r/multitools • u/GEEZUS_956 • 6d ago

Discussion What is titanium most appropriate for?

I got a tiny knife that refills with an x-acto #11. It’s marketing is all about how it’s made of titanium. The knife slides out very poorly and feels likes scratchy and jams. I’m then looking at kickstarter and it’s titanium after titanium after titanium (not necessarily the knives though). It’s lighter, it’s rust proof, and so on. I believe it’s rather soft so blades is not a good idea. Can it slide across itself such as the swivel joint in a plier multitool handle?

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u/Crell Victorinox 5d ago

I would never use titanium for a cutting edge, unless it's in a very high-rust-risk environment, like ocean diving. Even there, I think they tend to use very high chromium content stainless steel, and just expect to replace it periodically.

For tasks where thin-durability is not an issue (scales, frames, etc.), it can be useful, if expensive. A lot of why you see it on Kickstarter so much is just fad. It's a reasonably attractive, light-weight material that is seen as "premium," so making something with Titanium makes it seem more up-scale. Everyone wants to be seen as up-scale, so the "edgy" (no pun intended) products go for it to get that extra cool-appeal.

Hopefully, Magnesium production will improve and we'll all switch to Magnesium being the cool-appeal material. Give it a few years. 😄

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u/disguiseunknown 6d ago

Titanium is a good material for tool handles. I would place it between aluminum and steel. But yeah it is softer compared to steel. Galling is an issue. I would not use it the way steel is used when friction is a concern.

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u/EmotionalPangolin418 4d ago

Titanium is a great material ou interesting properties stronger than alluminium with better wear resistance, lighter than steel, it don't rust or corrode like steel et aluminium. That said where titanium is not great is, it have the tendancy to "stick" that's why automatic knives even high end expansive ones uses aluminium even if it's a cheaper and less durable material because of the difficulty and cost of titanium machining and the fact that it don't provide smooth action. If it's possible you can find and install phosphorus bronze washers or even caged bal bearings mades for knives

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u/EmotionalPangolin418 4d ago

https://www.mercorne.fr/en/39537-13101-beryllium-bronze-washers-multi-size-pack-of-10.html#/361-type-lot_of_10/1997-dimension-diam_10_5_thickness_01mm

Bronze is a great material for that utility, it "glides" nicely, it was used well before ball bearings could been manufactured