Titanium

[kaichu dento]

Does titanium get scratched easily?

Yes it does, but it doesn't scratch deeply without some effort involved, and the shallow scratches and scuffs make a titanium light acquire a look that is more pleasant to my eye even than a brand new light with it's stock finish. My all time favorite finish is stonewash, which is nothing more than lot and lots of scuffs and scratches.

I think the scratches from daily use just add to its cool factor. I love worn Ti. One of the guys named it "pocketwashed" finish which describes it perfectly!

Yeah.

[js]

As I have now repeatedly explained, I disagreed with js's original wording. I had heard on this forum that titanium was not nearly as good as conducting heat as aluminum, so I looked up the numbers, and it seemed to bear that out. Although I still maintain the original quote was a bit misleading, I have since learned that it isn't really a big deal in practice, and that my wording was if anything more problematic. I'm sorry I was mistaken, but that is how I learn...if I never put my take on it out there, I wouldn't have learned that I was mistaken. No trolling involved.

Thanks to js and Don for EDUCATING me, without being condescending.

thedoc007,

I'm definitely going to change the wording to have more context and more details, so, I do agree that it should have been a little clearer. I guess I just (stupidly and unconsciously) assumed that people would be familiar with the calculations I did in my LunaSol 20 thread. Sorry about that! And, for the record, I never got the impression you were trolling. It certainly DOES look--from the numbers--like titanium is horrible for heat and electrical conductivity when compared to copper and aluminum. But, conductivity actually should be looked at on a log scale (powers of ten), like sound pressure levels or EM wavelength or sound frequency, etc. There are MANY powers of ten involved from an outright insulator to the best conductor, and everything is relative. Anyway . . . I will be updating the first post.

Everyone,

So, as mentioned above, I will be updating the first post of this thread to include all the good stuff that came up during the conversation so far, and also to clarify some of the points, etc. So, if there's anything else you think I should add or tweak or whatever, please chime in.

As for titanium scratching, yes, it definitely does scratch. It isn't that hard--which is why it's a horrible choice for a knife blade (except for a dive knife--salt water won't touch Ti)--but unlike some other metals or materials, when scuffed and scratched, titanium still looks good--like really good. It has a kind of "glow" or presence to it, both when in mint, perfect condition, and when in well-loved, long-carried condition. In the right light, you can see TONS of scratches in any titanium light that's been EDC'd for a time. So, in some B/S/T threads, if the seller is careless, he or she can make the light look like crap! But, in person, in most light, the flashlight will look great, even if its got tons of scratches. Finger oil and grime also don't really affect the look of a ti light--although I do think they detract from the feel of the light. (Stainless Steel on the other hand, looks bad with all sorts of finger marks on it. Or at least brushed stainless does.) And, as mentioned, it's pretty easy to polish or buff out those scratches in the titanium if you want. Any DEEP scratches would indeed detract from the light's appearance, I feel, and I personally would file / sand / brush / polish them out--whatever was appropriate.

The other thing to note, I think, is that titanium will stand up very well to drops. It's freaking tough stuff. That's why--IIRC--that there were titanium bezel rings offered before complete titanium lights. Hard Anodized Aluminum, OTO, doesn't fare nearly as well in a drop situation! To me, a hard used EDC HA Al light just starts to look a little aged and a little bad after a few years. But a titanium light will still look great, and if it doesn't, it can be made to look great again with a little elbow grease. That's a huge benefit over HA Al, I feel.

But, you know, it's all personal preference, and titanium certainly does make the light a LOT more expensive, and there are many really great aluminum lights out there. My purpose here was to try to explain why titanium might justify its high cost for some of us!

OK. Everyone please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to add / change / remove to the first post. I'll update it in the next week or so, if not sooner.

[js]

To confirm the real-world implications of JS's expert post above...I have a titanium Torchlab light running an OR Triple XP-G2 drop-in at 4.65A. The head gets jet-engine hot after a few minutes on high but the thermal safety protection has yet to kick in (at 65C) let alone the overheating protection (at 120C). As has been said already, the titanium can dump the heat fast enough. Even if it couldn't, electronic safeties are in place to protect the light and the user.

Great info! Thanks for posting this.

One other thing I thought I'd mention re: extreme situations, is that if you want a silver light, titanium is probably one of the best choices for radiative cooling. Even just bare, polished, machined, etc., it has an emittance of 0.2. Bare or silver anodized aluminum on the other hand is MUCH worse--what did I say above? 0.02 or something? Whatever, but much worse.

[scout24]

Bringing it down a few notches from the engineering discussion above, my main like for Ti is the lack of visible wear. When, on occasion, I drop my Haiku and find a ding big enough to bother me, a quick swipe or two with the file on my Leatherman makes all right with the world. The shiny spot oxidizes quickly, and you'd really have to look to find the offending spot.

[KITROBASKIN]

An 83 second video showing my love of titanium. The wedding ring has a very thin layer of industrial diamond coating (titaniumrings.com(?) out of Canada). After 4+ years of wear, it looks good. Had it buffed once, and it 'glowed' again but it is not necessary to appreciate.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dr0L4GZvy0

[js]

OK everyone, I updated the first post in this thread to include all (or most) of the cool stuff we talked about in the ensuing discussion, and to fix a few errors and add a few references, and so on.

Please let me know if you think there is anything else that should be added or fixed or changed or whatever!

Thanks!

[Offgridled]

OK everyone, I updated the first post in this thread to include all (or most) of the cool stuff we talked about in the ensuing discussion, and to fix a few errors and add a few references, and so on.

Please let me know if you think there is anything else that should be added or fixed or changed or whatever!

Thanks!

That is one incredible write up. Very well thought out. Really appreciated reading this!!

[Policecar]

OK everyone, I updated the first post in this thread to include all (or most) of the cool stuff we talked about in the ensuing discussion, and to fix a few errors and add a few references, and so on.

Please let me know if you think there is anything else that should be added or fixed or changed or whatever!

Thanks!

The original post said "Only the so-called “superalloys” of steel have greater ultimate yield strength than the titanium alloys". This is confusing yield strength (the point where materials transition from elastic to plastic strain) and ultimate strength (the highest point on a stress-strain curve). Also, any ordinary high carbon steel can easily exceed the ultimate strength of titanium alloy which is about 1000MPa.

[js]

The original post said "Only the so-called “superalloys” of steel have greater ultimate yield strength than the titanium alloys". This is confusing yield strength (the point where materials transition from elastic to plastic strain) and ultimate strength (the highest point on a stress-strain curve). Also, any ordinary high carbon steel can easily exceed the ultimate strength of titanium alloy which is about 1000MPa.

Indeed. Good catch. I edited the first post.

[flashy bazook]

Indeed. Good catch. I edited the first post.

Thank you for the update, good info on titanium.

And I hope I am not out of turn, to say it's good to see you post here again! Always I admired your posts and the info you provided.