DLC vs Titanium-Carbonide

Wolverine666

Wolverine666

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What's the difference between DLC blade coating and Titanium-Carbonitride blade coating ?

Is one more scratch resistant and more durable than the other ?
 
TDLC is Tungsten Diamond Like Carbon. It is actually Tungsten Carbide with an HRC (Hardness Rockwell C scale) of 72. TiCN is Titanium CarboNitride with a hardness of 88 HRC. The Rockwell C scale is not linear. So a 10 point jump on the scale may be a 100 fold increase in actual hardness.
 
So does that mean that TiCN is harder , more durable and more scratch resistant than DLC?
 
Based on the info above, it would seem that TiCN would be more scratch resistant since it's harder than DLC. But I haven't even put anything close to a scratch on my dlc blades, so maybe the difference would go unnoticed by the average user.

With the harder TiCN, I wonder if it would crack and/or chip under really hard usage. There's always a tradeoff somewhere.
 
coiledwire said:
Based on the info above, it would seem that TiCN would be more scratch resistant since it's harder than DLC. But I haven't even put anything close to a scratch on my dlc blades, so maybe the difference would go unnoticed by the average user.

With the harder TiCN, I wonder if it would crack and/or chip under really hard usage. There's always a tradeoff somewhere.
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You make an interesting point. I've heard nothing but praise about Spyderco's DLC blades. Ive never owned a coated blade but I think I'm about to order my first.
 
In use, it does appear the dlc finish gets marred. But in actuality, some material you've just cut through is left on the blade. The dlc coating isn't affected; just needs a clean.

I've found regular soap to leave a filmy haze on the dlc. So for cleaning, I suggest using a mild abrasive cleaner/polisher like barkeeper's friend or nevr-dull. Even cheapo silicone lubricant will clean it up.

My final comment on dlc is that it does make additional resistance when cutting thru things. So if food prep is a possibility, consider a non-coated blade.
 
Both TDLC and TiCN are much harder than a typical steel blade at 60 HRC. Therefore you can use the sides of your coated blade as a finishing steel. The coating are so thin that they don't really create their own texture. They merely allow the texture of the substrate to control he overall micro finish. TDLC on a mirror polished blade will have mirror finish.
 
Interesting. I've been looking at the Szabo with TiCN black blade and the Manix2 DLC with black blade. I was just curious if one coating was superior.
 
My Szabo is not coated. The TiCN is superior on paper, but both coatings are much harder than the blades. So get the knife you prefer. Both coatings should serve you well.
 
tiguy7 said:
My Szabo is not coated. The TiCN is superior on paper, but both coatings are much harder than the blades. So get the knife you prefer. Both coatings should serve you well.
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Also , does your Szabo blade rub and scrape the liners when you open and close it? One person who reviewed the Szabo on YouTube had that problem. I wanted to make sure it wasn't a problem with every Szabo.
 
I can attest to Spydie DLC being tough. I cut all kinds of stuff, in a foundry environment to top it off. For the usual cutting chores, you probably won't damage the DLC. I've managed to put scratches on DLC before, but it was a result of cutting some rubber hosing with metal braids in it.
 
Wolverine666 said:
Also , does your Szabo blade rub and scrape the liners when you open and close it? One person who reviewed the Szabo on YouTube had that problem. I wanted to make sure it wasn't a problem with every Szabo.
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Mine doesn't rub but Laci puts a spring between the scale and the compression lock that adds a lot of resistance to the action. Maybe that's what this guy was feeling.
 
You'll find these types of coatings in much higher use on machine tools. Think drill bits and end mills, etc.

In my experience, DLC holds up far better than anything else in those applications.
 
I remember starting this thread years ago. Haha. Still kickin' around I guess. I've since owned some DLC coated blades. They're nice but I now prefer uncoated blades all together.
 
I have a BassPro 110 in CPM-154 with a coated blade -- Chuck Buck was at the shop where I got it that day a few years back and told me what it was, but I can't remember the details. It's a light gray color, very hard and I've yet to scratch it. I like Cold Steel's DLC coating as well, very durable. Both seem to make the blade slicker and easier to clean gunk like sap off.
 
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