What's the Deal With Blade Coatings?

Swoop03

Swoop03

Joined
Dec 1, 2012
Messages
840
Just a random thought.
I have a handful of coated knives and they're all black. Why is the coating on a folding knife always black? Has anyone ever done a different color like white or blue or orange etc..? I know the boker kalashnikov comes in all tan and esee makes some of their fixed blades bright and colorful. I'm most interested in a white coated blade. There is so much black on black on the market anymore and I'm tired of it. I want an all white knife, the closest I know I can get to that right now is a custom griptilian from benchmade with white handles and satin everything else.
 
Black is simple and "tactical". It has just become accepted as the de facto color. There might be cost issues involved as well. Personally, I think orange blades look pretty decent and make your knife hard to lose outdoors ie Marbles machetes and knives.
 
Tactacool......is why.
But if you have the time you can duracoat them darn near any color you want.
 
Knives are black because inside every man is a little boy pretending to be a Navy SEAL.
 
9blades said:
Tactacool......is why.
But if you have the time you can duracoat them darn near any color you want.
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not sure if this is the right place....and keep in mind i don't know my head from my ...

what do you guys think about some of these coatings that add R/C to a piece and do they have a place in knives? I've seen such used in our shops for high wear parts and strike plate type designs and was thinking it might be useful here....p.s. i hate black blades but also have a hard time taking the coating off my new $100 knife....why must they all be black?! p.p.s. i have a bk-9 on the way and have seen some of the mods you guys do....really jealous...
 
Isn't black the cheapest coating as well? Besides I'd think that if you have a colorful blade it'd make the knife look a little cheesy. I cant imagine a Emersons or Benchmades to come with a blue blade. Just my .02. Nothing wrong with black or satin. Satin kinda fills the role of white.
 
I'm sure that there are people much more knowledgeable than me on these boards, but could it be that black coating is better at absorbing light reflections?
 
PaleAleDude said:
I'm sure that there are people much more knowledgeable than me on these boards, but could it be that black coating is better at absorbing light reflections?
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I think that's where the "tactical" implication comes in. All black, non-glare, aggressive looking, quickly deployable, designed for slicing/penetrating etc.
 
No. Coatings only come in black.

ESEE-5-VG.jpg
 
Swoop03 said:
Just a random thought.
I have a handful of coated knives and they're all black. Why is the coating on a folding knife always black? Has anyone ever done a different color like white or blue or orange etc..? I know the boker kalashnikov comes in all tan and esee makes some of their fixed blades bright and colorful. I'm most interested in a white coated blade. There is so much black on black on the market anymore and I'm tired of it. I want an all white knife, the closest I know I can get to that right now is a custom griptilian from benchmade with white handles and satin everything else.
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You and I must have been on the same wavelength because I had the exact same thought at the same time and made a post about it on the Benchmade forum. (Response is there are no plans to introduce colors. :sorrow:)
Pretty sure the majority of knife people prefer non-coated blades, but of those who favor (or at least tolerate) coated blades, it's hard to imagine a downside to more color options. I'm with you on the ubiquitous black knives. I get it: It's functional, masculine, dominant, tactical... and pretty boring.
 
RemyKaze said:
Exactly! Gotta sneak up on that deli meat or you'll be in for a fight.
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My mistake, I should have said covert sammich deanimation missions. LOL! That corned beef on rye never had a chance.


rustyrazor said:
I believe that one is known as the Esee 5 helen keller memorial model
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Funniest response so far; I love it! :D:thumbup: You'd never lose that knife, even if ya tried to.
 
There are also grey TiNi coatings (various Kershaw models have them, and I'm sure I've seen others as well).

As for why more color offerings aren't commonly available, I would assume that is a business decision. There might simply not be enough consumer demand for a particular color blade coating for a company to justify producing a significant number in them (and producing in limited numbers comes with its own cost as well). Same goes with the different colored handles.
 
flarp said:
There are also grey TiNi coatings (various Kershaw models have them, and I'm sure I've seen others as well).

As for why more color offerings aren't commonly available, I would assume that is a business decision. There might simply not be enough consumer demand for a particular color blade coating for a company to justify producing a significant number in them (and producing in limited numbers comes with its own cost as well). Same goes with the different colored handles.
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Tini coatings are no good as they're just too small. Better to choose Run-D.L.C. as it is the mack daddy, hip hoppinest of all blade coatings out there. Lotsa demand for that one. :thumbup:





:D:cool:
 
I understand the "tactical" nature of it. How many of yinz seriously need it though? I also stated that I knew about the ontario and such fixed blades that come in eye popping colors as well. I was asking about folding knives. TiNi is alright, but it never is put on any knives that I like.
When I think of a marine or navy seal I think of a traditional Ka-Bar with the stacked leather handle and satin blade. None of these fantasy knives come to mind with that thought.
Emerson Knives are built to harm things, they are weapons, I understand them being black for the tactical reasons.

I could duracoat I guess. Its more work than I want to do though.
I just want to see a nice sensible "EDC" folder with maybe a white blade or light grey possibly orange to for a hi vis option for emergancy type knives. Red or blue or yellow would make it cheesy I agree. I think some colors would work though.
 
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