STR - Ti Colors?

D

dedguy

Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
128
I'm wondering what colors can you do in Ti. I know you can do gold and blue and can't do black. I'm contemplating what knife I want to send you next and what I want done to it so I'm thinking about my options.

Oh... and a second question... You don't happen to do bolsters do you? I imagine it can be pretty hard to get the fit between the two materials right.
 
Well, there are probably more available than what I've managed but of the ones I am most comfortable pulling off I can list how it goes typically.

The two most frequent color requests for my clips are blue jean blue, and khaki. I believe its because both these colors provide office dwellers with some good 'urban camo' blending ability of the clip to match up to slacks they wear.

Bead blasted is by far the most frequent finish I use though.

However the scale works like this picture here shows.

What you see here is an actual piece of scrap titanium I used to show what is possible. At least from me.

I usually shy away from trying anything above 70 volts. Not because I can't do it but because for some reason, especially on the bigger pieces I don't feel the color is uniform or evenly spread out for depth and shade. Its kind of spotty to try to describe what I see after 70.

At the bottom of the voltage where titanium first begins to change is 9 volts. It looks like 6 here in the pic but its upside down.

Then at 12 it gives a darker shade of khaki, and at 15 volts even darker. 18 v is like a purple, 20 a royal blue, 25 is what I term blue jean blue, and 28 is sky blue. 30 volts is a light blue. 40 is lighter still, and 45 or there abouts (not shown) is a blue green or teal color. 50 gets a nice olive color green lighter olive but nice that I've found blends well with green canvas micarta. And usually gold or yellow for me comes at about 55 volts

60 is hard to ID. Its kind of got a hint of orange with the solution I use. .

70 is a bright almost mauve color. My enhancement of the photo may not show the colors as true as they appear in person so be aware its probably not exact.

You can see what happens after 70 but in my opinion, at least using me its needless to try anything beyond that. I rarely get uniform coverage of the material to my satisfaction even when I've etched it or bead blasted it and cleaned the heck out of the tianium before doing the anodizing.

Hope that helps.

STR
 
I missed that completely.

I've done bolsters on a few occasions. It can be tough because it usually requires making the handle scales you chose thinner. Some handle materials are more prone to warp up than others if they get too thin but it would not be an issue with G10, or Micarta and most stabalized woods I don't think.

It adds cost though because it takes at least .100 thick titanium and sometimes thicker depending on the size of the pivot screw and its additional fitting time to butt it against the scale.

Here is one I did a long time ago that now resides in West Viriginia.

STR
 
Looks pretty slick... I'm thinking though exposed liners, Viele style, may be neater, cheaper, and easier.
 
Not sure I follow that. You mean where the liners kind of a bit higher than the scale that makes a bit of a lip?

STR
 
No, like the Spyderco Viele model... and actually I think a lot of his customs.

jot_singh.jpg


The liner is left exposed making for a sort of faux-bolster. Looks pretty neat I think and makes for a very visually interesting knife.
 
Oh yeah sure. I could do that. Never have but it looks lots easier than making up a bolster and trying to drill out a nice flat bottom hole for both the pivot and stop screws to hide under or even just the pivot by itself for sure. Let alone have to drill and thread one or two more holes to hold the bolster on secure.

STR
 
Actually I had one of the Viele II folders from Spyderco. I didn't remember that being how it was done though. But I didn't have that one long either.

STR
 
This is what I was thinking. Liners/Clip in Ti. Clip the gold/yellow you've done for me before, the liners the orangy-browner color. Scale dark red linen micarta. All as thin as possible. I was also thinking maybe doing the clips in two parts. One a plate in the darker gold/brown Ti that sits under the actual clip with is in yellow. It serves no purpose but I think it could look neat. Also would like gold/yellow/maybe brass screw construction.

This is a Spyderco Centofante IV btw, in case you don't recognize it. Pin construction which I imagine makes things more difficult.

Not sure how possible/expensive this all would be.

cento-4.png
 
You are hovering in $225 ball park arena pricing there. Anodizing it won't be a problem. It will mean a complete rebuild using new liners though since the old one sit recessed up inside the scale as I recall. I had one of those briefly also.

It would look pretty nice I think. I love your clip by the way.

Nice!

STR
 
Damn, kinda out of my range at the moment. What could I do to reduce the cost? Maybe something this extensive really isn't something I should be thinking about doing right now.

...and yeah, it has a single recessed liner on the clip side.
 
Most all my Spyderco rebuilds run $200 shipped, add $25 for a custom clip, and they can go up even more depending on further bells and whistles. I've held those prices for a good 8 months now even with titanium cost increases getting near precious metal standards.

I've done them for less in aluminum and just G10 or Micarta with no liners too which hover around the $140 range. Anytime cutting, drilling, and threading metal is involved it changes the ball game totally.

STR
 
I understand it's a lot of work. I hope at some point in the near future I can afford some of your more extensive work. I'll just have to stick to minor mods (like new clips) for the time being.
 
I understand. Its a big investment. Well, speakin' of pocket clips I have two of those to make up today and a Wave mod to do for mailing out tomorrow so I better wake up and get after it.

STR
 
What's your current turn around time? I've decided I'm going to go ahead and do it. I'm going to save up some money so I can afford it.
 
Currently I am fairly caught up. Right after Blade and right after the Shot Show are typically good times to catch me.

STR
 
Okay, groovy. I was actually hoping you where like 2 months behind so I could just send you the knife and I'd have the money by the time you finished it. ;) Anyway even if you're way behind by the time I'm ready to send it I'm cool with that. I'm a very patient guy despite being part of the "MTV Generation".
 
Its never taken me more than a couple weeks turn around time even when I was swamped with work. Nothing sits for long here. If it shows up at my mail box it gets knocked out. No such thing as bench rot in this shop.:thumbup:

STR
 
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