Bodycote Diamond Black (PVD Coating) Receives Recognition

Conover, North Carolina —By an overwhelming vote of trade industry members, Kershaw’s new Black Chive knife coated by Bodycote’s Diamond Black facility in Conover, NC was selected as The Blade Magazine’s 2001 American-Made Knife of the Year. The winner is chosen based on a range of criteria—from form and function to craftsmanship and quality. “People are saying that it’s the right design, in the right size, from the right company,” said Blade’s Steve McGowen. “Plus it has a very cool finish.”

The right-sized Chive features a 1 15/16-inch blade of premium high-carbon 420 stainless steel and measures just 2 7/8-inches closed. It weighs 1.9 ounces. Its “cool finish” is Bodycote’s proprietary boron carbide surface treatment, which not only gives the Chive a sophisticated, gray color, but enhances performance, too.

Bodycote Diamond Black’s boron carbide is a thin ceramic film with nano-crystalline structure applied in vacuum chambers via physical vapor deposition. The coating is incredibly durable—93 to 95 RC. It is chip, crack, and peel resistant, coats to a razor edge, and is heat resistant to 2732 degrees F. Best of all, because the Chive’s unique boron coating is impervious to most harsh chemicals, acids, and bases, it virtually eliminates corrosion and maintains its lubrication longer. In other words, a little oil goes a long way on the new Chive.

“We’re proud to help our customers achieve recognition in their respective industries.” Said Darrell Lewis, General Manager of Bodycote Diamond Black. “We are continuing to expand the influence of boron carbide coatings into a number of industries. We expect our technology to drive further product innovation in the knife industry.”

Note:
Bodycote Thermal Processing is comprised of nearly 60 thermal processing facilities across North America. Various thermal processing techniques are utilized for the automotive, aerospace, military, agricultural, oil field, consumer product and other market segments. All facilities either NADCAP, ISO-9000 or QS-9000 certified.