Titanium

T

TimmyTheTalkingToilet

Joined
Apr 16, 1999
Messages
1,094
I was wondering how much the stuff costs for knife making, and how do you harden the stuff?

also I'm looking for some G10 how much is that as well.
 
I believe Texas Knifemaker's Supply carries G-10 now, at least they said they were going to in the last catalog I got from them. I have some pretty large, thin scales of black Taiwanese G-10 I would sell you. Email me. Also, titanium for making knives is really expensive. I don't know if it needs to be heat treated, though. I've never worked with it. I imagine it eats belts like crazy, too, but it would depend on what alloy is used. I know 6Al/4V drives bike frame manufacturers nuts when they have to miter the tubes. I'll bet most people using Ti have the blank laser or water jet cut, then all they have to do is drill and grind.

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My Custom Kydex Sheath pagehttp://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/knifehome.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
 
Um, Ti isn't all that bad, actually. Exciting to work with because it throws sparks like the Fourth of July and has all the nastiest properties of steel and aluminum combined, but that's about it. I cut thin sheet by running a bansaw at wood speeds so it friction-cuts (terrible for the blade) and thicker stock using the same bandsaw taht has a complex pulley system bringing it down to metal-cutting speeds. Drilling requires care and sharp bits, and the metal will "tear" when grinding if it gets too hot, but otherwise it's no big deal. Milling it is pretty tough, in my small experience.

Halpern Titanium( http://www.halperntitanium.com/ )is an excellent source, and some of the usual supply houses like TKS are stocking it, as mentioned. G-10 can be gotten from some of these same places - check out the bladeforums links page. Bear in mind that G-10 contains glass fiber and requires special respiratory and eye protection when working it.

Halpern's prices are $15.00 / sq. ft of 1/8" G-10, $46.96 sq. ft. of .050" 6AL4V, just to give some standard knifemaker sizes. Carbon Fiber runs $80.00 / sq. ft. in 1/8" thickness! But it's worth it... so pretty.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
Hey Sharpsteel! If you read this, I've tried to reply to you via email and it's been bounced back twice. Drop me a line again and I'll try to tell you about my saw.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
Regarding Titanium, where does it rank with steels like Ats-34, G-10, 440C, and Carbon V. Actuallyo ut of all those steels, what's the order of strongest to weakest? Yeah, I know some might keep a better edge, easier to sharpen too, lots of things here...
 
Ti is primarily used for liner locks and scales, not blades, in knives.

This is because it cannot be hardened to compete with steel. This is about to change.

A titanium carbide alloy is on the horizon. This stuff will harden VERY hard, and retains the light weight and corrosion resistance of Ti. I have not heard about the magnetic properties.

Is it worth it? At $550 / lb., probably not. Unless you really need a light, light knife.

Walt
 
You can cut it with the little cutoff wheels
and dremel fairly easy and its much more cost
effective.
R.B.Johnson out of Minn. has Ti and can annodize it for you. He's listed in Knives 99
goshawk
 
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