Pro-Tech's Stider PT+ gets this special limited edition. Featuring solid bronze handles with extensive grip milling, polished sides, internally milled weight reducing pockets, premium CPM MagnaCut steel in stonewash finish, an abalone inlaid push button, bright satin hardware and matching satin mini deep-carry clip with a polished clip landing pad. The bronze on this model takes a distinctive patina, with the milled texturing taking a lighter graduated color. Every patina differs slightly, making this natural oxidation process unique to each owner.
Here's some info on AlBronze from Pro-Tech:
What is Aluminum Bronze? Answer: A Luxurious, Tank-like feel Metal Alloy.
Aluminum Bronze, also referred to as AlBronze, Bronze Aluminum, BronzeAl, or even just “bronze” to certain audiences, is a new and superior bronze alloy used by Pro-Tech on unique production runs, ultimate investor collector custom knives, and semi-custom pieces. AlBronze provides a great hand-feel that has a similar weight to stainless steel, while also providing the user with the ability to patina and naturally darken the golden material to a chocolaty rich hue with time and use. Unveiled during Shot Show 2022, AlBronze has quickly become a highly requested theme and a staple for our ever-growing product line-up. Whether you are in the market for a new knife, researching new and hot alloys on the knife market, or interested in what this new luxury material is, this article will provide all the info you need and then some.
Aluminum Bronze was developed to revolutionize, improve, and evolve on the standard bronze alloy, specifically, in the naval industry. In marine components, such as boat hulls, propellers, and mechanical pieces, marine engineers fought against “bronze disease” – a chemical reaction which turns standard bronze powder green until it dissolves. You might have seen a similar reaction on only artifacts in museums or old bronze coins! As you might imagine, issues like this could become catastrophic for a sailor at sea if their major component of the boat fails due to bronze disease. Aluminum Bronze was the cure for this! Copper and tin are the main components of traditional bronze. In AlBronze, tin is completely removed, and the composition is composed of:
11% Aluminum for superior corrosion resistance, machinability, luster
3.5% Iron for hardness and toughness
1 trace elements – similar to what you may find in super steels
84.5% Copper for the remainder of the alloy composition
BronzeAl was the savior for the marine industry as it completely prevents bronze disease. In fact, unless subjected to ammonia, AlBronze will not turn rust green. As an added benefit, barnacles would not attach to boats that used AlBronze. (Rest assured, if you do dive with your high-end AlBronze Pro-Tech, you need not worry about barnacles!).
Like many innovations, the adaptation and usage of AlBronze in the marine world spread to other innovations and applications as well. Aerospace industries, Swiss-made luxury watch companies, and high-end machining components began to utilize ALBronze as well. Compared to standard bronze, AlBronze provides increased corrosion resistance, slower patina effects, increased strength and hardness, more natural shine under polish, and easier and more reliable machining when cutting the material.
Pro-Tech is proud to utilize this material using a local supplier that makes a “mill run” casting of Aluminum Bronze, unique to our specifications. From the custom bar stock received, we cut the bronze to size in-house, precision-cut CNC machine each piece, deburr and inspect by hand, and then stonewash tumble or hand satin the handle modules all before they reach the desks for assembly.
Aluminum Bronze can be seen in mid-level customs such as our AlBronze Godson with FatCarbon “Black Camo” carbon fiber inlays, our small batch production AlBronze Textured Enthusiant Malibus, or even Investor Collector knives such as the Vegas Forge Spirograph Damascus and Italian hand engraved Godson with desert ironwood. Aluminum Bronze has even made a niche for itself in the PT building as it has become the premier material for prototyping new products and upcoming models.
One of the biggest benefits of Aluminum Bronze in their broad line-up of products is its unique patina abilities. When you first snap open your new Aluminum Bronze Pro-Tech, you will see a light golden and shiny bronze finish. Upon usage, carry, and oxidation with the natural outside environment, the material will slowly age and darken into a rich chocolaty and dark hue bronze. Just like each and every person uses their knives for different occupational roles, each AlBronze knife will patina and age differently – unique to the user. We love to see our customers come back at shows with their AlBronze knives, each with vastly unique patterns and
Should you ever want to prevent tarnish and patina, the best products to prevent oxidation is a periodic light application of car wax or renaissance wax. Additionally, if patina is not a desired look, the best products to remove patina is using Flitz paste by applying a small amount to a rag, polishing the scale by hand in a linear motion, and then cleaning with alcohol or Windex before applying wax.
