Where has Talonite gone? Was it just a passing fad with users?

S

Sid Post

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Oct 14, 1998
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Is it just me or, has there been a general lack of Talonite related knife talk? I remember a time when it was all the rage and, now rarely see it mentioned in any reviews or posts in general. Has it's day in the spot light passed as the knife knutts got their fill at the Talonite trough? Is it just being over shadowed by CPM30V?
 
An accurate observation I think. I only have 2 Talonite knives, both fixed blade Neck Knives. I think Talonite is a great choice as a Neck knife or certainly around water or wet enviroments. It will be interesting to see what others have to say.
 
Sid,

There was a pretty large hype factor involved. Talonite is great when resisting corrosion. That's the big plus.

On the negative side:

1) A very expensive material. This is both material and manufacturing costs. The carbides in it chew up belts.

2) A material with half the strength of a good steel. Very easy to nick or notch in general use, such as chopping meat and hitting a bone or cutting cardboard and running into a staple.

So, on balance, why put out the extra $ when modern steels have excellent corrosion resistance and better performance at a far lower price?

And yes, I have two folders with Talonite blades, a Camillus EDC and a Carson Model 4.
 
The best thing out today will be a has been tomorrow.It's kinda like computers.Look at whats hot now a glass like liquid metal?It's the new boy on the block.Usually there's so much hype on the next new material comming out that by the time it's all sorted out for bettor or worse it's to late for the last great thing,it's allready a has been in many eyes.Will it ever end?No!It's called progress and we have to adapt or be left behind in the dust.There are some failures,some side steps and maybe even some back stepping but things will go ahead with or without our permission.It's a good thing,but cofusing at times.
 
I don't think Stellite/Talonite was a fad any more than a lot of other good steels that are mainstream blade materials now. The hype & initial excitement are over and people know its strengths & weaknesses and in the right applications can't be beat. Talonite will be around for a long while just like D-2, 3V, 10V, 30V, 60V, 90V, BG-42, VG-10, 154CM, 52100, 1084 and many others - matter of choosing what you want for the application planned and making sure the strengths of the blade material fit the requirements. Actually kind of nice not to have all that controversy and can appreciate Talonite for what it does well. Still love & use my Talonite/Stellite knives. :cool:

Bill
 
I tend to agree with Penguinva.

I believe that Talonite has become a staple blade material that people understand.

I suspect that we will hear the new Liquid Metal being compared to Talonite in the not too distant future.
 
I do'nt think talonite is a passing fad.Take a look what TNT's are going for lately.Makers like Carson,Simovich,Mayo,D.C.Monroe,and dozens of others are selling talonite blades.Its close cousin stellite has been used in custom knives for close to 30 yrs and I believe it was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century.Maybe with all that was said about talonite on these forums there's not much more to talk about.
 
Originally posted by SDouglas
I suspect that we will hear the new Liquid Metal being compared to Talonite in the not too distant future.
Click to expand...

Liquid Metal??!! :eek: :confused:
 
Talonite still lives.

Penguinva (and others) have it right. Talonite® is an excellent knife material but not the only one.

A lot of the original publicity came through Rob Simonich. Rob is now making combat
knives and Talonite® is not the best material for what he is doing. Rob has promised to make some Talonite® knives for me as soon as he can get the time.

(Old Joke – several years old.
Tom Walz says: Rob I sure would like to have a genuine Simonich knife in Talonite®.
Rob says: Well, Tom, I could do that but I have orders several years out and making you one would mean I would have to put a real customer farther back.”)

Talonite® is doing very well for Camillus in both the Rob Simonich and Darrel Ralph designs. Camillus and A.G. Russell and others are promoting it so successfully that we sort of quit promoting it.

That changes now.

Tom Mayo has a new knife design. He is making one in Talonite® for me now, a medium drop point with clip. We will give away that knife in a drawing the end of March. This is a new Mayo design and he thinks it will be as big as his TNT’s (Talonite® and Titanium.) If you ever held and / or used one of his TNT’s you know how good Talonite can be.

We also have some sample pieces , 1” x 2”, of Talonite® that we will give away free to qualified knife makers. (Qualified means you have to be making knives now and you will actually test the sample piece we give you.)

Look in this forum for the official contest.

Tom Walz
 
I'm glad for what Talonite has done in simply raising awareness about knife steels. Sure it may have been hyped but that prompted folks to check it out and figure out what it really can or cannot do. It makes a great benchmark for newer stuff like Liquid Metal. The more choices we have for blade materials the better, and the market will ultimately weed out those that don't really have a place in the knife world. I've decided that Talonite isn't right for my applications and pricepoint. But without the buzz around it I could never have reached that conclusion.

I encourage you all to keep an eye on R.W. Clark's experiments with LM. The more informed people we have out there, the less confusion we'll have (hopefully! :D ).
 
I've got one of Rob Simonich's Pickunis in Talonite. I think it's a fantastic material for a light use utility blade.

Doug
 
I have a Rinaldi TTKK in Talonite that gets good use in our kitchen. I love the fact that it does not corrode and does not need to be sharpened too often.

I also have a TNT that sees rotation as an EDC.

This material is here to stay - even if it does not get the same level of hype!

Regards,

Ed
 
I love talonite!!!! My around-the-house carry folder is a Camillus talonite EDC. It never rusts and holds an edge like crazy. I also traded for a Camillus talonite Talon this winter, for use as a fishing knife. It should be perfect for the job.

The key to talonite is the same as any other blade material. You have to understand its strengths and limitations. Talonite is superb in corrosive environments and low impact usage. I wouldn't go making a talonite chopper, but it's dynamite for cardboard cutting.

Talonite is one of my top 5 blade materials.
 
iwear a mini-talon neck knive by CUDA and carrty the TAL-1 ON MY BELT AND THE tALONITE EDC IN MY JEANS.
 
On the boat I use the Talite Talon regularly. I am aware of it's potential to be damaged from staples, wires, chopping a bone, etc. and because I am mindful of that, have never had a problem. Similarly, I either do not use my carbon steel knives in salt water or on the boat and have ot had problems with them in the area of corrosion. If I were to have but one knife for everything, it would likely not be talonite. Fortunately, such is not the case and therefore Talonite enjoys a place in my user collection.
 
Talonite still sells like Ice Cream on a hot day for me... It is what it is, and the debate is over I suppose...
 
Originally posted by Trace Rinaldi
Talonite still sells like Ice Cream on a hot day for me... It is what it is, and the debate is over I suppose...
Click to expand...

That is most likely the very reason it has fallen from the list of topics discussed here. It has been well discussed and re-cussed, and the knife industry has moved on to newer possibilities for cussing and discussion: liquid metal and S30V for example. Meanwhile, the real world continues to buy Talonite, most likely along with D2, 52100, ATS-34, and even 1095. :D
 
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