Titanium wear with handling?

[Legenda]

Has anyone had a bead blasted titanium handle get smoother over time? I'm trying to figure out why my titanium handle knife smoothed out. Can titanium smooth out with handling or would it take something more?

 

[kwazyjuice]

Bead blasted Ti will smooth out over time with use. IT gives it more of a worn look

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Some makers of Ti-handle knives will put hardened oxide or nitride layers on the surface to improve their surface-wear characteristics, and therefore reduce vulnerability to scratching or scuffing. But, bead-blasting alone doesn't add any such hardened layer; it's just basically a cosmetic treatment, only altering the surface texture (therefore the appearance) of the Ti.

Per the replies in your other related thread, Titanium handles on knives are pretty soft as compared to steel. RC hardness in the 40s, even after hardening. So, without the hardened surface treatments as mentioned above, they'll still show some wear.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1142367-Titanium-handle-wearing


David