What is appeal of titanium handle?

It's a good strong locking knife. There's something cool about titanium. Is it the end all be all option? Nope, there are many other equally good options. However there is something about the beautiful minimalist design a Ti framlock can provide that attracts me to it.

I still however love other handle materials
-G10
-CF
-Wood
-Micarta

FRN/Zytel/grivory done well is also a great handle material .
 
I find Ti worth it for several reasons:

1: Aesthetics...i really like the color of Ti

2: No rust: Ti like Al doesnt rust which is always a good thing

3:Lightweight and srong, but still has a nice amount of heft.

4: Its kind of exclusive. Not many people carry Ti knives, and I like that. Yes, people on these forums carry them, but i have yet to meet someone outside that had a knife with Ti
 
Spyderco Sage 2
Buck Mayo TNT
Buck Mayo Waimea
Sebenza Large 21
Sebenza Small 21

Spyderco Lum Ti on the way.
Spyderco Military Ti/G10 on order.

These knives just work with Titanium.
 
If one is talking about framelocks, which most titanium-handled knives are, it doesn't make sense to compare a titanium frame/handle to other materials that aren't metal at least on one side. The only other materials used as far as I know for framelocks are steel and aluminum. This is where a fair comparison can be made about the pros and cons of titanium over other materials. The question of whether it's "worth" the extra dough is of course highly subjective, so we're not going to be reading any objective statements about value (outside of stating statistics and who's buying what).

As to comparing non-titanium-handled knives to ti knives that aren't framelocks, we should consider what was meant by the design to see if the materials used are optimal for the design's purpose- based on the budget. When considering design, there are two perspectives to look at- the designer's purpose and our own purpose for purchasing the knife in question.

Are we concerned about corrosion resistance? Was the knife meant to be a "hard use" knife and was weight a consideration (carriability- if that's a word)? Is handle strength the only consideration? Are we simply looking for the lightest weight knife available within certain measurement parameters? What degree of lock strength and security are we looking for? Are we buying the knife mainly for aesthetics reasons (timascus anyone?)? etc.

Finding out what we're looking for in a knife will reveal much more about what knife we "ought" to get and whether titanium is ideal for meeting our wants.
 
Finding out what we're looking for in a knife will reveal much more about what knife we "ought" to get and whether titanium is ideal for meeting our wants.
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Kalzen1 said and I think that covers it well. Without going into details I will say that why we buy anything is determined by either need or desire and that certainly holds true for me and my knife buying. I buy almost exclusively for handling and the aesthetic appeal it has for me. Not that I will not use it for whatever comes along, but not as often as many here. I just love the looks and feel of a fine knife, just as one would a gun or mineral specimen. How much difference a Ti handle would make might be moot, but if it satisfies in an aesthetic sense more than another type must take into account the extra cost in my case. Does that Ti handle look a hundred bucks better than a FRN or G10, etc.?
 
rkhndjr said:
Kalzen1 said and I think that covers it well. Without going into details I will say that why we buy anything is determined by either need or desire and that certainly holds true for me and my knife buying. I buy almost exclusively for handling and the aesthetic appeal it has for me. Not that I will not use it for whatever comes along, but not as often as many here. I just love the looks and feel of a fine knife, just as one would a gun or mineral specimen. How much difference a Ti handle would make might be moot, but if it satisfies in an aesthetic sense more than another type must take into account the extra cost in my case. Does that Ti handle look a hundred bucks better than a FRN or G10, etc.?
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I think many of us get so caught up in all of the stuff that we read about on these forums and lose track of the fact that our opinions are just that. People who forget that they're stating personal preferences might tend to judge others about their preferences. We certainly can make objective, factual statements about knives, but in my experience most of the questions that come 'round these parts are attempting to gauge (a highly subjective) consensus to better equip their own decision making in hopes that they'll be able to find a knife that meets their own highly subjective preferences. Preferences, mind you, that the relative newbies don't even know they have just yet in most cases.

When I first got here, I "needed" the fastest, most tactical knife in the world- under $80, lol. I hope I don't scare anyone off from asking these questions however, because they really do help us find out what we really like about knives. Reading feedback about various knife models does help in many cases. What we'll also find is that we'll personally go through many knives, buying, trading and selling and that will change much of what we prefer over time. Some unfortunate souls get caught up buying, trading and selling almost for the thrill of getting the "latest and greatest" and have the most difficult time determining what features they really like. Okay, too much typing now, I'll shut up.
 
Oh, I agree. Having been caught up in the "gotta have it" syndrome many times I now am trying to be practical. It is so easy to find a need for whatever special object we run across. It is fun, though, as long as the money is there...
 
I like Ti. I sometimes wish it wasn't so prone to quick wear/scuffing...but, it is a quality material.
 
I prefer either inlays,overlays or a thick liner locks that are as thick,almost as thick or more thick than a framelock. I think I have found the perfect balance with my Les Georger ESR. It's a liner lock that's as thick as it can possibly be and still be easy to open and close with no cutout, therefore it doesn't have a weakspot and is essentially stronger than a thick ass framelock that has only a tiny bit of material left in the cut out area.
 
If there were no titanium handle knives, I would not have any of these.:eek: Seriously, Balisongs are very nice even great with SS, but titanium just takes them to another level.

















 
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I'm seeing that Skirmish now in a nice, carved wood and a mirror-polished blade...mmm.

Probably biased against TI because most are framelocks and I'm left-handed, but even SS does little for me.
 
wongKI, I think you are in the minority here:-)) I, yoo, love fine wood handles but rarely see any. Give me an example of a good one.
 
Most o' Philip Dobson's rescales for one.

The Skirmish is a fine knife in Ti too. I was thinking about wood mostly because of the feel as I mentioned earlier. (I don't think a wood framelock would work well.lol.)
 
A lot of good points have already been made about the unbeatable corrosion resistance and light weight of this material. There are also a bunch of us who want titanium handled knives just because we are titanium addicts :)
 
Kaizen1 said:
I think many of us get so caught up in all of the stuff that we read about on these forums and lose track of the fact that our opinions are just that. People who forget that they're stating personal preferences might tend to judge others about their preferences. We certainly can make objective, factual statements about knives, but in my experience most of the questions that come 'round these parts are attempting to gauge (a highly subjective) consensus to better equip their own decision making in hopes that they'll be able to find a knife that meets their own highly subjective preferences. Preferences, mind you, that the relative newbies don't even know they have just yet in most cases.

When I first got here, I "needed" the fastest, most tactical knife in the world- under $80, lol. I hope I don't scare anyone off from asking these questions however, because they really do help us find out what we really like about knives. Reading feedback about various knife models does help in many cases. What we'll also find is that we'll personally go through many knives, buying, trading and selling and that will change much of what we prefer over time. Some unfortunate souls get caught up buying, trading and selling almost for the thrill of getting the "latest and greatest" and have the most difficult time determining what features they really like. Okay, too much typing now, I'll shut up.
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Amen.

I love framelocks.



A steel framelock is not a dealbreaker for me if I like the way the knife looks or handles , the Kershaw Groove is a great example.

Would I like a titanium handled version more ? Sure ! It would be lighter ( which I honestly could give a rats about weight ) and I could mod it nicer which is probably the most appealing point of any titanium handled knife in my eyes.

There is still a part of my mind that see's titanium this and titanium that as trendy as the clothing at Hot Topic and I honestly feel that if it were not for international forums like BF that titanium would not be nearly as popular. ( how many people on here would pay those prices if they could not keep up with the joneses even if it is via the internet ? :)

That's my twelve cents.

Tostig

Wongki I too am a lefty and have adapted to using knives meant for right handers quite well.
 
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high strength + light weight + corrosion resistant/proof + easy/ no maintenance

What's not to like?


I like the way it looks too.:thumbup:

IMG_0153.jpg
 
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Ti is a supermetal-it's a great shock absorber, one of the most resistant metals to corrosion in existence, extremely lightweight and no other metal can quite match it's odd lustrous characteristics. I personally don't think it's entirely necessary for handle material....
 
I appreciate the strength, relative light weight, corrosion resistance and aesthetics of titanium too, but since the OP's question wasn't specific to framelocks, it should be noted that aluminum is 60% lighter, yet still strong enough for most real world handle slab applications. It's also cheaper and far easier to machine without excessive tool wear, and it's attractive and corrosion resistant with decent anodizing. Its only real drawback is that it's relatively inflexible, which precludes its use on the locking side of a framelock, whereas you can build a very good coil spring out of titanium.

Light weight is high on my priority list when it comes to modern EDC knives, and since I don't use my pocketknife as a folding pry-bar, I think T6 temper 6061 aluminum still competes very well with titanium in most production knife applications, in spite of its dearth in terms of fashion and general cool factor. Titanium is superior where fatigue and/or corrosion resistance become primary design goals--springs; bicycle frames; flexible lockbars, etc.--but in general, I think knife handle slabs tend to rely more on stiffness than fatigue resistance.
 
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Too many virtues already posted to repeat.

I like higher end knives - and a lot of the makers are using titanium. My understanding is that titanium is really not that rare - it's just that the military buys it in such large quantities it leaves little for the civilian market.

Personally - I like the feel, and I also like the look you get when it wears.

I also like the fact that titanium tends to be less of a pocket eater than some other handle / scale materials - like 3D G10.

I ruined a lot of my right front pockets with that grippy G10 stuff. Don't get me wrong - it's the stuff you want when you are in a damp environment. It just likes to eat pockets.
 
rkhndjr said:
and is it worth the extra cost?
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The main appeal is you can have a much larger knife with a metal frame that will not pull you pants down when you carry it. And the quote I took from another person on this thread hit the nail right on the head.

This is the quote. " high strength + light weight + corrosion resistant/proof + easy/ no maintenance " from somone else on this thread.

The statement of this person Corrosion Resistant/proof. Well titanium does not rust period. The bicycle frames that are made with titanium, well some of them they do not even bother painting. The only corrision you will ever get with titanium is called galvanic corrosion. This is where two disimiler metals are bolted together or by any other means. One works against the others chemical make up. I have first hand experience with that situation. I had to change a major panel section near the cockpit of a F4-D at Nellis AFB when I was doing maintaince on those type of fighters in the seventies.

Cheers,
Daniel

What's not to like?


Titanium Rules (Grin)
 
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