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Comment by Tobias Gibson on December 15, 2013 at 19:03

Having done some night patrolling, I can tell you this.  There is always more light than you think.  If it can reflect light you cover it up.  Why?  Because if someone shines a light in your direction that blade might give a flash back at them even from a good distance.  Heck, we even use to wrap those hard plastic hand guard on out M16s because they would reflect light at night. (and a black gauze was wrapped over the plastic red lens on our flashlights.)   A bright metal balde needed to be snug in the sheath.  A parkerized finished was much better. (but even it will reflect.

Comment by Billy Oneale on December 15, 2013 at 16:37

Great picture, Rusty.

Comment by Rusty R Halsey on December 15, 2013 at 13:51

Well, this is getting away from blade coatings and finishes - just a little break for the nice sunrise by the frozen river this morning.  OK, now back to the regular knife issues ..............

Comment by Alexander Noot on December 15, 2013 at 9:47

I don't mind coatings...but on a stainless knife I just think they're useless. I think more often than not they're used to cover up ugly grinding marks.

i.e. it's a way to be able to make a blade for less. This is probably not always true. But often it is.

Comment by Jason Oncedisturbed Riley on December 15, 2013 at 8:41

Howard has hit the nail on the head, majority of this is exactly that - hype. So many wannabe weekend warriors that want flash, so called tactical gear that in most cases, never been trained in using it not will ever have the need to use it.

As Tobias said, a relfective blade as "poor man's" signal mirror is better than no mirror / device at all. There is basically no such thing as a combat / tactical / fighting knife in the military over here any more, only special spec forces like SAS and Commandos do with some of their CQB training but that's it.

 

The "Zombie" theme has a lot to do with a vast majority of so called "tactical" knives / items etc and 99% of people who have them will never use them for what they were designed for, all for show and giving the owner a "warm fuzzy feeling" and to be able to say "hey look at what I have".

 

They do look good in a collection though and I have some non-reflective knives in my collection and vehicle recovery kit and survival bag but that was due to scoring them at a very good price that I couldn't pass up.

Comment by Alexander Noot on December 15, 2013 at 8:13

Tactical schmactical.

If theres no light (ie in the dark) there's also nothing to reflect.

Comment by Tobias Gibson on December 14, 2013 at 14:38

As Howard says, it's just to make it non=reflective, which make sense for a combat knife -- not so much for a back-packer or survival knife.  A nice shiny blade could be used to act as a signalling device. (a crappy one but better than nothing!)

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on December 14, 2013 at 9:53

All I can tell you, Alexander is the hype:  a non-reflective coating is supposed to prevent your equipment (knife) from giving away your position.  Bead blasting is supposed to the same thing, but is more expensive.

Comment by Alexander Noot on December 14, 2013 at 1:12

Also, I dont get coating an S30V knife. S30V is pretty darn stainless....why would you coat that?

Comment by Jason Oncedisturbed Riley on December 13, 2013 at 20:40

Fully agree with Tobias, never had access to Paracord when I was with the Reserves over here so we made do with "Hootchie Cord" instead. A lot thinner nylon braided cord, wouldn't hang off it though but very storng for anything required to be tied.

Very rare for us to have to use it on a knife handle though as ours were the equivelant/ same as the M16 bayonet, still carry 1 on my webbing event now.

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