Titanium Coatings ???

R

Rich S

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Sep 23, 2005
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I'm curious as to why knife companies put Titanium coatings on stainless steel blades (all grades)? Pardon if this has been discussed before, I can't find it if so.
I've "heard" that it makes them cut more smoothly (IMHO that is just horse pucky). I've tried them with Ti and then emory off the Ti and see absolutely no difference. IMHO, Ti coatings and all other coatings on stainless is just an excuse not to polish the blades properly. It's just probably cheaper to do. Not trying to start an argument, just curious. Thanks
Rich
 
They can improve corrosion resistance. With the rare exception of rustproof steels, like H1, stainless steel is corrosion-resistant but not rustproof; a coating can add another layer of protection.
 
Titanium coatings are probably titanium nitride or carbonitride Ti. Carbonitride Ti has a high wear resistance, low surface drag, and bonds to metal very well. They are most frequently seen on tool steel drill bits to protect them from corrosion and improve their function by reducing drag.

That said, most of the Ti coatings I have seen on sharp things have been on scissors and budget / junk knives. I think there it's less for function, and more that it just sounds/looks good.
 
Rich S said:
Ti coatings and all other coatings on stainless is just an excuse not to polish the blades properly. It's just probably cheaper to do. Not trying to start an argument, just curious. Thanks
Rich
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I mean... abrasive blasting and coating a blade will always be easier and faster for mass production especially when the blades are fully machine made. Traction coatings can hide even more "work" that wasn't done but IMO it's all give and take. Plus the companies who coat blades I'm sure don't market to knife modders who strip coatings. You either spend $$ via the time spent on properly grinding and making things smooth or directly spend $$ on the extra services needed to coat a blade. I'm sure it all has to do with production, pricing, and usage when it comes to companies choosing to do these finishes. But when it comes to some of the huge batches companies produce it's a huge time/$$ saver to go from CNC, to heat treat, then straight to abrasive blast and coating to hide all the tooling paths. The average consumer would just see a nicely coated blade and none the wiser.
 
TiN is a ceramic PVD coating. I used it for high speed cutters in industrial applications. It wouldn't cover tool marks, so I had them surface ground prior to coating.
 
Titanium coatings on knives is basically just marketing/gimmick. i wouldnt bother getting any knife worth its name with a titanium coating. chances are its sub par steel with the coating on it. a good knife doesnt need that.
 
Ti coating on knives, you mean on blades? I do not own any such knives nor do I see them often in the market. I mean, for what? I think I prefer bead blasting, satin, stonewash, working finish, blackwash, and DLC to titanium coating.
 
Cheap knives often state they're titanium. Read closer and it's ti coated and who really believes they go to all that trouble on a 20 dollar knife.
 
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