I was under the impression (probably incorrectly most of my materials info is not only dated but from the cycling world) that the same "thickness" of a steel bar/rod was significantly stiffer than Ti (and twice as heavy). The young's modulus for Ti seems to be about half that of steel, as I understand it that means you'd need a Ti lock bar twice as thick as a steel one to get the same stiffness which means a much thicker handle slab to do the same job, essentially eliminating the weight loss gained from using Ti due to the thicker material required (if you wanted the same stiffness in the lock bar anyway). Obviously I'm sure it varies by the type of steel/Ti etc. I had always thought where Ti gains it's advantage is it's similar tensile strength in a lighter package at the same volume of material, it's elongation, heat/cold tolerance, corrosive resistance, non-magnetic, etc. Great for bolts, tubing, etc. Grade 5 6AL-4V bolts are very close to the tensile/yield/sheer numbers for grade 8 steel alloy bolts for instance, but almost half the weight.
I've always thought Ti was a poor material for lock bars, especially in large knives where lockbar stiffness is more critical, not only because of the extra thickness needed, but also because of it's reduced wear resistance compared to the hardened steel blade. Though Ti lock bar wear seems to have been pretty much an overly-hyped concern over the years, and it may actually help the two surfaces "mate" up better as the Ti lock bar face wears. In lock bar use it appears to be more of a boutique material rather than one that really adds any major advantage.
It's probably just because I like thinner handle knives though and I always thought a steel handle slab that was half as thick but just as stiff as what we see on Ti knives would make a very pocket friendly design, though perhaps at the cost of a bit of weight, not to mention be much much cheaper to produce.
I've always thought Ti was a poor material for lock bars, especially in large knives where lockbar stiffness is more critical, not only because of the extra thickness needed, but also because of it's reduced wear resistance compared to the hardened steel blade. Though Ti lock bar wear seems to have been pretty much an overly-hyped concern over the years, and it may actually help the two surfaces "mate" up better as the Ti lock bar face wears. In lock bar use it appears to be more of a boutique material rather than one that really adds any major advantage.
It's probably just because I like thinner handle knives though and I always thought a steel handle slab that was half as thick but just as stiff as what we see on Ti knives would make a very pocket friendly design, though perhaps at the cost of a bit of weight, not to mention be much much cheaper to produce.
