I have a decent sized collection of spydercos that I rather enjoy, however I have always had a problem with tape sticking to the blade on them.
Recently, I obtained a kershaw scallion and put it through the same light use rigors on the same box with tape and it did not stick. I went searching for the answer online as the spydercos are mostly satin finish and this is a bead blasted knife. I could only assume the finish was the difference between tape sticking and not sticking.
Based on this analysis, I am hopeing spyderco might more some bead blasted models especially like the spyderco delica, dragonfly, and ladybug as those are some of my most used sizes.
Thoughts? Ideas?
More bead blasted spydercos?
Re: More bead blasted spydercos?
It could be the bead blasted finish that kept the adhesive from bonding as tightly on your Kershaw. The rougher surface could mean less contact area between steel and adhesive, at least initially. The relatively low areas between the peaks created by the blasting process could also harbor more dirt and oil, further inhibiting bonding of the adhesive.
Whether or not you'll see any media blasted blades from Spyderco is open to speculation, but given the lack of that treatment on previous blades I don't expect to see it in the future and, for my money, that's a good thing. I really like the look of the bead blasted finishes but, issues of tape adhesion aside, a blasted finish can cause more problems than it solves. Deep scratches can stand out more against the mat surface, marring that smooth gray look. More importantly, bead blasting diminishes corrosion resistance. That's pretty widely known, but it's not due to "opening up the grains" as you'll commonly hear. Instead, it's due to a combination of effects:
1. Increased time of wetness: Under a given set of conditions, a bead blasted surface will stay wet longer than a smoother surface. More crevices to harbor water means a larger volume of water that needs to evaporate from the surface as well as increased wetted bonding surface area.
2. More severe (local) corrosive environments: Once corrosion begins, the local chemistry in a pit or crevice can become much more severe than that of the surrounding areas. You can see a particularly severe example of this effect under bolt heads in marine environments. Bead blasted surfaces have relatively small pits, but they do lend themselves to local variations in water chemistry that can promote corrosion initiation.
3. Increased surface area: The shortest distance between to points is a straight line, and the 3D corollary is that the smallest surface is a smooth surface. More surface area means more potential sites for corrosion to begin so the probability of corrosion occurring increases with surface roughness.
Even stainless steels will corrode under certain conditions and, all else being equal, bead blasting will lead to more rapid corrosion. While I do like the look of bead blasted blades, I don't care for the trade off in increased maintenance.
Whether or not you'll see any media blasted blades from Spyderco is open to speculation, but given the lack of that treatment on previous blades I don't expect to see it in the future and, for my money, that's a good thing. I really like the look of the bead blasted finishes but, issues of tape adhesion aside, a blasted finish can cause more problems than it solves. Deep scratches can stand out more against the mat surface, marring that smooth gray look. More importantly, bead blasting diminishes corrosion resistance. That's pretty widely known, but it's not due to "opening up the grains" as you'll commonly hear. Instead, it's due to a combination of effects:
1. Increased time of wetness: Under a given set of conditions, a bead blasted surface will stay wet longer than a smoother surface. More crevices to harbor water means a larger volume of water that needs to evaporate from the surface as well as increased wetted bonding surface area.
2. More severe (local) corrosive environments: Once corrosion begins, the local chemistry in a pit or crevice can become much more severe than that of the surrounding areas. You can see a particularly severe example of this effect under bolt heads in marine environments. Bead blasted surfaces have relatively small pits, but they do lend themselves to local variations in water chemistry that can promote corrosion initiation.
3. Increased surface area: The shortest distance between to points is a straight line, and the 3D corollary is that the smallest surface is a smooth surface. More surface area means more potential sites for corrosion to begin so the probability of corrosion occurring increases with surface roughness.
Even stainless steels will corrode under certain conditions and, all else being equal, bead blasting will lead to more rapid corrosion. While I do like the look of bead blasted blades, I don't care for the trade off in increased maintenance.
Re: More bead blasted spydercos?
I agree with Electron. Bead blasting opens a metal surface to more corrosion. There are products one may coat a blade with to reduce sticking of things like PSA residue from tape. Dry lubricant coatings such as waxes are what I'm thinking of.
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Re: More bead blasted spydercos?
Just a guess, but I don't think the bead blast finish was what kept the tape from sticking. I'm more inclined to think that the Scallion's blade had been lubricated at the factory with something that prevented the tape from sticking.
Paul
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
Deplorable :p
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
Deplorable :p
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
Re: More bead blasted spydercos?
yup...bead blasting, stonewashing & the like will only increase drag when cutting through any media...
plus, as has been stated previously, such treatments increase surface area for rust, grime, and other nasties allowing them to get a better foothold...
DLC or teflon coated blades should have the least drag...in real-world use, I've found the advantage to be negligible. :o
In theory, a scalloped blade (like Kershaw Groove or original model Zing) should experience less drag & accumulation of gunk...I own both those models, use them, & love them...but sadly, I can't tell the difference in performance or build up, either :o
In my experiences an uncoated, thin, smooth mirror polished blade or fine satin will give the best performance & least drag...A Calypso Jr. fits the bill here as well as multiple Centofante models & the Chaparral...however, they will show scratches more readily
In an anecdotal matter, I have applied FrogLube as per manufacturer's instructions ^& that helps on the blade faces a bit...but the edge itself is where the glue "piles on" and the edge remains largely untreated...
If i know I'm cutting a lot of tape, I keep a can of mineral spirits & soft rag at hand. I have used Germ-X in a pinch...works decently. WD-40 is very good also at removing adhesive.
I don't know any ultimate fix, hack, or shortcut that you can perform on the blade edge itself to help with adhesive build up. Cleaning from moment to moment, as outlined above, seems to be the best option I have found. Any other proven ideas will be readily embraced by me. :)
Hope this helps! :D
plus, as has been stated previously, such treatments increase surface area for rust, grime, and other nasties allowing them to get a better foothold...
DLC or teflon coated blades should have the least drag...in real-world use, I've found the advantage to be negligible. :o
In theory, a scalloped blade (like Kershaw Groove or original model Zing) should experience less drag & accumulation of gunk...I own both those models, use them, & love them...but sadly, I can't tell the difference in performance or build up, either :o
In my experiences an uncoated, thin, smooth mirror polished blade or fine satin will give the best performance & least drag...A Calypso Jr. fits the bill here as well as multiple Centofante models & the Chaparral...however, they will show scratches more readily
In an anecdotal matter, I have applied FrogLube as per manufacturer's instructions ^& that helps on the blade faces a bit...but the edge itself is where the glue "piles on" and the edge remains largely untreated...
If i know I'm cutting a lot of tape, I keep a can of mineral spirits & soft rag at hand. I have used Germ-X in a pinch...works decently. WD-40 is very good also at removing adhesive.
I don't know any ultimate fix, hack, or shortcut that you can perform on the blade edge itself to help with adhesive build up. Cleaning from moment to moment, as outlined above, seems to be the best option I have found. Any other proven ideas will be readily embraced by me. :)
Hope this helps! :D
Re: More bead blasted spydercos?
I have owned only one bead blasted blade. I didn't notice much difference with packing tape sticking to it.
It does make the blade less visible at night, which is popular with the mall ninja crowd, but I don't think it makes any practical difference.
It does make the blade less visible at night, which is popular with the mall ninja crowd, but I don't think it makes any practical difference.