Type III hard anodizing has caught my eye recently. It puts a hard clear coat over aluminum, that tints the metal a nice greyish-green colour. This is what Surefire uses on their tactical flashlights.
Has there been any comparison of this coating with Almite? For toughness etc.?
It might be worth comparing clear Almite with clear Type III HA.
http://www.techplate.com/hard_anodize.htm
I admit I would be interested in a "tactical" Salsa (sans scale engraving) with a Type III HA finish. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>
Type III Class 1 Hard Anodize (Mil-A-8625 )
Hi Carlos, anodizing again eh?
The Type III anodize is what Microtech and MOD uses on their tactical knives and my primary experience with the process.
My reaction is that the Type III anodizing oxidizes the aluminum significantly deeper (I believer 4 mil vs. 1.5 mil for the Type II), so it has greater durability from environmental degradation.
The surface texture is porous, so it picks up crud more easily but has better grippiness than the Type II (Almite)
Bottom line - drop either of them on a rough concrete sidewalk and the anodizing is dust.
I still prefer to bit the bullet and go with titanium.
"Chance favors the prepared mind" - Louis Pasteur
The Type III anodize is what Microtech and MOD uses on their tactical knives and my primary experience with the process.
My reaction is that the Type III anodizing oxidizes the aluminum significantly deeper (I believer 4 mil vs. 1.5 mil for the Type II), so it has greater durability from environmental degradation.
The surface texture is porous, so it picks up crud more easily but has better grippiness than the Type II (Almite)
Bottom line - drop either of them on a rough concrete sidewalk and the anodizing is dust.
I still prefer to bit the bullet and go with titanium.
"Chance favors the prepared mind" - Louis Pasteur
Hi Scolby,
Yup, up to my usual tricks.
The Type III HA sounds good. I have nothing against Ti, but it is a limited production product for Spyderco's market due to the $$$. I'm always looking for ways to improve Aluminum which will always see wider use and higher production.
Consider that the Al Salsa has a $90 MSRP, and the Ti one has a $150 MSRP. Of course part of the differential is due to more expensive steel on the Ti.
On the technical side, the Al Salsa with steel lock weighs 2.7oz, while the Ti one with integral lock weighs 3.5oz, almost 30% more. So in a cetain light the Al model could be considered "better" than the Ti one, especially if a superior form of anodizing were used.
Yup, up to my usual tricks.
The Type III HA sounds good. I have nothing against Ti, but it is a limited production product for Spyderco's market due to the $$$. I'm always looking for ways to improve Aluminum which will always see wider use and higher production.
Consider that the Al Salsa has a $90 MSRP, and the Ti one has a $150 MSRP. Of course part of the differential is due to more expensive steel on the Ti.
On the technical side, the Al Salsa with steel lock weighs 2.7oz, while the Ti one with integral lock weighs 3.5oz, almost 30% more. So in a cetain light the Al model could be considered "better" than the Ti one, especially if a superior form of anodizing were used.
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aero_student
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- Location: Folsom, CA, USA, Earth USA
Carlos, I've got a Surefire E2 HA and the Type III hard anodised finish is extremely durable. I've dropped it on concrete a few times and there are no visible scratches or dings. The only almite coated knife I have is the commemorative worker and I would say that the TypeIII hard anodising would be much more durable. The only downside is that the colour isnt very attractive at all.