Variations in Titanium prices?

BaliLover

BaliLover

Joined
Oct 25, 2000
Messages
1,350
Today I went to a mall not too far from home and wandered into a surf/skate shop that had some cool looking Thumb rings. I bought one and when I got home compared it to my bm42. The 42 is more grey than the ring so off to the net I went to look for titanium rings.

I found a few that I liked but they were almost $400-$500. For a ring not much more in diameter than a quarter and not even a 1/2 wide. Even the simple no design band was almost $200.

So why is it that I can buy a complete titanuim handled bali, which obviously took more time and material to create, for 1/2 the price of a ring that is 1/8 the size of the knife?

Anyone know of a better deal on some Ti rings that have wide bands? Or how about a small hunk of ti large enough for me to a thumb ring out of?

I always thought that the price of a basic Gemini were good for a custom piece. Now I think they are GREAT. The worst ring I saw was one that had 3 small bands interlinked to form one. They wanted $1250 for that sucker. Nuts...
 
you know, when I was looking for wedding rings, I went through the same thought process.

I originally wanted a damascus ring, but didn't find any steelworkers offering them, but I did find a jeweler in Arizona who made a mokume design of gold of different colors that made it look like damascus. When I emailed him, he wanted $1200.00 a ring. I looked at a lot of different types of rings, including titanium. $400-1200 per ring. Platinum, $650-$2000 ring, and regular gold, $60-$400. The sales people said that if you ever got into a car accident while wearing a titanium ring, that the hospital will remove your finger if they can't take the ring off. They cut through other rings, but titanium.... I really didn't like the feel or weight of titanium rings. They felt plastic, and they only had crappy styles to choose from. I found cooler rings at Hot Topic in the mall, although they were aluminum. I ended up getting rings custom made from a local goldsmith, White gold swiss cheesed with sterling silver inserted as a second cast. Not quite the damascus I wanted, but still unique and simple.

The Jewelers want too much to work with hard metals. That's half the reason that Platinum costs three times that of gold. You have to get it almost three times as hot to work it.
I'm sure that's the same reason for titanium.
 
You have to forgive me for asking and you also have to realize that I really do live a very sheltered life.

Yesterday, I met with the CEO of a rather successful local company to discuss philanthropy with him. Many of these young millionaires have never even thought about philanthropy and then they get all excited about saving whales or some such thing. So, it's important to give them a little guidance.

Anyway, here I was in my suit and tie and this guy is in jeans and a teeshirt. I understand that. It's the .com way. But, I'm wearing cufflinks and he's wearing earings and a thumb ring.

The piercing stuff I will never understand. I'm sorry, but God intended men to pierce the cuffs of their shirt sleves, not their noses. And you ever got into a fight... well, let's just say that I have fantasies about ripping some guy's nose ring out.

But what's with the thumb ring? Is there something I'm missing here? I understand wedding rings, class rings, that sort of thing. But the thumb ring looks very uncomfortable.

I think it would suck for manipulating a balisong.

So, what gives?

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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com

[This message has been edited by Gollnick (edited 03-16-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Gollnick:
Yesterday, I met with the CEO of a rather successful local company to discuss philanthropy with him. Many of these young millionaires have never even thought about philanthropy and then they get all excited about saving whales or some such thing.
</font>
Click to expand...

Hmm... I thought you were going to talk about something really philosophical or noble, like saving whales and then you went on the tangent of thumb rings... by the time I got to the end, I couldn't figure out the point of the story (thought I skipped something).

Well, about thumbrings, I tried one on just to see how it felt, but I couldn't bend my nuckle all the way.
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[This message has been edited by penguin_2000 (edited 03-16-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Hmm... I thought you were going to talk about something really philosophical or noble, like saving whales</font>
Click to expand...

Well, this is a thread about thumb rings and titanium in particular. So, to discuss philanthropy would be a bit of a tangent. I only mentioned it to say what had brought this to my attention.

Saving the whales? Sorry, but I don't do that one. If you'd like to know, we talked a lot about Sierra Leone. There's a civil war going on there, has been for years. The rebels have recently talken to a new tactic. Instead of just killing people, they amputate a limbs, cleanly, medically. The idea being that killing someone is to kind. Making that person live the rest of his life without an arm or leg is a bit more cruel. This is the first time that amputation has been used as a weapon of war. When you start thinking about this, whales seem a bit less of an issue.

One of my charities, Mercy Ships recently discovered this when they docked one of their big floating hospitals there. As usual, they put out the word: there's a western-style hospital in town staffed by real doctors, stocked with real drugs. Bring your sick because everything is free.

In America and Europe, etc. most anyone who has lost a limb can receive some sort of prosthetic. But in the third world, such care is rare. Each of Mercy Ship's floating hospitals includes a prosthetic shop capable of making and fitting artificial limbs for amputees. It's one of their more popular services. But, in Sierra Leone, they were overwhelmed by the demand. Of course, the ship must, eventually, leave. There are other ports to call on. (To us in America, this idea of an itinerant hospital ship may seems very weak. But, America is very strange since we actually live in our inland regions, land-locked places like Wyoming actually have people living in them. We have major cities like Denver that are not sea ports. Think about all of the major cities you can name in the world and most all of them are sea ports. If you look at most other large countries, China and Russia for example, you'll see that population density is very high along the costs and becomes very sparse as you move inland. Something like 75% of the world's population lives with a hundred miles of a major sea port. The fastest and easiest ways to bring a western-style hospital to most people on the earth is just to dock it at the nearest sea port.) But, the need for prosthetics in Sierra Leone are so great that they're now trying to establish land-based clinics. That takes money.

So, it was in the midst of discussing these issues that I noticed this man's thumb ring. His is not the first. I've seen other people with these things on and wondered. But, the topic has come up here and since Mr. BaliLover was looking at these rings, I figured he must understand the story behind them and could fill me in.

As Mr. penguin_2000 points out, these things are often so wide and heavy that they limit the movement of the thumb joint.

What an interesting tie-in. In Sierra Leone, there are people who have lost their thumb and we're trying to help them regain some functionality in their lives. Here in America, there are people who have perfectly good thumbs but restrict their functionality. I understand the why in Sierra Leone. I'd like to understand the why here in America.


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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
Thumb rings, that you wear like normal rings, and body percing, which requies a new hole, are different things.

I only wear my wedding ring on my hand, but I wear my 10 guage nipple rings, 10 guage toung pin, and 00 guage plug in my ear. I have a "Prince Albert" too, but I don't wear any jewelry in it. If you don't know what that is, you are in front of a computer, and can look it up. I have an aputated finger tip too, my ring finger L side. I have tattoos, too. none of this has anything to do with Charity Mercy boats, but since the topic is going off balis, I thought I'd throw in something off topic too. Any body else have any body modifications?
 
Thumb rings were popular in Rome during the Ceasar era. They were also used by archers in asia to improve the pull of the arrow. As for me, I just like the way it looks and it really doesn't mess with my flipping. I have a surfer look and the thumb ring is just another thing to continue the look. They come in different widths you just have to find the one that fits.
 
GEzzzzzzzzzzzzzz us
Im in the wrong business.
Who wants a ti thumb ring?
200 bucks LOOKS its a steal.
Ill make um hahahhaa
How many do ya want?


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Web Site At www.darrelralph.com
MADD MAXX !
 
Waaaay OT now, but:

Body mods: 4 inks, pierced nipple. Was thinking about a pair of dydoes, but then it occurred to me ... OUCH! blade, a PA? OOOWWW!

Speaking of rings, I wouldn't mind finding myself a half-decent jointed ring.

Q: How would a thumb-ring improve an archer's performance? I don't understand how that would help the "pull" - I'm assuming worn on the "draw" hand. On the other hand (literally) it would prevent cuts, burns, scratches. I guess I'm confused.

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In-DEED!
 
Well, folks, we've got Darrel Ralph's attention. Mr. Ralph is not only an exceptional bladesmith, but also a jewler. Ring's can't be that hard to make.

Say, Darrel, I've been meaning to ask you about saving some damascus scraps from some of the Gemini work for me so that I can make cuff links out of 'em. A balisong with matching cuff links. That'd be cool!


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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
My brother found some cool jointed rings made out of snake vertebrae and plated with silver somewhere on the internet. I'd like to take a look in Hot Topic sometime and see what they have. If I ever got a piercing it would be a half to 3/4 of an inch down from my lower lip in the middle, maybe a spike maybe just a bar. Tattoos, now that's a different story
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Cameron

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"Look deep, deep inside and you will find a place of anger, vengeance, and brutality. Go there. It is your last hope to conquer the truly wicked."
uriel.gif

A few of my balisongs
My Photopoint album
 
Hmmmm Ti rings?!!! better stop there, might make a no-no! But I like the way you guys are thinking! Rave on...

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lokai.gif

Sabo 29
"Catch you on the flip side"!
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">10 guage nipple rings, 10 guage toung pin, and 00 guage plug in my ear</font>
Click to expand...

Wow! Those are some big holes. I assume that the 10 guage holes are done with slugs and the 00 with buckshot. I always assumed that they just used some sort of needle for this. Now, I'm amazed to find out just how serious y'all are about blowin' holes in your body. On the other hand, it does open a new business opportunity for me. I've already got all the tools.


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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
>>The piercing stuff I will never understand.

Perhaps that is a part of the "charm". Men wear Jewelry, because they want to make a statement, but it's always rather confusing just what statement they are trying to make.

No matter how you slice it, dice it or chop it, men who wear jewelry are making a statement that they do not work for a living. Because no working man in his right mind is going to wear any jewlery or lose clothing. You stand way to big of a chance of getting it caught in a machine and losing a part of your body.

My sister's son had a bunch of that pierced stuff on, up tell he wanted to get a real job, and then he was quick to get rid of it. Somehow making a living won out over making a fashion statement
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From a perspective of history, it was the slaves that wore jewlery to mark them so you could know who their owner was. So for me, in my mind, when I see a man wearing a bunch of jewlery, I think he is a slave to something.

It's really just a sign of how people have managed to get things turned upside down. They call bondage freedom, and they call freedom bondage. Bad is good, and someone who is prudent is considered a prude.

But you got to be careful. I knew one guy who was a pastors son and he wore a ear ring. He hated hyprocracy and had no use for people who judged others based on their outside appearance. He had no use for people who judged others without taking the time and the trouble to get to know them. So he wanted you to know right up front, that he was not going to mess around with people who only looked at the appearance of a person and did not look to see what was in their heart. Thanks, JohnR7
 
Heeeeey!!! a discussion about bodmods and i'm late, gosh
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blade_420, i've got a PA too, don't know the size of the guage things though but i've got 13mm earlobe holes and a 3.2 in my nose (septum) and Mr. Gollnick is not invited to pull it...
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Had my tongue pierced a few years ago but managed to accidently hurt two of my teeth and scrapped it, too bad, i liked it!

Got two tattoos, right here! there's a photo of my ear too, but it's a crappy photo.

And willOthewisp, my understanding is that when you wore the ring on your thumb you "hooked" the bowstring on it to avoid needing to squeeze the string too hard, also it would prevent the string slipping, thus making it easier to aim and hold the bow "cocked".

Any more bodmod people??
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Be well!/Jonas aka 2Sharp

"May all your detonations be expected"

The coolest bar in the world: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Camp/8373/index.html
My knives!

[This message has been edited by 2Sharp (edited 03-17-2001).]
 
All you guys with multiple piercings have a great excuse when your bali and the 4 other blades you carry set off security alarms at stores... "hey johnny rent a cop, its just the peircings..." :P
 
Hehe... Looks like we all have quite a bit in common. I don't have any unusual body holes, just one ear. I have a dragon face inked on my back but it needs to be re-inked.

If you do a search for "Thumb Ring" on Yahoo you'll see how they were used by archers. Theirs had a piece of leather too. It was used when the archer used the mongolian grip.

Mr. Ralph, alright if I contact you? I've seen the quality of your knives and I'd love to see some of your jewelry.
 
My step-son has told me about that "prince albert " thing when I took him to get his eyebrow pierced!
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Hey guys!!!! Did that hurt or what!
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No wonder you play with sharp pointed objects!
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Now I'm really , really , scared!

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lokai.gif

Sabo 29
"Catch you on the flip side"!
 
And I thought catching myself in a zipper hurt.
smile.gif


Any man that can go through that is someone I don't want to pick a fight with. I guess compared to that, punches are like being kissed.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BaliLover:
Any man that can go through that is someone I don't want to pick a fight with. I guess compared to that, punches are like being kissed.</font>
Click to expand...

Yeah, you better watch out, we're BAD...
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Not quite as bad (painful) as it sounds.

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Be well!/Jonas aka 2Sharp

"May all your detonations be expected"

The coolest bar in the world: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Camp/8373/index.html
My knives!

[This message has been edited by 2Sharp (edited 03-18-2001).]
 
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