Frequently Asked Questions

Q. - Do you (How do you) make your knives?

A. - Yes, we do the work from design to cutting profiles, milling and grinding blades, milling and sanding handles, blasting and polishing, tying lanyards, sharpening, honing, and packing (just about everything).  The exceptions are for heat / cryo treatment and PVD coating, for thse specialized skills we utilize highly competent, ISO Certified, local companies along with other manufacturers (NASCAR, Aerospace, Firearms and many more).

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Q. - What kind of steel do you use / why?

A. - We initially made our knives from CPM S30V, but are currently working with CPM S35VN stainless blade steel.  Both of these blade steels make for a better performing knife, but do incur additional cost.  The producer of this steel, Crucible, designed these steels with some of the best knifemakers in the USA, specifically for use in cutlery.  The advantages of S30V is that the steel that has great toughness, good corrision resistance and the best edge retention of any stainless steel.  S35VN is similar to S30V, with a small reduction in vanadium and the addition of some niobium (improved toughness), but an excellent incremental advancement in blade steel. S35VN has the additional advantages of cleaner grinding and the ability to polish. Please check out the Crucible Data Sheets - CPM S30V & CPM S35VN.

 
Q. - What do you coat your blades with / why?

A. - S35VN does not require a coating, but we beleive a tactical knife should be coated / dulled to minimize shine in the field.  While there are many fine coating choices, we decided to put the best available (looking for the best wear resistance, unifority, color, environmentally friendly, etc..), by the process of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD).  PVD coating is applied in a vacuum chamber with charged metal molecules.  During the process, the cleaned blades are negatively charged and the plasma vapor of the metals are positively charged, so the vapor of metals deposit themselves evenly on the blade / parts. Our "SpartaCoat" is currently either a Tungsten DLC (Black) or Zirconium Nitride (Flat Dark Earth).  The coating is actually fused to the blade and much harder than the blade, making for a superior coating and scratch resistance.  It looks great too!
 
Q. - What do you recommend to hone / keep the edge of my knife sharp?

A.- We recommend the use of a fine diamond hone, such as a DMT or Lansky. (The "Wicked Edge" system is the best system we have ever seen). If you let your edge go after long hard use start with a medium diamond hone and then use a fine diamond hone. Ceramic sticks work well if used often to keep a keen edge. If you damage or don't want to sharpen your Spartan Blades knife, send it to us, and include $10 for return insured shipping and we will tune it up (resharpen and clean).
 
Q. - How do I clean my Spartan Blade knife?

A. - The "Sparta Coat" is a very hard coating, with use and rubbing on kydex or plastic, streaks of plastic / kydex may appear. Wipe with WD40 or any good cleaner lubricant protectant (CLP) with a clean rag or paper towel; this should remove any streaks or discoloration (FDE especially) For blood, after use in saltwater or other gunk; wash knife in clean soapy water and rinse with clean freshwater (preferably hot). Acetone may be used for stubborn gummy substances, just be sure to re-lubricate the balde with WD 40 or other CLP. The micarta washes well too. Afer washing and rinsing, dry, then spray and wipe with WD40 or other CLP.