How does cold steels black finish hold up?

ManRay

ManRay

Joined
Oct 9, 2014
Messages
693
Found a kukri with a black finish and want to know how well this will hold up over time. Particularly with hard use, cutting wood and bamboo.
 
Pretty much like any other baked on or painted finish, good but not great.
 
The new black blades are black DLC, which will hold up better than the old black "paint".
 
Only the post 2015 black folders and fixed blade with 3V steel has DLC coating. Carbon steel models still dont have DLC.
 
IMHO, if you get a knife with a black blade, just be prepared for it to get ugly in the not too distant future. Never had a black blade that didn't. Benchmade, Spyderco, Microtech. They all get ugly eventually. The only one's that don't are the one's you don't use. I have several of those.
 
Teflon coating can be stripped with a razor blade, and will last a few cutting sessions at most (see my old AUS8 Recon 1)

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Newer DLC coating is a beast, won't go off with almost anything and has a really nice glare and looks.

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Cold Steel's non-DLC black coating wears off faster than most and looks worse than most in the process. About the only good thing to say about it is that it is easier to strip and fully remove than most!
 
DLC coating is very tough. Does not come of like he others
 
All coatings will get scratched up and worn off. Cold Steel's coatings(other than the DLC) are even worse than most though.
 
I removed the black paint from my Smatchet, and Kukri machetes with regular isopropyl alcohol. I lightly hand sanded off the remaining paint. I sanded with the grain of the metal to minimize fine scratches. I like it better this way. I wipe them down after each use, so rust isn't an issue.
 
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