Cold Steel Night Force knives is pretty beat up, but I still carry it and use it, and the 440A blade cuts like a demon.

If you use sandpaper, get a fine 00 scouring pad or stainless steel wool and follow up the sandpaper with some fine buffing. After that, use Flitz to bring it to a nice, bright polish.
 
I find that no coating can care for the blade as good as good old fashioned knife care. Platings scratch off with time, and coatings can actually allow the blade to rust underneath them. Bare beautiful steel can be cared for far better by hand than by a finish.
 
I know that Spyderco's DLC coating is extremely durable. I've had BM coating on couple of knives, they scratch and wear relatively easily (under had use, of course)
 
Artfully Martial said:
I also hate coatings.

Of the many coated knives I had, the best one, which I actually liked, was on a CRKT M16. Here's a Kershaw Ripcord coated with what appears to be the same stuff.


I think what makes them special is that it's polished, whatever it is. This works in two ways. It doesn't make the blade look like its unpolished and worthless when it's new, and also, the greatly decreased resistance of the polished coating means that it's much more resistant to scratches. In the couple years I had that little M16, I never had any scratch or fade in the coat...and I EDCed it.
Click to expand...


yeah my M16 has been through all sorts of hell. taken quite a beating but for whatever reason the blade coating has held up extremely well considering.
 
Bassist_in_black_17 said:
yeah my M16 has been through all sorts of hell. taken quite a beating but for whatever reason the blade coating has held up extremely well considering.
Click to expand...


The same here ...I also have a CRKT M16 with the TiN coating and it's been through all sorts of material. The blade shows very little wear.

I also have several Kershaw blades that have the DLC and some show scratching and others don't after hard use :confused: Can't figure that one out ... Maybe the coating process they've been through???

Being an LEO ...None Of My Blades Stay Pretty For Long ...:rolleyes::D. Thank You All for the Feedback. Take Good Care and Be Safe Always.

God Bless :)


-ROOK-
 
What about this Black-T finish?

Does anyone know anything about it?

Would that be most durable?

I assume its a matte/flat finish?
 
Josh K said:
DLC is Diamond Like Coating, TiN is just a bonded to the metal. It doesn't "scratch" it just wears. I have had a lot of trouble scratching my Millies DLC coating.
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My brother droped his on the concrete, had a little concrete dust on the spine but not even a single scratch.
 
Great site for information on coatings (click the links on left).

http://www.nctcoating.com/html/contract_coat.html

They give information on hardness, thermal stability, lubricity, approximate coating thickness, AND what coatings are suitable for certain materials.

If you are just going for hardness, it would appear AlTiN is the hardest at 3500 Vickers.
 
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