Coated vs. Non-Coated blades

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daedge804

Joined
Dec 28, 2009
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In the future, I am considering buying a Benchmade 710 when the money somehow finds its way into my pocket. I've done some research on the net and it seems that D2 tool steel has about 12 percent chromium, enough to almost be stainless. Here's my question: If D2 has enough chromium in it to almost be stainless, would the blade coating be an advantage or disadvantage to it's blade (to prevent staining/patinas/rusting)? and why do some people say that coated blades don't cut as good as uncoated blades? and how durable is Benchmade's "BK1" coating?
 
I think D2 is sort of in-between carbon and stainless steel as far as corrosion resistance. A coating will do nothing but help IMO, as far as performance goes.

But personally I dislike coatings, it WILL start to scrape off, and they seem mall ninja to me.
 
I don't like coatings. I find that a good high polish will go a long way to prevent corrosion, and will reduce friction during the cut. I'll take a mirror polish over a coating any day.
 
I am neutral on blade coatings, It would never be a up or down issue on a decision to buy a knife. If the are durable, I like them, If they are prone to flake or scratch off, I would pass. One thing for sure, I have never been able to feel any difference in cutting performance of coated/uncoated blades.
 
IME, D2 is close enough to be "stain less" that minimum care is necessary to keep it looking good, i.e., don't put the blade away wet.

My experience with Benchmade coatings is with their BT2 coating, similar to Teflon in nonstick pans. Just like the coatings in the pans, BT2 will scratch over time and use. BK1 is supposed to be more wear resistant, but how much, I can't say.

Some folks dislike the worn look of the coating after a while. Others compare it to the look of a pair of favorite used blue jeans. It's all in the eye of the beholder.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I don't like coatings. I find that a good high polish will go a long way to prevent corrosion, and will reduce friction during the cut. I'll take a mirror polish over a coating any day.
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+1.
not all coatings suck, but a coating needs to have function and needs to be able to stay on the blade some time, not fall off every time you look at it as some coatings do. Coatings mostly have a larger surface area than a knife because they are not as flat as the metal, which may give more friction when cutting through material.
 
zyhano said:
+1.
not all coatings suck, but a coating needs to have function and needs to be able to stay on the blade some time, not fall off every time you look at it as some coatings do. Coatings mostly have a larger surface area than a knife because they are not as flat as the metal, which may give more friction when cutting through material.
Click to expand...

Also, some coatings (like epoxy powder coats) are almost a little tacky when abraded. I have plenty of knives with coatings, but it's not a feature I would deliberately seek out. At the same time if it's a great knife not available sans coating I won't count it as a significant strike against it. :)
 
I can take them or leave them.But, on D2 you probably don't need to have it coated.I own several knives in that steel and have not encountered any problems with rust,all are uncoated.Just take care of your tools.
 
I haven't had a problem with either of my D2 blades. So long as you clean it after cutting anything gross it won't rust.

The Benchmade black coating is kind of rough to the touch at first and I find it makes the blade stick a little on longer cuts. The roughness wears off really fast though but the coating shows marks and scuffs of everything you cut with it. After a while it looks pretty bad. I kind of like the beat up look on my work knives though (Presideo and Nimravus)

I find tungsten DLC coatings are much more durable and don't affect the cutting performance. It can be kind of shiny though.
 
i like to have coatings on steels that are prone to rust, but i dont care for coated stainless steels.
 
benchmade bk1 will wear quite fast. in fact in my experience anything different than dlc/pvd will wear fast. i've had a digicam/black blade military for almost a year, ive chipped the blade like crazy cutting crazy stuff including tons of carboard, construction materials, wrought iron sheets ....and the coating is pristine except just a few shiny glints at the edges of the spine near the tip. my bench 760 and emerson started to wear the first week of use.
 
Coatings suck - period. They're a cheap, inexpensive way to finish the blade under the guise that they inhibit rust and corrosion. I'm in a very humid state and have little to no problems with rust on carbon steel. Basic maintenance is key - just wipe the blade down with a drop or two of mineral oil or your favorite silicone-impregnated cloth.

Busse and the 2 offshoot companies have the marketeering down: sell the cheaper version with a thick saber grind and coating, then have an upscale version of the same knife with a flat grind and satin finish. Jack the price up and they sell every single one.

What's the aversion to rust and pitting anyways? Most rust spots can be cleaned off with some 000 steel wool & WD-40. The blade isn't going to disintegrate because it gets some speckles of rust on it. If it's a safe queen, then that's a difference story.
 
From an aethstetic point of view I prefer a polished un-coated blade but in the end as long as the blade is tough, holds a good edge and does what it was ment for I'm happy reguardless of whether it's coated or not.
 
Personally I really don't like coatings on my stainless blades. I see it as a double negative, it wears fairly quickly (depending on what type of coating is used), and it reduces cutting efficiency. I once saw a reliabe source that coatings can reduce slicing ability up to 50%. (Think TOPS crinkly coating versus a stripped and satined identical TOPS knife cutting cheese). I'll do a little searching around and see if I can get a link to that.

However coatings on a carbon steel blade are a whole other issue. I'm sort of neutral on this, I'll get a knife either way if I like it. However, given the choice, I'll almost always still pick an uncoated blade. Many times if I buy a coated blade I'll strip it and cold blue it as the bluing provides protection against staining/corrosion and keeps the blade surface slick and smooth.

On another note I have recently found that D2 is pretty hard to corrode unless grossly mistreated. I have been using a couple D2 knives a lot while I'm hiking/woods bumming lately (D2 Para and BM Bone Collector) and have not had a single spot of staining on either from use. Actually one night I was having a midnight snack and was cutting up some pepperocinis with my CPM-D2 Para and wondered what it would take to get the blade to patina so I let the blade sit for about an hour with the blade saturated with the pepper juice. It did leave a couple small stains on the blade but that juice is extremely acidic and I left it on for a long time. In real world use I have never attained any staining let alone corrosion.
 
I just did an inventory of my knives and I have 16 coated and 14 non-coated (approximately, I may have missed a couple) and I've found that the non-coated ones usually cut better. I am now slowly changing over to non-coated blades. I think I'm going to strip a few of the coated blades.

I've not had any problems with rust. I just make sure the blades are dry before putting them away.
 
I like coated blades. I'm not big on worrying about rust. I worry about it with my non-coated knives, I don't with my coated blades. With D2, I'd want the blade coated for sure.
 
I like a satin finish. I think it wares better, and will look better over time then a coated blade.
I wouldn't worry about rust on an edc blade.
 
I like the looks of a nice black coating, either DLC or BK1. That said, I usually also buy the plain steel version. :)
 
First off I will never buy another coated knife since the first year I was learning how to be a knife enthusiast.

As for D2, it has a lot to do with where you live and if you sweat in the carry area when you EDC in warm weather or any time for that matter. Maybe a particular Ph for the individual is an issue too.

Here in Reno where humidty is between 10% and 25% except when it's actually raining and no salty air, I don't treat D2 or M4 any differently than stainless classified steels. I pretty much just keep them sharp and an accasional wipe down with either a silicone gun cloth or a dry rag. I clean them under hot soapy water and blow them dry like all my other knives. I'm also a pretty big buy, 6' 2" and running about 250 and even being a big guy who sweats sometimes, no corrosion issues ever. Knock on wood :)
 
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