DLC Coatings - the good, the bad and the ugly?

[JNewell]

I got curious about DLC coatings over the weekend and did some Googling with one of my sons. I had guessed that DLC was a standard process but it turns out that there are a lot of different types of DLC coatings, with different attributes, for different applications, applied by lots of different places. So, it seems likely that (for example) the DLC coating on a Spyderco might be different from the DLC coating on a Benchmade. There is also a good chance that some Spyderco blades might have different types of coatings than other Spyderco blades (again, just a hypothetical example).

Does anyone have feedback on which companies are doing better, or worse, jobs with selecting and applying DLC coatings?

 

[Reeek]

Hey

I'm not an expert on DLC coatings but I agree that there are different DLC applications and certainly some do it better than others.

In my personal experience, I have concluded that the Tungsten DLC coating on the ZT 0300 series performed best for me (I've owned up to three at one time) with regard to scratch resistance and wear.

Now I never performed any scientific tests with all the coated knives I had but I can certainly say that ZT's coating held up better than the other coated knives I've used, DLC or other.

Personally, I don't like any coating but recent offerings are forcing me to backslide a little on that attitude because everything else about the knives coming out with coated blades are too good to resist. The 0550 and HEST folders in particular. I have a Sterile LE HEST coming, a production HEST coming and I plan to buy a ZT 0550 when they are available although I did preorder two 0551's specifically because of the stonewashed blade and the Elmax since I've not used Elmax yet. I would prefer the 0550 came with an uncoated option but that won't stop me from buying one.

That is a revelation for me because the past couple years, I wouldn't touch a coated knife regardless of the other merits.

 

[Nick15]

I'm not sure on the other companies DLC coatings, but I do know that my Zero Tolerance 0350's DLC coating has held up really, really well for me...

 

[Ditch_Digger]

Hey JNewell, you’re very correct to be concerned with the quality of DLC coatings.
Though I don’t have nearly as much personal experience with DLC coated knives, I HAVE had numerous watches that were DLC coated when I went through a “black” faze years ago. I quickly grew out of it!


The quick and dirty of it boiled down, as usual, to the PRICE and REPUTATION of the maker.
If you stick to the big names and don’t look at the cheapest offerings out there, you can expect very good performance.
Be warned, ANY coating can take a lick that eventually cuts through the finish and exposes the bare metal beneath.
This is why I don’t care for coatings! (usually, I do have my moments of weakness, read on)

Back to sharp pointy things, the only knives that I own with DLC are made by William Henry.
Two of the three DLC coated ones are what most call “safe queens” but I prefer to call them “Sunday go-to-meetin’ EDC accessories” so I can’t really vouch for their durablility, BUT...
the third one has been “put to the test” by cutting hundreds of feet of double & single strength cardboard, breaking down pallets of shipped goods, nylon strapping (both solid and woven), cutting poly/nylon rope and other civilian type EDC “tests”. This knife looks like new and frankly really surprised me! ..especially from all of the cardboard cutting. The ZDP really loves cardboard!

So, to sum things up, I can only personally recommend William Henry’s DLC.

P.S. I also have a DLC McGizmo PDS that is holding up nicely but I really prefer my Ti naked.

 

[wildmike]

+3 ort so on the durability of the coating on the ZT's. My ZT 0300 which I use as a work knife still isn't scratched up and ive split wood and cut tons of cardboard with it. I have never seen any other coating which so so little wear.

 

[mr2blue]

The DLC on My Ritter Grip with M4 is amazing and super durable. It is kind of transparant and shiny and much different than the DLC on my ZT 0300 which is matt finish