Titanium scales?

K

Kevin Kf knives

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Jul 2, 2018
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I've been reading a couple of threads about titanium scales, I'm thinking about using titanium for scales on a fixed blade knife. Anyone try this? Some things I'm thinking about are, how will I cut them, if I cut them oversized, can I attach them to the handle and grind them to the same size as the tang, like i do with wood scales? Can I epoxy them and use pins, or corby bolts? Or do I need to attach them with machine screws like on a folder?

Thanks for any help
 
There are knifemakers here who have used waaaay more titanium than me, but in my experience:

1) I cut titanium on my portaband, at normal speed, normal pressure. A fresh blade makes decently quick work of it, but it trashes your blades pretty quick too
2) titanium heats up quick and stays hot for a while. I would get them as close to fit as possible before attaching to the knife, then do your attachment method (especially if using epoxy, as you wouldn’t want to melt it grinding off a ton of titanium)
3) you can use any attachment method you like, with mechanical fasteners being the strongest
4) some advice I got about grinding titanium: if you’re seeing sparks, the belt is moving too fast. I run a 36grit belt at about 25% on my VFD and it removes material pretty quick without making sparks.
5) the dust from grinding titanium can ignite VERY easily. Just keep that in mind if you’re using dust collection.

Hope some of that is helpful!
 
Cliff Carter Knives said:
There are knifemakers here who have used waaaay more titanium than me, but in my experience:

1) I cut titanium on my portaband, at normal speed, normal pressure. A fresh blade makes decently quick work of it, but it trashes your blades pretty quick too
2) titanium heats up quick and stays hot for a while. I would get them as close to fit as possible before attaching to the knife, then do your attachment method (especially if using epoxy, as you wouldn’t want to melt it grinding off a ton of titanium)
3) you can use any attachment method you like, with mechanical fasteners being the strongest
4) some advice I got about grinding titanium: if you’re seeing sparks, the belt is moving too fast. I run a 36grit belt at about 25% on my VFD and it removes material pretty quick without making sparks.
5) the dust from grinding titanium can ignite VERY easily. Just keep that in mind if you’re using dust collection.

Hope some of that is helpful!
Click to expand...
Very helpful, I was actually going to DM you on Instagram because I thought I remember you working with titanium. Thank you sir.
 
K Kevin Kf knives
Not wishing to rain on your creative parade, but I am curious why you want to use titanium for scales on a fixed blade? What is it that the titanium will do for you? Seems like a difficult material that will not offer the benefits on a fixed blade that it does on a folder, with the finished knife being heavier and colder in the hand. If you were talking just titanium bolsters, that would be a different matter. Then it would be a lighter and tougher alternative to brass, bronze, 416ss and nickel silver.

I would use screws and threaded stand-offs as pins, so a threaded stand off through a tang hole and machine screws coming in from both sides. Since commercial stand-offs are not all that precise, you could position the scales using hidden 1/8th diameter dowel pins, reamed holes in tang and blind drilled in the scales and use the stand-offs and screws just for retention. I think that titanium has a modern/industrial look that suits visible screws. Also, if a metal handle is smooth, as it might be if you blend through pins or Corby bolts, it might look a bit uniform and bland. Depends what look you are going for and what you want to achieve with the design. If you were going for a scalloped look, like knapped stone, maybe blended pins would work better.

I once cut a through a 1.75x0.75 bar of 6AL4V by hand with a new 18tpi cobalt HSS hacksaw and cutting fluid and that one cut wrecked the saw blade and took forever. Haven't tried grinding any of the stack of titanium bricketts I have. 20 years on and I still haven't found a good use for them!

Best of luck!!

Chris
 
I’ve thought about do a fixed blade with Ti scales (I will do it eventually) just because it would be awesome also you can anodize it so it would be even more awesome!
 
C_Claycomb said:
K Kevin Kf knives
Not wishing to rain on your creative parade, but I am curious why you want to use titanium for scales on a fixed blade? What is it that the titanium will do for you? Seems like a difficult material that will not offer the benefits on a fixed blade that it does on a folder, with the finished knife being heavier and colder in the hand. If you were talking just titanium bolsters, that would be a different matter. Then it would be a lighter and tougher alternative to brass, bronze, 416ss and nickel silver.
Click to expand...
Why not on small EDC knife ? Stainless blade , rust proof titanium , why not ?And last argument is that anodized Ti is so cool ......I think I will make one ,face of scale titanium , behind some nice thin wood ............ 6al-4v is not expensive ;)
 
I did a set of steak knives exactly that way - Z finit blades, anodized Ti scales. 2 of them is used Timascus.
Works great, but a lot of work. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will.

Much easier back in the day to link pics...

Bill
 
Bunker Hill Blades said:
I’ve thought about do a fixed blade with Ti scales (I will do it eventually) just because it would be awesome also you can anodize it so it would be even more awesome!
Click to expand...
This is what I was thinking basically. I'm doing a build-a-long thing on Instagram, wanted to hit them with a torch to make them look cool. If I don't like it, the backup plan is some carbon fiber stuff I got from a guy also on Instagram.
 
Kevin Kf knives said:
This is what I was thinking basically. I'm doing a build-a-long thing on Instagram, wanted to hit them with a torch to make them look cool. If I don't like it, the backup plan is some carbon fiber stuff I got from a guy also on Instagram.
Click to expand...
Definitely screw them on then. Can get them fully finished and torched before fitting.
 
Natlek said:
Yes , we get the idea ..................I need more Titanium :eek:
Click to expand...
This is one of the great things about knife making, and this forum, inspiration from others work.

Personally, I don't like vivid colors on knives, I think it's gaudy. But I sure do like that other people like them!

Variety is the spice of life!
 
A.McPherson said:
This is one of the great things about knife making, and this forum, inspiration from others work.

Personally, I don't like vivid colors on knives, I think it's gaudy. But I sure do like that other people like them!

Variety is the spice of life!
Click to expand...
I'm with you, I like a nice burl, or even using recycled stuff I find in the garbage, I work in the power industry, so i find some old micarta in the garbage sometimes, but this is for one of those "challenges" on Instagram. Trying something non-normal for this one.
 
2t4w72f.jpg


So this is how the titanium scale experiment came out. Can I get some honest feedback please. Thank you gentlemen
 
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