Talonite....

B

bladefixation

Joined
May 20, 2002
Messages
302
Ok, Ive been reading about Talonite recently and Im considering not buying any knives for the rest of the year and getting a CUDA talon, I guess my question is, is talonite worth the massive price difference? does it really perform that much better and are there any other practical advantages?

Its a very nice looking knife but its also very expensive and I want to be sure!
 
I've only got 2 talonite/stellite folders, one is a Camillus/Ralph EDC and the other is a handmade. I like it, but as you say it certainly is pricey. I'd say the biggest two advantages are that it doesn't rust, ever, and it's intrinsically slippery. If this was going to be my one, main. outdoor blade, where I'd have a tough time maintaining it in the field, I'd say the price might justify that. I bought the EDC, specifically to carry while saltwater boating and fishing, and it's served well there. With the advent of S30V at the same price as ATS-34, I think Talonite is losing some ground in the "stainless battle". If the knife is for casual use, I don't think the material justifies the price. Also, be sure to shop around, particularly on eBay, you might find what you're looking for a a MUCH more attractive price. I paid $130 for the EDC, which is well below retail.
 
If rust is a factor - Talonite. I have one - nice, cuts and cuts, but in my opinion s30v is as good or better.
 
It makes a great salt-water fillet knife, or a knife for applications where it is likely to be subjected to highly corrosive situations.

Besides that, IMHO, for general field use, I'd go for any of the more high-tech stainless steels out there.

You really have to seriously weigh the cost/benefit situation. Talonite is VERY expensive. If it suits your bill--go for it. But--you will pay a steep price.;)
 
wow, im glad I asked!! thanks guys.

I like the look of the knife but I think I would get more enjoyment out of 2 or 3 decent steel knives, like you say high tech steels like s30v (waiting on my first s30v blade to turn up right now, and Im nore than a little excited!) are alot cheaper and if they have almost as good performance then the benefits are somewhat diminished.

Thanks for your answers guys I think I will save that purcahse for if I ever have a pile of cash I dont know what to do with ... 6 months is a long time to save up my knife budget over anyway!!!
 
I have one talonite blade...very nice stuff. However, my S30V knives and especially my custom CPM420V fillet knife have all the qualities of talonite at a more reasonable price. (CPM420V is, IMHO, way underrated.)
 
How is S30V in terms of corrosion resistance? ATS-34 corrodes (doesn't stop me from liking it, though). Some of the "cheaper" steels like 420, 440A-C are VERY corrosion resistant. I've heard VG-10 is very good in this respect. Reason I as is that I've been carrying my Buck/Mayo now for about 2 weeks (since I got it), and I like it more every day. So, I was curious about corrosion. Seemed it fit the thread anyway. Thanks.
 
Heh,

with the money I saved not buying the knife I was all set to upgrade to premium membership until I got to the 1sks checkout to find they dont accept non US credit cards!! It would cost me about $20 on top of the invoice cost to send an international money order.

:-/ oh well...
 
S30V's biggest advantage is it is more corrosion resistant that just about any other steel, but I suspect VG-10 is second. It is supposed to be easier to sharpen and have better edge retention, but those factors are very dependant on the heat treat and resulting Rockwell hardness. At 56-58 Rc (as with Reeve knives) it is easier to sharpen than BG-42 (IMHO, with a side by side Mnandi vs. Sebenza "test"). I've been underwheled with the edge retention, at the lower Rc hardness, and it's not THAT much easier to sharpen. At an honest Rc of 60, S30V holds an edge for a long time, but sharpening is significantly more difficult. I really like VG-10, but man, once it's dull, stand by for some sharpmaker effort. They're all great steels, each having they're own merits and problems. This is why I still like ATS-34, overall, it's pretty impressive for using knives. Edge retention (again, IMHO) isn't quite as good as VG-10, but it comes back without much effort. Also, ATS-34 "feels sharp" whereas some S30V blades don't. I suspect that has more to do with edge geometry though. No matter what I do with 440C it never "feels sharp" to me so I tend to stay away from that one.
 
So, anyone know what the RC of the Buck/Mayo is? The blade says "Bos" on the back side, so I assume the heat treat is good.
 
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