Titanium prybar versus steel for urban survival?

[Xian]

For an urban survival kit, which would you prefer? Titanium spares weight making for easier carry... but on the other hand the weight of a prybar aids in its ability as a wrecking bar. Which is "better"?

 

[parreich]

Ti is lighter(means you can move faster or carry more), stronger, and rustproof.

If these qualities are valuable to you...

A good roofing hammer (or handaxe) can be part of the barrier portion of a BOB. Combined with your Ti bar, you should be able to get through anything a steel bar could and many things that the steel couldn't.

 

[m]

Prybars work on the basis of leverage, not weight so if you can carry a longer prybar because it is made out of Ti and can afford it that might be the way to go.

 

[TimmyTheTalkingToilet]

Also with the Ti prybar, you don't have the chance of sparking (espically handy in case of a gas leak)

 

[phatch]

As I understand it, titanium is not stronger than steel universally. It is stronger than steel by weight. And so is balsa wood.

So two idealized wrecking bars of the same weight of steel and Ti respectively, the Ti will probably be stronger, but will also be bigger in size.

Two wrecking bars of the physical dimensions, one steel and one titanium, the steel will be stronger, but heavier.

If you want to compare two wrecking bars of equal strength, you'll have two otherwise dissimilar bars. The TI would be thicker, and perhaps longer. I am not sure which would weigh less in this instance, though I am guessing titanium.

Phil

 

[Charles Gallo]

Originally posted by phatch
<snip> I am not sure which would weigh less in this instance, though I am guessing titanium.

Phil

Phil,
No guess - that's what they mean by strength to weight ratio - It is higher for the Ti.

Now, you are right about the SIZE thing too, but NOT because of strength /weight, but because of strength

You could have a material with a higher density than steel, and a higher strength /weight ratio, and then for the same strength, it'd be smaller and lighter

For instance Ti Type 2 has almost the same yield strength as 316 Stainless (275 MPa vs 230 MPa) (It's a measure of how much force it takes to deform a SIZE of the material), BUT the density of the Ti is MUCH lower, so that same sample is MUCH lighter

Let's say you had 2 alloys that both yielded at 250 MPa - two bars that were 1" in Diameter would be equally strong, but if one is 1/2 the density of the other, you end up with a bar 1/2 the weight of the other

 

[Lone Hunter]

I think of it like a hangun vs.long gun.We carry handguns even though long guns are better ,so use both carry ahnd guns and keep long guns at home,place of business ect.Same with bars if you want to carry one in a bag then your pretty much limited to short and light.But keep long and heavy at work in your car home ect.

Also what do you want it to do? Personally if you want to break locks,shut off gas lines,along with forcing doors,windows ect.Then go with bars made to do this ,not some pry bar from the home center. check these out.www.firemarktools.com