Do you prefer a knife with no finish or with a black finish?

[m i k e]

I really like the look of knives with a black finish on the blade, but from my experience, the finish wears or scratches off with after just one heavy duty use, such as hacking at a 2x4.

[Tac45]

I admit I do like black blades. The finish does wear but I reckon it gives the knife a little character. Surprisingly some coated knife finishes hold up very well to repeated use. Have a look at some of the Destruction Test videos. I'm surprised that any finish is left on the blades let alone substantial amounts. I have an early model CRKT M16-14LE. The blade coating is a dark blue teflon. That thing has been used and abused for years and the finish has scratches but mostly it is intact. For some years my general use fixed blade has been a Case MK2 fighting knife (KABAR). The blade is parkerised and it too is worn but has held up well. I've stopped using that one and use a Kabar Mk2 or a Kabar Tanto. Both have held up very well. The Tanto has probably seen three times the use of the fighter but both are holding up extremely well. Both again are older manufacture. The fighter has the swedge sharpened. My recent purchase of one doen't have this. But I assume the coatings are the same compound as both all of them are NY made.

These days there have been some great advanced in metal coatings. The Tenifer on Glocks is amazing. That stuff seems impervious to wear. Supposedly its RC is 69 which is one less than a diamond. Berettas Bruniton also hold up extremely well. I'm having an old (as in my old...not antique)Winchester 94 being given a black KG GunKote. It will be interesting to see how that comes out. If it's good I may get a blade or two done.

[miro44one]

If it' s a good finish than it probably won' t wear off too bad.When I buy a knife with a Carbon steel blade, then I do prefer a Coating(to protect it from rust).But otherwise, I prefer uncoated blades, just for aesthetic reasons.

[eatingmuchface]

busse crinkle coats normally take some use (not just one heavy use) to get the finish worn off that much.
(a 2x4 would probably just scuff it a little)

I prefer a coating on my blades.
:D

[Noss]

I prefer black coatings on knives myself. They do wear with use. It is just part of it. I personally like the way they look after the black finish starts to wear off. At least I know I using it. :)

I will usually choose the coated model over the uncoated model if I have a choice.

[Savagesicslayer]

I'm a person who prefers function over form.Black or bare it doesn't matter to me unless it's there for a purpose.Like Ka-bars are coated cause they're 1095 and rust.

[familyphotoshoot]

i prefer coatings on carbon blades, no coatings on stainless. having a finish on a carbon blade makes maintenance a bit easier, i'm a fairly lazy person, so that helps.

[Noss]

familyphotoshoot: Welcome to the new forum.

[steelstr45]

does anyone know what the black coating is on the CS GI Tanto? I hope it's not Teflon. Also, is it safe for say cutting food with if the coating were damaged?

[steelstr45]

I contacted Cold Steel and they said the coating is Teflon so to those of you who use one, be very careful if you use it around food.

[Painkiller]

Hm, I like non coating blades. Only pure color of steel itself. No matter if steel is stainless or not. I even removed teflon coat from my 1095 Ka-bar because of this.

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/8471/picture70we3.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/9773/picture72ct2.jpg

[jackmcmanus21]

i like both....sometimes I'm in the mood for a nice, textured black, sometimes I like seeing the shine of that silver steel blade

[G. Scott H.]

I prefer the look of bare steel too. I especially like carbon once it gets a bit of a patina going. I wish Cold Steel wouldn't coat their carbon blades. :(

P.S. Painkiller, how did you remove the teflon finish on that one?

[Painkiller]

P.S. Painkiller, how did you remove the teflon finish on that one?

You can read it here: "I used 3 types of wetordry paper to remove the coating. Last one was Imperial Wetordry 2000 paper. That is wery fine paper. It took me all day to remove it off blade :)
Than I used 3 types of diamond polih paste to polish the blade".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-SYyEuhnE

Too bad that knife in no longer among living. Guard is weak, and the blade broke at tang point. Tang is weak at this knife :thumbdwn: . Just like in Noss test.

[G. Scott H.]

Thanks, man. :rockon: Too bad it didn't hold up, but it sure looked nice while it lasted. :thumb:

[Shaolin]

I like the black coating, but I'm starting to like satin or highly polished recently.