Blue Jays,
Just for the record, I go through about $5 worth of chopsticks every four months. I feel silly economizing something so low dollar (the disposables I use are like one cent a pair), but that means that in five years, my chopsticks would've paid for themselves (assuming I only used disposable). Also, while they'd be less hygenic (arguably) than disposables, I think they'd be a bit more hygenic than regular wooden ones -- easier to wash, and dishwasher safe.
Also, there's the disposable chopsticks conservation thing. I've always thought that bamboo grows fast enough that running out of wood will never be a problem, but it's another point to think about, as supportive of reusable chopsticks (if not titanium ones).
Good points about hiking, though I can't imagine being worried about the weight of a couple pairs of chopsticks. But then again, I don't hike.
My concern with metal chopsticks -- I use mine sometimes to stir tea, or soup when I'm heating it up, etc etc. I like wooden ones because they don't heat up on me. This might be silly, but if I'm stirring something boiling for an extended amount of time, would titanium chopsticks get too hot to use? I'm not as familiar with the properties of the metal as I should be -- all I know is that it makes darn good knife handles.
JamesA
