Frame/Liner locks Steel vs. Titanium

M

msiley

Joined
Aug 19, 2006
Messages
542
So I got my first framelock (Kershaw Leek)
and I'm rather impressed. I was a bit worried
from some of the stories I've heard about them failing.
But it rocks in my opinion!

Now I want to buy more. My question to you is
what are the advantages and disadvantages
of Steel Frame/Liner locks vs. Titanium Frame/Liner locks?

It seems the higher end frame/liner locks are titanium.
Is lighter weight the only advantage of titanium?

Thanks in Advance!

Mike
 
Ti is lighter, but it allows anodizing it a color also and doesn't need or require additional heat treatment so it can be bought, cleaned up shaped and used as it comes making it very appealing to knife makers. Ti has what we call memory also and it will deform and many times go back to the shape it had before when steel would be permanently bent. It also tends to gall or stick to itself and other metals so it makes for a pretty good liner or frame lock due to this reason but many would argue that what this has done is create situations where makers can make less than ideal contacts of the lock and blade where they meet (interface) and get away with it because the titanium sticks to the metal blade some to help keep the lock from sliding off.

Its been reported that titanium holds up better in extreme cold also and is less likely to snap or suffer fracture from it but both will survive to temps much greater than we can so that point is kind of moot really.

Stainless once hardened will wear better and it is stronger which are the two main advantages I think to using it. If the contact is made correctly and angled so it will match up as it should steel works just as well for staying in place. It is just less likely to indent from shock and heavy uses vs titanium.

STR
 
No problem. One other thing I forgot regarding the way titanium galls or sticks. I noticed growing up before the days when titanium was much more than one of those mystery steels we all heard about once I was in my mid to late 20s as I recall. I remember people saying how they'd love to get their hands on some of it because it was only used by NASA and the Aerospace engineers and was a 'restricted metal' apparently not available to the public at large there even when it was known about.

I had not seen or ever heard mention of washers being used in a pivot at all until titanium came into the picture. Many makers to this day make lockbacks and other folders using polished steel or brass liners that the polished blade surface rubs right against nice and easy with no need for any washer. I remember first hearing about washers but then when I made my first folder using titanium I put the thing together and it was just terrible. All gritty, grainy feeling and no amount of oil would help really. Not for long anyway. It was just aweful. So now PB and nylon or I guess they call it nylatron washers are very common. I blame this on titanium to myself but have not tried to verify if they actually do go hand in hand time wise. It seemed to me they do.

Alls I know is if you use titanium on one or both sides of the blade you will want to space the blade and the titanium with something to keep them from rubbing each other. They don't get along well.

STR
 
interesting...

I remember when I was a kid anything with titanium was
considered premium.

The reason I'm asking about all this... is that I'm thinking of
picking up a titanium zdp-189 leek... I have a regular leek and love it.
Then again I think I should just wait for the Sandvik leeks.
Then with the money I don't spend on the ZDP leek I'll by a
mini-cyclone. :-) decisions. decisions. :-)
 
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