Titanium or aluminum body? Which do you prefer for EDC?

GSY

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I have an affinity for high end stainless steel items however a combination of lightness and durability are more important to me for pocket carry. Both aluminum and titanium fit those categories and I was wondering what most people here prefer in a pocket flashlight?
 

Ozythemandias

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Aluminum is cheaper, lighter, and handles heat better

Titanium is more durable and looks/feels better

Buy both!
 

Str8stroke

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Aluminum Pros: Price, thermal management, weight
Titanium Pros: "Metal of the Gods", nearly indestructible, easy to home anodize and redo, feels awesome in the hand & mouth.

So, as you can tell, I lean towards Ti often. But! I EDC a Aluminum light more often than Ti. Why? Cause I don't have a Ti HDS 4K Rotary. Yet.
 

Thetasigma

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I'm clumsy, and like my things to be durable and not interact with my rather corrosive skin, so Aluminum, Brass, and Copper are off the table for me. Al-Bronze and Titanium work very well, with Titanium taking the cake for light weight, hardness, and durability.
While Titanium sucks thermally, I rarely need more than 60 lumens of light, and very rarely more than 250 lumens, so most of my use produces low enough levels of heat to work just fine in a Titanium host.

Aluminum is nice for a beater that you don't care if it gets dented, scratched, covered in grease, etc. However for EDC titanium wins for me between the durability and of course the aesthetics

Seriously though, aluminum turns my hands grey...
 

jorn

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Bare aluminium will make any hands gray. Anodized aluminium wont.
 

GSY

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Thanks for the replies! Merits go to each metal. I'm trending towards titanium for the lightness, toughness and looks because my heat management is not often at the higher levels but good to hear all opinions.
 

InvisibleFrodo

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Aluminum is quite a bit lighter than titanium and does conduct heat much better than titanium. Cost is much lower for aluminum, not only because the aluminum itself is a cheaper material, but because aluminum is much easier to machine.

Titanium is heavier than aluminum and does not conduct heat as well. However titanium is going to be tougher, and titanium lights usually have no anodized layer or electroless nickel to wear away. Titanium is extremely non reactive and hypolarergenic. Titanium is a galling material, and the threads will almost NEVER feel as smooth as threads made with other metals.

Just to put it out there: Copper and brass will both be heavier and softer than the titanium. However, the copper and brass will conduct heat and electricity much more efficiently than either aluminum or titanium, and the extra thermal mass means they can really help the electronics keep their cool. Last but maybe not least, the copper and the brass will be naturally anti microbial. If anybody or anything touches the light, after 2 hours 99.99% of all bacteria will be dead. When the copper or brass oxidizes, it does not effect the anti microbial properties.
 

Thetasigma

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Aluminum is quite a bit lighter than titanium and does conduct heat much better than titanium. Cost is much lower for aluminum, not only because the aluminum itself is a cheaper material, but because aluminum is much easier to machine.

Titanium is heavier than aluminum and does not conduct heat as well. However titanium is going to be tougher, and titanium lights usually have no anodized layer or electroless nickel to wear away. Titanium is extremely non reactive and hypolarergenic. Titanium is a galling material, and the threads will almost NEVER feel as smooth as threads made with other metals.

Just to put it out there: Copper and brass will both be heavier and softer than the titanium. However, the copper and brass will conduct heat and electricity much more efficiently than either aluminum or titanium, and the extra thermal mass means they can really help the electronics keep their cool. Last but maybe not least, the copper and the brass will be naturally anti microbial. If anybody or anything touches the light, after 2 hours 99.99% of all bacteria will be dead. When the copper or brass oxidizes, it does not effect the anti microbial properties.

Thermal conductivity of the usual alloys used would be 1st Coppers, 2nd 7075 Aluminum, C360 Brass, and C954 Al-Bronze are similar, and a distant third Stainless steels and Titaniums.

I don't buy the galling excuse on threads, I have had smoother threads with grade 5 Titanium than Aluminum. Copper can be pretty crummy, with Brass and Al-Bronze being heavenly. Titanium isn't too bad provided the threads are well cut and it is grade 5 instead of soft grade 2.
 

Pinarello

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Sorry, but your statements are totally wrong. Here are some materials and their thermal conductivity in Btu (British termal unit).
Aluminum - 136, Brass - 69, Copper 231, Silver - 247, Stainless steel - 8, Titanium - 12,65, Zinc - 67, Zirconium - 145 where higher number means higher conductivity .These are scientific facts!
 

eh4

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Anodized aluminium, put some tape or bicycle inner tube around any ends that are prone to hard knocks, then knock away.
 

ven

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I only have one brass light, handful of cu , several ti and the majority al. All have their place, I like stainless for heavy duty (key chain were coming into contact with other metals is a given). As said, as long as your not wanting crazy outputs, stainless and ti can work great. Just pick wisely for its use, if EDC for example and uses are usually less than 200lm, ti makes a nice choice imo.
 

horizonseeker

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I EDC aluminum due to the fact that I wouldn't mind too much with a scuff here and there. I don't use my lights hard, but there are the inevitable scratches.

I carry my Ti lights for events where the material will get some attention. Don't have any brass light yet, wonder how that would feel.

performance-wise, I doubt any daily use would push any metal to the edge to show the difference.
 

ven

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Have a few more, but these are some of my ti lights
ynxs08Hl.jpg

These have been work lights , ti and stainless
ncgdw4nl.jpg


Key chain i like brass/copper/ti and especially stainless.
ZSVj7zll.jpg


I get frustrated sometimes with manufacturers claims of type III when it just isn't(shiny is a usual give away). The type II of surefire 6p and z2 wipe the floor with some of the chinese type III anyway. Some of my fav ano would be the natural HA of surefires c2/m2 and zebralights/armytek(older pro v2.5)
UeKPEj6l.jpg

su58kTRl.jpg
 

Boris74

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Sep 23, 2017
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Aluminum. I've dabbled in the titanium sector, IMO, seems to be a look at what I got type of thing.

Working lights I don't care, poly, aluminum, Ti, Stainless. I have at least one in all of them and I don't care as long as they light up when needed.

However I honestly got my Ti light for one reason. I regularly carry a Ti slab sided Knife, my watch is Titanium, my wedding ring is Titanium. So I literally got a Ti light to match. No other reason. Best part is it is an awesome light I'd just as soon carry if it were Stainless or aluminum. I just wanted a Ti light and it just happens to be spectacular and checks all the boxes.
 
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