BK2 vs Titanium Alloy?

G

Gready

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Nov 19, 2013
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I don't know much about Titanium, except the fact that its very strong metal and half the weight of stainless steel.

I was told by a friend that on a hardness scale, 1095 Cro Van ranked 250 and Titanium Alloy ranked 900 or something.

I like the BK2 and everything, but I was wondering, is Titanium Alloy really stronger than 1095 Cro Van?

I found a Titanium Alloy Diving knife online and its nearly the same price as the BK2, which is why I am curious about this.
 
Ti is much stronger than a lot of steels out there, but it is harder to maintain a sharp edge, unless it's been coated (carbidized). A non carb'd edge will get sharp, but will not stand up to rough cutting like a carbon steel blade will. Ive got a few Ti knives and they're mostly serrated edges, but I'm also nowhere near as knowledgable as some here :)
 
shockjockey24 said:
Ti is much stronger than a lot of steels out there, but it is harder to maintain a sharp edge, unless it's been coated (carbidized). A non carb'd edge will get sharp, but will not stand up to rough cutting like a carbon steel blade will. Ive got a few Ti knives and they're mostly serrated edges, but I'm also nowhere near as knowledgable as some here :)
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Thanks for the quick response!

Nowhere on the product page of this knife does it say the edge is carbidized, so I'm going to guess that it isn't.

With that being said, you are saying that this non carbidized knife will be really sharp, but not as tough as a BK?

That would make sense, considering it is a sea diving knife, and requires a sharp edge to be used underwater.
 
I thought titanium's main selling point was the strength-to-weight ratio being higher than steel and aluminum; a selling point for aircraft construction. And I've read in other discussion areas talking about certain metals for knife blades, that the edge retention abilities of titanium weren't much better than aluminum.
 
The selling point of Titanium is in it's high strength-to-weight ratio and it's corrosion resistance.

Don't misunderstand the high strength to weight ratio with hardness or edge holding though! Titanium is MUCH softer than any hardened steel (and it is substantially lighter).

Because it is softer, Titanium usually cant support a decent cutting edge, so carbide is sometimes bonded to the edge of titanium knives for edge holding longevity. Titanium makes a good dive knife in principle because of its corrosion resistance, but the edge holding isn't there without something bonded to the cutting edge and it's usually expensive!

I SCUBA dive and personally would not drop the coin on a Titanium dive knife! I wouldn't recommend a BK2 for diving either! I use a serrated Betty Crocker steak knife, cut off with a squared point 2" long and keep it on the waistbelt of my DIR style harness next to my belly button in an open sheath made out of 2" webbing. When it rusts or I lose it, I make another one for about $3.00! The only thing you REALLY need a dive knife for is as a linecutter anyways, and a 2" long knife fills that role perfectly, does not get in the way or create problems with drag while swimming and is inexpensive to replace if it rusts or gets dropped on the bottom! Google DIR diving equipment description- it's the system used by most Cave/technical divers and makes a lot of sense (to me at least). If you want something sexier or more (knife-guyish) for diving, Benchmade and Spyderco both make "rustproof" knives for saltwater...
 
+1 on the corrosion resistance, and yeah, I wouldn't pay for a Ti dive knife, but my parents bought it for me when I got my air card back in the 90s so...
 
I've got Mission titanium skeletonized knives. They have very little in common with a real steel blade. Some anti-corrosion requirements may be important, and Mission titanium will hold a better edge than you might think. But I agree with chris0827 that a cut-off kitchen knife will probably do better as a line cutter. I wonder if a Benchmade (or similar) rescue hook wouldn't be better yet.
 
i want a Titanium crowbar for lols...

the stuff has interesting characteristics, but it's not a "super metal" like 1095 is :D
 
Titanium is nonmagnetic so if you plan to diffuse sea mines or dig for landmines its a big plus.
For Water get something with H1 steel. Doesn't rust and holds an edge pretty well.:thumbup:
 
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