Besides lightness, why is titanium more desired than steel for frame and liner locks?

N

nick21

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Feb 22, 2014
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I'm considering getting my first ti frame lock. But I have some reservations, specifically that steel simply seems to me to be the more practical lockface material.

Is there something I don't know?
 
Titanium has better elasticity than steel. In other words, it makes a better lockbar. Sometimes, the lockface can stick due to poor geometry, but a good ti frame/liner lock won't do this.

I'm not sure that elasticity is the correct word to use, but I'm sure you get what I'm talking about.

Also, titanium is more corrosion resistant than steel:thumbup:
 
Also Titanium is cool!


Scratches kind of heal. Once the shiny scratch oxidizes again it blends in well with the rest of the greyish surface.

Did I mention it's cool? Because it is!
 
Titanium is light, extremely corrosion resistant and strong, but not very hard. Titanium can be alloyed with iron, aluminium, vanadium, and molybdenum, among other elements. This helps in the strength and hardness, but a quality high carbon steel or stainless steel will have superior wear resistance. So it's biggest benefit is weight savings, corrosion resistance and the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metal.
 
It's cool. As a handle material it's okay. Nothing like g10, micarta, wood, or even alox. Even knowing that, I had to buy one myself. They ARE cool. :D
 
Having been cut badly by a slipping lock before, I strongly prefer the galling/sticking nature of a titanium lockbar interfacing on a steel blade.
 
Honestly? The advantages over steel are pretty minimal, where they exist at all. Mostly people dig it and it sounds all space age. It's not bad, though, so if you want one, go for it.
 
Steel as a lock face will eventually get polished and lose its ability to keep knife closed. I have a knife a friend made for me. He used 416 stainless for the side spring. You can now push down on back of blade and it. Simply slides to the side and unlocks.
 
RevDevil said:
God's metal
Click to expand...


I thought STRYPER was God's metal:

9420694_orig.jpg


:D
 
argel55 said:
Steel as a lock face will eventually get polished and lose its ability to keep knife closed. I have a knife a friend made for me. He used 416 stainless for the side spring. You can now push down on back of blade and it. Simply slides to the side and unlocks.
Click to expand...

if this is true, why many brands began to use steel lockbar insert?
 
Makes a better spring. Titanium is also less conductive of temperature than steel or aluminum, giving it a "warmer" feel (it's actually just leaching less temperature from your hand).
 
Cool article I read a few months back:

"Physical qualities of titanium make it a preferable material used by automobiles, aerospace, jewelry and many other industries. It has been known for its high strength and toughness, durability and low density, and ability to withstand high and low temperatures. The corrosion resistance and biological compatibility of titanium are another two attributes very useful in a variety of applications like surgical implants etc. it is precious and costly when compared to steel. Steel is corrosive, rusts, stains, and is heavier than titanium. Steel’s density is 7.85 g/cm3, and titanium has 56% that of steel."

Read more: Difference Between Steel and Titanium | Difference Between | Steel vs Titanium http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-between-steel-and-titanium/#ixzz40UWSrTiI
 
One thing some people are not particularly aware of and I read in the article is about the thermal stability of materials, and to be honest this doesn't matter much to the average knife user but Ti is much more thermally stable than steel, where even the best steels can shatter in cold weather [see Nutnfancys broken Trailmaster] Ti won't. It also has much better flexibility and can take much more repeated flexing than steel can. Like stabman said its the "bacon of the knife world".
 
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