why do people want blade coatings with little reflection?

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sogflash

sogflash

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if you are sam fisher or some other super secret agent killing enemies with you knife, it might be a good idea to have a knife that doesn't reflect much light.

but for more normal people who use their knives in more normal ways, is a coating that reflects little light necessary? some people might like a black military looking knife, and that's OK.

wont the coating make cutting a little bit more difficult? coating or no coating,you're still able to cut with it, but easier with no coating, unless it's a very slippery coating.
 
Some knives just come that way so if one likes that model and steel ect and it happens to come with a coated blade then well....
 
i agree with what you're saying.... unless it's something simillar to teflon, might actually aid the blade in cutting due to less friction with the material, however, coatings like parkarized or duracoat are rougher and I can only assume this causes minor friction at some point. that being the case, the black blades look cool and they do keep non stainless blades protected from the elements.... and lets face it, I think deep down most of us feel like we have a little sam fisher hidden deep down. or at least if we have the gear people will assume it.
 
In addition to adding to the aesthetics it also adds a bit of blade protection.
 
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Tactical knives absolutely need the following features. Without them, a knife can't possibly stand up to the rigorous tac-ops extreme cover de-animation duties of the modern battlefield.

- Black coated blade
- Tanto Point
- Partial Serrations
- Lots of writing on the blade
- Jimping. Jimping everywhere
- A really over-the top name like "Vindicator" or "Kidney Tickler" or something

For example, this knife is barely tactical at all:
1258-&-Sheath.JPG

No way that knife could have any military or emergency tactical (gawd forbid) applications.

While this knife is as tactical as you can get:
Dark-Ops-Knives-IE-E-1-rw-8540-4286.jpg

So extreme, so tac ops. You'd need oakley gloves and a ballistic facemask to handle this much tactical.
 
I never liked coatings at first. But now I've came around to tolerate them. The coatings on benchmades and spydercos kind of give the knife a sleek look that I dig, and it's kinda neat that it gives the knife charater once you scuff up the coating a bit.
 
lol... love it! and the worst part is, people eat this junk up. if someone were to ever rely on this tactical beauty, they would be pretty hard up. man does it look "BAD-ASS" though.
 
Generally, I don't like coating, but I like the coated Spyderco Military/Para because I like the way it looks after extended use.
 
I like some coatings especially on carbon steel knives for rust protection. Some of them just look cool too.

cricket
 
Carbon steel blades benefit from the rust protection. Otherwise it's generally a cosmetic feature and/or a time/cost savings over a more refined polish/finish. Most coatings are adhered over a bead blasted or tumbled finish, and this part is really key. For a factory making hundreds of blades at a time, tossing them into a tumbler and then running them through a chemical bath to apply a coating is a good alternative to putting a refined finish on each one.
If the coatings themselves become a marketing gimick, so much the better.
 
You do not have to be an operator to appreciate a blade that does not draw attention.

There are many times that I work in and around the public and having a knife that is black on black that blends in with my pants is just one less thing to show to people. I have no intention of using the knife to harm anyone...but I also do not enjoy talking about my knife to total strangers. I do not want to advertise my knife or my cash (but I refuse to keep the knife stuffed way down in my pocket).

The Military rides proud with the Spyder hole available for speedy deployment. Satin shows as a bright glistening beacon, DLC is nearly invisible.
 
sogflash said:
if you are sam fisher or some other super secret agent killing enemies with you knife, it might be a good idea to have a knife that doesn't reflect much light.

but for more normal people who use their knives in more normal ways, is a coating that reflects little light necessary? some people might like a black military looking knife, and that's OK.

wont the coating make cutting a little bit more difficult? coating or no coating,you're still able to cut with it, but easier with no coating, unless it's a very slippery coating.
Click to expand...

Funny thing, Sam Fisher uses a Cold Steel Counter Tac. No coating.
 
I've appreciated any dark/matte coating when whittling during sunset, facing the sun. It will still blind you from time to time but a lot less than with a satin or polished blade.

On another note: I like the design of the benchmade 710. A lot. And it may be weird, but I prefer the looks of the all-black 710M4 (-801 with regular black handles) to the satin m390 - i guess it just looks right to me if its all black/one color. Scales, blade, liners...
 
I like coated blades because the coating helps with corrosion and rust issues and coated blades look cool when wear starts to show. Of coarse there is also a degree of stealth to coated blades but I dont really care about that.
 
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