Are Titanium Blades Strong

E

Eroc162

BANNED
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
146
I saw a Mission Titanium Fixed Blade Knife I really liked. I wanted to buy a nice knife that I can actually use. Is a titanium blade as strong as a steel blade? What about keeping the blade sharp? Does it stay as sharp as long as a steel blade does? Or is this knife ment for show?
 
Titanium knives can never compete with typical knife steel blades - they simply won't hold an edge as well. However, they had their uses as diver knives as they won't rust. Even so, for this specific application a modern very stainless and salt-resistant steel such as H1 is a more performant choice. The Spyderco Salt series uses H1, and I believe it is also used by a few other brands.
 
I dont think they are meant for show. I have 1 small fixed blade in Ti that I am not too impressed with, but it is cool and very light weight. As far as strength goes, it is supposed to be pretty strong and have some good flex to it. I would assume it is as strong or stronger than most steels used in folding knives, but I dont know for sure. The main knock on it is its edgeholding. Many of the forums have claimed that it does not take a very good edge, and does not hold its edge well at all. Others have reported that they dont have a problem with it. For me, the only characteristic that outshines most steels is the fact that it does not rust, but if that is important to you, take a look of some of spyderco's knives in H1. That wont rust either. My spyderco salt 1 is one of my favorite and most used folders. It takes a good edge very easily and holds it well. If I were going to spend the amount of money that a mission folder costs, I would much rather get a strider, sebenza, or hinderer.
 
Titanium alloys differ among themselves just as steel alloys do. I have 3 of Mission Beta titanium knives, two skeleton handles, the MPU and MBK, and the big folder, the MTF-1. They do keep a good working edge a long time and are easy to resharpen. They are very strong and unlike some steels, are not effected by deep cold. As utility kitchen knives, the small fixed blades are entirely satisfactory, and clean up nicely.
 
Even work hardened bronze cuts surprisingly well. I think you'd be impressed with the Ti alloy that Mission uses--It may not compete with high-performance steel, but it certainly would get the job done. That being said I find that the Spyderco H1 knives are more cost effective and better in the edge retention department (while nearly matching in corrosion resistance--that is to say NONE). :)
 
Yes, there are some compromises in going to a titanium blade, but titanium may very well handle your usages fine -- they're not just meant for show. That said, without knowing what you'll do with it, how fine you'll sharpen it, how long you want it to remain sharp, it's difficult to know if one of the higher-grade titanium knives is for you, or if H1 and its ilk works better, or if you should move up to a higher performing steel and just maintain it more carefully.
 
Ti doesn't hold the edge as well as steel , if you going to actually use your knife ,get steel.
 
Trix, have you tried one or are you just repeating what you've heard? Ti does not hold the fine edge a good steel will, but it has its place.

I used my MBK as a kitchen utility for well over a year without sharpening. As much as I like Mission's titanium, even I was surprised at how well my MPF-1 is holding up. I was thinking of calling them to find out if they've improved the alloy lately. But from what others have said in a recent thread, I should have expected it.
 
trix2004 said:
Ti doesn't hold the edge as well as steel , if you going to actually use your knife ,get steel.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it make a difference how much cutting you do per day and how often you are happy to sharpen it? If you enjoy the act of sharpening and get a lot of satisfaction from getting a blade 'shaving sharp' then you might like a knife that you will sharpen up every day. I am sure that for some people a Ti blade would work fine for daily use.
 
trix2004 said:
Ti doesn't hold the edge as well as steel , if you going to actually use your knife ,get steel.
Click to expand...

It may not hold an edge as well as steel, but steel doesn't hold an edge as well as diamond. That doesn't make diamond a good blade material. Remember--performance is measured by multiple criteria, not just edge retention.

The question at hand is if it does the job well enough, and that it does. The real question is if the type of performance it provides is what the OP wants or can afford. ;)
 
wouldn't carbide coating the edge of a titianium blade allow for better edge retention when compared to high end stainless steels? would it be possible to laminate zdp-189 with titanium?
 
tf8s said:
wouldn't carbide coating the edge of a titianium blade allow for better edge retention when compared to high end stainless steels? would it be possible to laminate zdp-189 with titanium?
Click to expand...

Try Warren Thomas
 
The main appeal of Mission knives is their corrosion resistance and being nonmagnetic, which comes from not being steel.

If you want a good solid user, Mission is OK, as Esav and others have said, but if you don't need the knife to be nonmagnetic, or corrosion-resistant,etc, you may be better off with H1, S30V etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top