Lock bar out of titanium?

[STR]

I am preparing to make a titanium bladed lock back folder for myself. The thought occurred to me during the planning to make the lock bar out of titanium also. My question for some of the lock back makers is for their thoughts on making lock bars out of titanium.

People use ti all the time for frame and liner locks so why not lock backs? I don't know of any lock back folders made this way so if so please point them out. Looking at it as objectively as I can I don't really see any reason why titanium shouldn't work. The worse case scario I can think of is that the lock bar will have to have washers just like the blade so it works smoothly on say a dissimilar metal. Am I missing something?

STR

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

I tried making a slip-joint spring out of Ti and it galled. The hardened blade also dug into it. I would not reccomend it unless you want the make the lockbar twice. It should work well for the spring, no heat treat!

 

[huugh]

Isn't it because lockback bar doesn't bend (in contrast to frame/liner lock)?
Then there is no need to use titanium, especially when steel has higher hardness (and wear resistance). Imho.
I am no expert

 

[Will52100]

I wouldn't use it for a lock bar, not that it isn't strong enough, but that it will "stick" to steel. That's one of the reasons it makes an excellent linner lock material. If your talking about making the blade out of Ti, don't know how that'd work.

 

[JCaswell]

I wouldn't use it for a lock bar, not that it isn't strong enough, but that it will "stick" to steel .... If your talking about making the blade out of Ti, don't know how that'd work.

Titanium doesn't like to rub against itself either. Titanium screws in titanium holes, for example, can cause big problems should you ever want to remove them.
You could have it PVD or CVD coated. They have some coatings now that make TiN seem pretty soft. I think it's like 80 Rc and .014 COF.

There have been guys experimenting with titanium blades. To get them hard enough I've heard of fancy heating regimens to get 'alpha case' where they want it, but I think it's pretty dodgy yet.

Of course there's nothing stopping you from sharpening that baby up and getting it coated like they do end mills.