Titanium too slick

[GronK]

I've owned a TI MILI for a couple of years now. I love it but it's too slick! Skateboard tape helps but it's fugly as heck (as was pointed out to me here recently ). I figured it just had to be that way but I recently picked up a couple of Sebenzas to try them out and the finish has much more friction. It's obviously a difference in the way the titanium is finished; the Seb blasted and the Mili anodized? This brings up two questions.

1. Is there a way to increase the friction on the Mili other than sending the slabs to someone to blast?
2. This is the only Spyderco RIL I own. Do the others have this slick anodized finish?

 

[The Deacon]

A few years ago I roughed up an all stainless Spyderco with 80 grit sandpaper for someone with the same complaint. I thought it looked like crap, but the guy I did it for loved it.

 

[GronK]

A few years ago I roughed up an all stainless Spyderco with 80 grit sandpaper for someone with the same complaint. I thought it looked like crap, but the guy I did it for loved it.

I'm just looking for something that increases grip but doesn't give it the uglies.

 

[remnar]

The stone washing that I did on my Sage 2 added a lot of grip to the scales. This may not be the case with all stone washing, but my method produced some aggressive scratches. It wasn't difficult to do, but YMMV. And some may think this looks fugly.

 

[GronK]

Looks great, remnar. I'll either do something similar or just give up and stay with G10 Spydercos.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

That's one advantage to the grooved finish on some titanium knives. Personally, I like my G-10 Military too much to care for a slippery, heavier model.

Edit to add, I haven't handled a Ti Military, but sometimes metal handle slabs get "greasy" even if only from oils on your hand. Take an alcohol pad and rub the handle down. That might give you a bit more grip.

 

[JNewell]

The Ti Military scales look to me like they've been blasted with glass beads. The plain Sebenzas have been blasted with something like aluminum oxide, leaving a more aggressive finish. I find them pretty slick even so. Unfortunately, other than something like skateboard tape, your only choices are buying one of the fluted versions or having someone do some custom work on it to create some pattern on the scales like the Starbenza or Umnumzaan. Probably not a DIY project. My experience with Ti is that it's a b!tch to work with machine tools unless you have the right tools and experience (I don't).

 

[SpeedHoles]

This makes me wonder, why don't we see (or atleast I haven't seen much) of knurled metal scales?
I'm not much of a metal scale person, but I could see knurling the surface, or atleast parts of it having some benefit of both grip and feel...

 

[The Deacon]

I'm just looking for something that increases grip but doesn't give it the uglies.

Well, there's always hand engraving. I can say with certainty that it adds a lot of traction to stainless steel.

Am sure there are folks who can do similar work on titanium and that the results would be equally "grippy".

 

[uofaengr]

Well, there's always hand engraving. I can say with certainty that it adds a lot of traction to stainless steel.

Am sure there are folks who can do similar work on titanium and that the results would be equally "grippy".

Now that is gorgeous.

Yeah others took the words right out of my mouth. If you could find someone that can mill a pattern on the titanium, it should greatly enhance the grip. A long time ago I thought the cross hatching on the Umnumzaan was fugly, but it grew on me and it feels great in hand and adds grip nicely.

 

[GronK]

That's one advantage to the grooved finish on some titanium knives. Personally, I like my G-10 Military too much to care for a slippery, heavier model.

Edit to add, I haven't handled a Ti Military, but sometimes metal handle slabs get "greasy" even if only from oils on your hand. Take an alcohol pad and rub the handle down. That might give you a bit more grip.

Thanks for the hint but making it sqeaky clean makes it slicker.

 

[victorf]

IMO, to increase surface grip from an otherwise uniform finished surface, you have to break it up and make it other than uniform.

Lots of ways to do that, in general, deep is aggressive. From one end, what makes knurled pattern great also can be its worst to surrounding clothes and even the hand skin tissues. Abrasive blast finishing is on the other end, mild at best, unless aggressive media is used.

Milling is a great alternative! But design should be carefully chosen to other than decorative. If long grooves are milled running horizontal to the slab, then grip can be compromised as it can slide along the length of the horizontal groove. If milled grooves are vertical or vary at slight angle to the slab, it can provide a better grip than horizontal but it can induce warpage, especially if heat or tension is placed on the slab. One way to bypass some of the disadvantages is to have drilled holes/dimples on the surface but not connecting to each other.

I choose to mill strategically located dimples to break up surface continuity. They are fitted to my finger tips for a Filipino style, positive ambidextrous grip, double radius, finished with control feed rate to purposely ended up with the sparkle effect, provided to distort light reflection.

Like everything else, not for everyone, but were done to suite my purpose.

EX:-

Domino:

Insingo:

Aloha!

 

[GronK]

IMO, to increase surface grip from an otherwise uniform finished surface, you have to break it up and make it other than uniform.

Lots of ways to do that, in general, deep is aggressive. From one end, what makes knurled pattern great also can be its worst to surrounding clothes and even the hand skin tissues. Abrasive blast finishing is on the other end, mild at best, unless aggressive media is used.

Milling is a great alternative! But design should be carefully chosen to other than decorative. If long grooves are milled running horizontal to the slab, then grip can be compromised as it can slide along the length of the horizontal groove. If milled grooves are vertical or vary at slight angle to the slab, it can provide a better grip than horizontal but it can induce warpage, especially if heat or tension is placed on the slab. One way to bypass some of the disadvantages is to have drilled holes/dimples on the surface but not connecting to each other.

I choose to mill strategically located dimples to break up surface continuity. They are fitted to my finger tips for a Filipino style, positive ambidextrous grip, double radius, finished with control feed rate to purposely ended up with the sparkle effect, provided to distort light reflection.

Like everything else, not for everyone, but were done to suite my purpose.

EX:-

Domino:

Neato! Gives better purchase on the grip and lowers weight too. I'm in no hurry but will eventually look into that kind of pimping.