Black Pacific Salt Serrated Coating?

[thelock]

Hello,

I saw Spyderco is coming out with a black coated Pacific Salt fully serrated and I am definitely going to get one. My question is what kind of coating does it have, is it DLC?

Thanks

[tvenuto]

Pretty sure it'll be TiCN, like on the coated H1 USN ladybug exclusive.

[thelock]

Thanks tvenuto. I have been out of the knife game for a while, how does TiCN compare to DLC?

[tvenuto]

I'm no expert on that, very few of my knives are coated, in fact only the Ladybug I mentioned.

[Michael Janich]

This has been discussed a number of times on the forum, so you may find additional information in other threads. In simple terms, Spyderco's US-made knives with coated blades are DLC, which is the hardest and most resilient of our coatings. Japanese and Taiwanese-made knives use TiCN coatings. The Taiwanese TiCN looks different because they polish their blades first, while the Japanese are blasted to prep the surface. The Perrin Street Bowie is an exception to the Japan rule, in that it has a ceramic coating that seems to be similar to Cerakote-type coatings. Chinese-made Spyderco's--like the black Tenacious--have black oxide coatings.

The primary purpose of black blades is to prevent reflection in environments where light discipline is a concern (i.e. shiny stuff gets you shot). The Pacific Salt PE underwent extensive testing by the US Navy SERE school and their ALSE (Aircrew Life-Support Equipment) testing teams. Based on that testing, it was approved for issue to Navy and Marine pilots as part of their survival kits. In addition to passing rigorous institutional testing, the feedback we've gotten from individual service personnel on that knife has been extremely positive. That strongly suggests that the TiCN coating does its job very well.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

[thelock]

Thanks, Mike. I will definitely get one ASAP.