Titanium knives

Does anyone have any experience with titanium knives? Recently I've been told they almost never dull (although titanium is harder to sharpen).

Any ideas?

-NIM

Havent seen any, but as I understand it they are very brittle and easier to break.
I think they are getting more use in the scuba driving circles because they are more resistant to salt water.
Thats about the extent of my knowledge on them.

No first hand knowledge, but I think that is almost exactly backwords. Titanium is strong, but soft. It doesn't keep an edge well at all AFAIK.

However, some dive knives use it because it is VERY resistant to corrosion.

I would avoid unless you have a specific need for a highly corrosion resistaint knife and can live with the shaprness limitations.

-john

Like some I have limited experience with Ti knives.

I do know that they were used by my previous company Wedgwood for cutting wet clay as part of the production process*. These particular knives similar to scalpels were sharpened regularly, but less frequently than steel. They did however have to be sharpened on dedicated grinding wheels, possibly due to there hardness.

(*Typical application trimming the edge of an 12 inch dinner plate. Each knife would trim 300 plates a hour. Production running continously, 24/7, automated system. Average resharpening period once every 2 months. So for those who love the maths, how many miles of clay are cut between resharpenings?) <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

with some slight rounding, 152.5 miles
7" plate = 22" circumference (21.99 and change)
or
6600 inches/hour
which is 158400 inches/day or 4831200 inches/month (30.5 day month for averaging)
That's 402600 ft/month, or 76.25 miles/month

My guess is that cutting clay is a bit of an edge case.

-john

I found this article on titanium and blades which I thought was good:
swordforum.com/metallurgy/titanium.html

I also found a nice Buck knife with S30V steel and Titanium Nitride coating:
www.buckknives.com/catalog/detail/448/235

Are you sure you are not thinking about Titanium Nitride coated blades?

I currently use the Ocean Master (Beta-titanium alloy which is their own formulaton) fixed blade diving knife and their folder. I have carred their folder for the past year due to the weight and rust resistence. Prior, I carried the POLICE model from Spyderco and Benchmade's AFCK (full size) for the past 11 years.

The good:

Sharp, rust proof, can be opened while wearing gloves, easily sharpened with carbide sharpener (sold at Home Depot for 4.99), light weight, thumb studs located on both sides of the blade, textured thumb rest on the back of the blade for increased thrusting, plastic grip is secure and "feels right". Plastic used seems sturdy.

The BAD:

Blade can be easily chipped if used to pry. I use mine as a staple remover and the blade marred (easily fixed with sharpener), clip is non reversable, action was initailly very tight (needed to be worked in and oiled),

Wish it was a liner lock. That would have been perfect.

Overall, I am happy with it.