Thoughts on titanium scales

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
Slicydicey
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Thoughts on titanium scales

#1

Post by Slicydicey »

Not long ago a buddy at work asked to see my new Native 5 LW. He said I want to see what a knife that cost more than $100 is all about. As he handled it he commented on the”plastic handle” and pulled out his $20 dollar knife with metal handles. I then began to ask him why don’t guns have metal grips, bikes handle bars without some sort of polymer grip, fishing poles left just a bare metal pole etc etc. “Because metal is not a nice material to grip your hand I finished with”. Which brings me to these last couple weeks where I cannot shake my yearning for a spydiechef. I can no longer follow my own logic on what I like and don’t like in a knife. Any insight on Ti scales would be great.
My spydie history Blue DELICA ffg, Dragonfly Salt, Orange dragonfly 2,Tenacious, PM2, Orange DELICA, Manix 2 LW S110V, Native 5 LW, para 3, cutlery shoppe orange S90V LW Native 5, Native 5 Salt
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Bdubs808
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#2

Post by Bdubs808 »

Titanium just plain feels great in the hands. Its warm and smooth and feels more like polished wood than steel (my own personal experience), and its high strength qualities make it such a desirable material. I love my FRN and FRCP handles, but the feel of titanium possesses that je na sais quoi.
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Liquid Cobra
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#3

Post by Liquid Cobra »

Bdubs808 wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:02 am
Titanium just plain feels great in the hands. Its warm and smooth and feels more like polished wood than steel (my own personal experience), and its high strength qualities make it such a desirable material. I love my FRN and FRCP handles, but the feel of titanium possesses that je na sais quoi.

Agreed. Minus the FRN and FRCP love.
Most recently acquired: Military 2, Paramilitary 2 Tanto x2, YoJUMBO, Swayback, Siren, DLC Yojimbo 2, Native Chief, Shaman S90V, Para 3 LW, Ikuchi, UKPK, Smock, SUBVERT, Amalgam, Para 3 CTS-XHP, Kapara, Paramilitary 2 M390
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Mako109
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#4

Post by Mako109 »

No plastic handles/scales for me. I like the added weight and structural rigidity of titanium. I like the looks of the variety of metallic finishes that can be attained with Ti, from rough "working finish" to "bead blast" to "satin". I like the variety of metallic colors that can be achieved via anodization.

I'll even choose aluminum, particularly 7075-T (such as on the MicroTech Socom Elite) over plastic.

If it's light weight I'm after, then I prefer carbon fiber.
vivi
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#5

Post by vivi »

When I first started buying knives I avoided plaatic handles because I didn't like their mild flexing.

These days they're my favorite.

Comparing FRN to Ti, I find the former is lighter, warmer to the touch, cheaper, just as rust proof, less expensive to form into exotic shapes.....can't think of any drawbacks.

Not a fan of bare metal scales on any kind of knife.
:unicorn
Tims
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#6

Post by Tims »

It depends a lot on the knife. Some handle materials just suit certain designs.
Personally, I’m a fan of titanium and stainless but I love frn too. I like having knives in different handle materials for the variety. Some days I’ll reach for one or the other depending on my mood.
Bill1170
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#7

Post by Bill1170 »

I like metals, and titanium is very nice metal...but not for handles on tools I use. I prefer handles with lower thermal conductivity and more texture. The texture can be had on metal via machining. FRN, G-10, micarta, wood, leather, cork, all are good for my hands.
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ChrisinHove
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#8

Post by ChrisinHove »

Some designs must totally require it’s properties, such as the SPits.

I also like the simplicity of frame-locks, but admit two of my other Ti knives are heavily machined, the fluted Military and stealth Chaparral, which feel - and look - great. I’m not sure if the Ti Squeak counts as anything but prestige finish and feel.
Skidoosh
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#9

Post by Skidoosh »

I like titanium scales, I think the Slyz bowie, mantra, techno, and advocate show the appeal. More and more I like metal because of the ease on pockets and I like the look. Sal had commented at one point that aluminum didn't sell really well. I was interested in anodized handles.
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Brock O Lee
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#10

Post by Brock O Lee »

I really like titanium handles for smaller knives. The extra weight is certainly an issue with larger knives, but 3 inch and less categories are fine for me. The Chaparral, Pits, Sage 2 are among my favourite and most carried knives these days.

I prefer smooth handles, and don’t often need more grip than what the finger grooves provide.

I enjoy the extra solidity and perceived quality.

I also like the simplicity of construction, that there are no liners, and less places for moisture to hide (like between scales and liners).

Most titanium variants are also thinner than their non-titanium brothers with liners (i.e. Sage, Chaparral).
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Favourite Spydies: Military, PM2, Shaman, UKPK
Others: Victorinox Pioneer, CRK L Sebenza 31, CRK L Inkosi
Daveho
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#11

Post by Daveho »

Ti is ok.

Not too shabby-
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Evil D
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#12

Post by Evil D »

I have a weird affinity for titanium, I had brain surgery years ago and have a bit of it in my skull so you could say I feel "close" to it lol. I like it but I wouldn't want all my knives made from it and in fact I don't think I've ever really carried it long term. I prefer it to have some texture machined into it so Spyderco's typical offerings don't blow me away since they're usually smooth. It's also heavier than G10/FRN and while I don't necessarily obsess over weight I also don't want a knife heavier than it needs to be. A good example is the Military, I like it a lot for it's size to weight ratio and that gets thrown off when it's made in titanium. I would be willing to overlook the extra weight if the handles were done in a nice pattern like Strider's Gunner Grip.
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ChrisinHove
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#13

Post by ChrisinHove »

Evil D wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 5:34 am
I have a weird affinity for titanium, I had brain surgery years ago and have a bit of it in my skull so you could say I feel "close" to it lol.
Hah! I hadn’t thought of that! I’ve a titanium arrow-head embedded in my heel (anchoring my Achilles’ tendon in place).

I wonder if there’s enough titanium inside Forum members to create a Superhero, or at least a Robocop.....
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Evil D
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#14

Post by Evil D »

ChrisinHove wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 6:34 am
Evil D wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 5:34 am
I have a weird affinity for titanium, I had brain surgery years ago and have a bit of it in my skull so you could say I feel "close" to it lol.
Hah! I hadn’t thought of that! I’ve a titanium arrow-head embedded in my heel (anchoring my Achilles’ tendon in place).

I wonder if there’s enough titanium inside Forum members to create a Superhero, or at least a Robocop.....

Mine is a fairly small bit I'm told is H shaped with screws in the tips to hold a piece of skull back in place. It's basically useless now because the bone heals back in place like a broken bone but unless they go back in and remove it I'm stuck with it. It's freaky, you can feel it through my scalp :eek:
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5-by-5
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#15

Post by 5-by-5 »

A few years of Ti obsession. Here is my fav


Image
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archangel
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#16

Post by archangel »

They can be very different. My Pingo sprint, K2 and Slysz bowie collect scratches quickly. Advocate is very structured, Tighe Stick even more so, so scratches are not so visible. Bradley folder is coated, no scratches there yet.

Grip can be different as well. Polished titanium on the Pingo and Advocate is a little slick. The coated Bradley is better, the stonewashed K2 and Slysz are really grippy.

Titanium is my favourite material for scales. I wear a part titanium wedding band on me, plus I have titanium implants in my spine, so I have a special relationship to this metal. I own two titanium pens, carry a titanium whistle on my car keychain, a titanium capsule with a titanium toothpick on there too, titanium wristwatch, some titanium flashlights belong to my most cherished and carried ... Some people wear lots of gold or even platinum. I prefer titanium. :)
Michael
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Zatx
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#17

Post by Zatx »

I never had titanium scales until I gave in to the hype and purchased my first Sebenza. I absolutely hated the texture of those scales; they actually made me feel nauseous. It's hard to explain, but it felt like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I tried everything from sanding them smooth to paying someone to bead blast a different finish on them. Nothing worked, and I sold it. (Plus I bent the pocket clip darn near every time I carried the knife.)

Since that one experience, I stay away from titanium scales. But, like you, I really want to break my rule and get a SpydieChef whenever they become available.
Slicydicey
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#18

Post by Slicydicey »

Well there seems to be a lot of love for Ti scales so I might just have to pull the trigger when the spydiechef is back in stock and see for myself. Thanks for the insight
My spydie history Blue DELICA ffg, Dragonfly Salt, Orange dragonfly 2,Tenacious, PM2, Orange DELICA, Manix 2 LW S110V, Native 5 LW, para 3, cutlery shoppe orange S90V LW Native 5, Native 5 Salt
hoimin
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#19

Post by hoimin »

I've never really considered handle material as the primary decision point, as it's largely pre-determined by lock style and design intent (no one is making a titanium-scaled fixed blade are they?).

That being said, I eschewed titanium framelock flippers for a a long while as they have saturated the market to the point of being derivative and many of them that weren't ugly were cost prohibitive. My 'issue' had more do to with them being flippers than being titanium scaled. When a TFF finally spoke to me, I went and got it.

As a material, titanium alloy has a lot of amazing properties (strength:weight, machinability, corrosion-resistant, hypoallergenic) and is very receptive to a variety of finishes and anodizations that make it perfect for folding knives in a practical and aesthetic sense.
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Re: Thoughts on titanium scales

#20

Post by hoimin »

If you’re interested in what is possible with titanium in a folding knife, do check out Snecx on Instagram.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBf-3U01ML0
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