-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
What is Talonite? Why is it so Pricey?
- Thread starter Nimravus
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 19, 1999
- Messages
- 3,560
It is cobalt/chromium alloy with absolutely no iron in it to make it cheaper. The cost of the rare elements is the primary reason it is so expensive.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2001
- Messages
- 3,743
Check out this FAQ, it will help answer some of the questions about the features of Talonite.
http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqsteel.shtml
The benefits that I like the best are the total corrosion resistance, and the good wear resistance.
http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqsteel.shtml
The benefits that I like the best are the total corrosion resistance, and the good wear resistance.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,139
Talonite References
Talonite
The focus of this page is Talonite, but it also includes information about other Cobalt products.If you know of any sources I have failed to include, please inform me, I will gladly include them. The information on this page has been compiled from a number of sources, discernment should be used when interpreting this information.
This first part is a sort of question and answer session complied from a number of threads and sources...
What is Talonite?
Talonite is a Cobalt Chromium alloy, a member of the Haynes Alloy family, that has been treated with a new hot rolling age hardening process. Talonite is the same composition as alloy 6BH (Stellite), except for the hot rolling and age hardening. The direct age hardening after hot rolling provides maximum hardness and wear resistance. The advantages this creates are increased wear resistance, increased hardness, and improved machining characteristics. Talonite is much easier to grind than other Stellite type alloys and has improved edge retention qualities.
Carbide Processors- Tom Walz is the President
http://www.carbideprocessors.com/knives.htp
Chemical Breakdown:
Cobalt Balance
Nickel 3% max
Silicon 2% max
Iron 3% max
Manganese 2% max
Chromium 28%-32%
Molybdenum 1.5% max
Tungsten 3.5%-5.5%
Carbon 0.9%-1.4%
Are there any other materials similar to it?
Yes,
David Boye's Dendritic Cobalt http://www.boyeknivesgallery.com/
Stelite http://www.stellite.com/
High Performance Alloys http://www.hpalloy.com/
Stellite 6K is Cobalt 6B with .5% more carbon. Cobalt 6BH is Cobalt 6B hot rolled and age hardened, this is what Carbide Processors calls Talonite. To be complete, Boye's Dendritic Cobalt is cast Cobalt 6B.
-Cliff Stamp
How easy is it to sharpen?
How to Sharpen Talonite????
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/002461.html
Is Talonite Magnetic?
Talonite and metal detectors
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001249.html
Stellite/Talonite/Cobalt 6 Airport Security Test
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001336.html
Cobalt 6 and airport security
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/003067.html
How corrosion resistant is Talonite?
It is just about completely corrosion resistant, the way I like to put it is thus: If you can safely put your hand into it, you can probably put Talonite into it with no corrosion effect.
How well does it hold an edge.
It holds an edge extremely well, some have said that it holds an edge better than most steel, though there has been some dissenting opinions such as this one.....
"Okay, Here Goes My Report On Talonite."
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001292.html
Why is it so expensive?
The market, only two places manufacture it, and it is not widespread in use.
How resistant is it to lateral stress? Does it bend and return to true when moderate lateral stress is applied, or will it snap without warning?
"As a bend example from Carbide Processors, a piece almost 3/16" thick (unground) was bent to 90 degrees by hand. Reference-http://www.carbideprocessors.com/knives.htp#alloy
That does not indicate high strength, but decent ductility. Further, the tensile strength is 190 000 psi, compare this to Mission's A2 which is 310 000. Rob Simonich description is inline with this, as he has noted Talonite bends easier than ATS-34 and snaps at a lower angle.
I would be curious to know how easy the edge indents/rolls given the low RC. There have been contradicting reports on this. Steve Harvey and Joe Talmadge have described performance which is much lower than tool steel blades in this aspect , however Ron Hood has described Talonite as being better than Busse's A2 in this area." -Cliff Stamp
118 is the yeild strength. -Cliff Stamp
Where do you get it?
Rob Simonich
Box 278, Clancy MT 59634
Phone(406)933-9151
Fax
406)933-8910
http://www.simonichknives.com/
Who is making knives from it now?
In no particular order.....
Custom Makers
Tom Mayo http://www.mayoknives.com/
Neil Blackwood http://blackwoodknives.com/
Lynn Griffith http://www.griffithknives.com/
Trace Rinaldi http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/
Allen Blade http://www.geocities.com/mdpoff/allenblade.html
Rob Simonich http://www.simonich knives.com/
Kit Carson http://www.kvnet.org/knives/
Darrel Ralph http://www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
RJ Martin http://www.martinsite.com/
Pat Crawford http://www.crawfordknives.com/
Manufacturers
Tactical Operations (TOPS) http://www.topsknives.com/
Camillus http://www.camillusknives.com/
Round Eye Knife and Tool http://www.roundeye.com/
There are other's and their names can be found in these threads:
Who's making knives in Talonite?
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000779.html
who's working with talonite?
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000447.html
What is a good blade finish for this stuff?
"So far in my experience, mirror polishing is out. It seems to have a grain patern to it that prevents just about any finish above 400. Since it is almost totally corosion resistant, bead blasting is a good finish for any environment. I have had good results with hand rubbed finishes stopping at 400 grit." -Dr.Lathe aka Neil Blackwood.
Talonite
The focus of this page is Talonite, but it also includes information about other Cobalt products.If you know of any sources I have failed to include, please inform me, I will gladly include them. The information on this page has been compiled from a number of sources, discernment should be used when interpreting this information.
This first part is a sort of question and answer session complied from a number of threads and sources...
What is Talonite?
Talonite is a Cobalt Chromium alloy, a member of the Haynes Alloy family, that has been treated with a new hot rolling age hardening process. Talonite is the same composition as alloy 6BH (Stellite), except for the hot rolling and age hardening. The direct age hardening after hot rolling provides maximum hardness and wear resistance. The advantages this creates are increased wear resistance, increased hardness, and improved machining characteristics. Talonite is much easier to grind than other Stellite type alloys and has improved edge retention qualities.
Carbide Processors- Tom Walz is the President
http://www.carbideprocessors.com/knives.htp
Chemical Breakdown:
Cobalt Balance
Nickel 3% max
Silicon 2% max
Iron 3% max
Manganese 2% max
Chromium 28%-32%
Molybdenum 1.5% max
Tungsten 3.5%-5.5%
Carbon 0.9%-1.4%
Are there any other materials similar to it?
Yes,
David Boye's Dendritic Cobalt http://www.boyeknivesgallery.com/
Stelite http://www.stellite.com/
High Performance Alloys http://www.hpalloy.com/
Stellite 6K is Cobalt 6B with .5% more carbon. Cobalt 6BH is Cobalt 6B hot rolled and age hardened, this is what Carbide Processors calls Talonite. To be complete, Boye's Dendritic Cobalt is cast Cobalt 6B.
-Cliff Stamp
How easy is it to sharpen?
How to Sharpen Talonite????
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/002461.html
Is Talonite Magnetic?
Talonite and metal detectors
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001249.html
Stellite/Talonite/Cobalt 6 Airport Security Test
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001336.html
Cobalt 6 and airport security
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/003067.html
How corrosion resistant is Talonite?
It is just about completely corrosion resistant, the way I like to put it is thus: If you can safely put your hand into it, you can probably put Talonite into it with no corrosion effect.
How well does it hold an edge.
It holds an edge extremely well, some have said that it holds an edge better than most steel, though there has been some dissenting opinions such as this one.....
"Okay, Here Goes My Report On Talonite."
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001292.html
Why is it so expensive?
The market, only two places manufacture it, and it is not widespread in use.
How resistant is it to lateral stress? Does it bend and return to true when moderate lateral stress is applied, or will it snap without warning?
"As a bend example from Carbide Processors, a piece almost 3/16" thick (unground) was bent to 90 degrees by hand. Reference-http://www.carbideprocessors.com/knives.htp#alloy
That does not indicate high strength, but decent ductility. Further, the tensile strength is 190 000 psi, compare this to Mission's A2 which is 310 000. Rob Simonich description is inline with this, as he has noted Talonite bends easier than ATS-34 and snaps at a lower angle.
I would be curious to know how easy the edge indents/rolls given the low RC. There have been contradicting reports on this. Steve Harvey and Joe Talmadge have described performance which is much lower than tool steel blades in this aspect , however Ron Hood has described Talonite as being better than Busse's A2 in this area." -Cliff Stamp
118 is the yeild strength. -Cliff Stamp
Where do you get it?
Rob Simonich
Box 278, Clancy MT 59634
Phone(406)933-9151
Fax
406)933-8910 http://www.simonichknives.com/
Who is making knives from it now?
In no particular order.....
Custom Makers
Tom Mayo http://www.mayoknives.com/
Neil Blackwood http://blackwoodknives.com/
Lynn Griffith http://www.griffithknives.com/
Trace Rinaldi http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/
Allen Blade http://www.geocities.com/mdpoff/allenblade.html
Rob Simonich http://www.simonich knives.com/
Kit Carson http://www.kvnet.org/knives/
Darrel Ralph http://www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
RJ Martin http://www.martinsite.com/
Pat Crawford http://www.crawfordknives.com/
Manufacturers
Tactical Operations (TOPS) http://www.topsknives.com/
Camillus http://www.camillusknives.com/
Round Eye Knife and Tool http://www.roundeye.com/
There are other's and their names can be found in these threads:
Who's making knives in Talonite?
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000779.html
who's working with talonite?
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000447.html
What is a good blade finish for this stuff?
"So far in my experience, mirror polishing is out. It seems to have a grain patern to it that prevents just about any finish above 400. Since it is almost totally corosion resistant, bead blasting is a good finish for any environment. I have had good results with hand rubbed finishes stopping at 400 grit." -Dr.Lathe aka Neil Blackwood.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,139
By the way, several of the items inlcuded in the last post are out of date (it was just copied and pasted from the link at the beginning of the post). I was thinking of it more as a starting point to future reading than anything else.
Specifically, Chuck Bybee at Alpha Knife Supply:
Talonite Source
is the place to get Talonite.
Specifically, Chuck Bybee at Alpha Knife Supply:
Talonite Source
is the place to get Talonite.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2003
- Messages
- 1,139
And as long as you are at Alpha Knife Supply, make sure to check out the gallery of Timascus knives.
If you are curious about cool new materials that cost an arm and a leg and still sell as soon as they get put out on a table at a show, Timascus is up your alley:
If you are curious about cool new materials that cost an arm and a leg and still sell as soon as they get put out on a table at a show, Timascus is up your alley:
Now that's what you'd call a wealth of info !
- Joined
- Apr 19, 1999
- Messages
- 3,560
Being Canadian I use Stellite 6K instead of talonite but the results are the same.
The stuff is so corrosion proof that I etch my bolsters with ferric chloride or muriatic acid while they are pinned on the blade without harming the blade.
The stuff is so corrosion proof that I etch my bolsters with ferric chloride or muriatic acid while they are pinned on the blade without harming the blade.