Ti Folders, Are They Stronger?

Razor

Razor

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Are the Ti folders that are frame locks, like the sebenzas and ZT's and others any stronger than liner locks, axis locks, ect? I sure do like them and how they look.
 
"Stronger" is a bit of a misnomer, because eventually everything will fail if you abuse it hard enough. Also, most lock systems are robust enough to allow a knife to do what it's designed to do. If you intend to do non-knife-designed-for things with your knife, I'd recommend one of the larger Cold Steels, or just get a fixed blade.

TI folders have the same major weakness as all other folding knives do, regardless of lock type: the pivot pin.
 
Ti framelocks are stronger than liner locks and less strong than Axis and Triad locks. However, I think framelocks are plenty strong for any realistic uses, plus your grip helps keep them locked.
 
Quiet said:
"Stronger" is a bit of a misnomer, because eventually everything will fail if you abuse it hard enough. Also, most lock systems are robust enough to allow a knife to do what it's designed to do. If you intend to do non-knife-designed-for things with your knife, I'd recommend one of the larger Cold Steels, or just get a fixed blade.

TI folders have the same major weakness as all other folding knives do, regardless of lock type: the pivot pin.
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Exactly ! ^^^

Fixed is much stronger and also simple to clean and maintain . Best for "survival " or any hard dirty critical work .

Strongest , most reliable lock that doesn't need any extra safety or pins inserted = Cold Steel Tri-ad .

Edit : Balisong / butterfly can be very strong but are many places specifically outlawed . Socially problematic for some , also .
 
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People already made good comments but I'll just add my tidbit, a common misconception is that titanium is stronger than steel. Which isnt entirely correct, pound per pound its stronger, but take two rods of equal diameter of titanium and steel and the steel will be the stronger of the two. The reason people use Titanium is because its strong ENOUGH, and lighter for the same size. Disclaimer this is an extreme over generalization and a lot more goes into this all.
 
Strong considering which kind of load? Maximum static side load before something in the handle (pivot) takes damage? Maximum static pressure on the blade in the direction towards the cutting edge (i.e. hard cutting) before the stop pin setup takes damage? Maximum dynamic load in the same direction (e.g. when chopping)? Maximum static lock strength? Maximum dynamic lock strength (e.g. overstriking, spine whacking)?

To determine strength in any of the above categories, you can't just take the handle material or locking mechanism into account. You have to analyze a specific product, taking design, materials and manufacturing quality into account. And the true answer could only be obtained via destructive tests with big sample sizes of various models...
 
TheJon said:
People already made good comments but I'll just add my tidbit, a common misconception is that titanium is stronger than steel. Which isnt entirely correct, pound per pound its stronger, but take two rods of equal diameter of titanium and steel and the steel will be the stronger of the two. The reason people use Titanium is because its strong ENOUGH, and lighter for the same size. Disclaimer this is an extreme over generalization and a lot more goes into this all.
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That's way too far of a generalization for this question, and is also not generally accurate. Proper 6Al-4V titanium, by far the most common titanium alloy, approaches gigapascal levels of strength, something that particular steel alloys can meet or even exceed but not ones common in knife construction, and not generally in stainless steels either. You are describing the property of specific strength (strength per weight) which is not particularly relevant in strength calculations; on the comparison of two identical sized rods of steel and titanium, a 6Al-4V rod will be stronger than the vast majority of steel alloys even not considering the mass difference. The titanium would deflect more and would almost certainly not be as hard as the steel, and toughness would be different between the metals, but those are different points of comparison.

You could use a gigapascal steel like a maraging steel alloy which will be several times stronger than any titanium grade and may even win on a specific strength basis, but that is not at all a fair comparison in the context of knives.
 
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OP, it all comes down to the specific design of the knife. Anything can be made as strong as you want at the cost of money, weight, and size. Titanium will generally be a stronger, though less stiff and less hard, material for making knife frames, but it is not necessarily superior on the basis of strength alone.

There is no evidence that robust liner locks are in any way weaker than a robust frame lock, if both are designed similarly. The biggest failing of those style of locks isn't the material but the fact that many of them are made poorly with bad lock geometry.

The best lock design I've seen for tolerating abuse without significant damage or wear is a Triad lock.
 
Theoretically, a thicker lockbar could bend less than a thinner one under pressure. But some makers cut a frame lock lockbar relief thin enough that its thickness is that of a decent liner lock Lockbar.
Lots of variables to consider in answering the OP question.
 
I'd say, strong enough.

I've never used my folding knives to the point of failure and never have plans of doing so.
 
TheJon said:
People already made good comments but I'll just add my tidbit, a common misconception is that titanium is stronger than steel. Which isnt entirely correct, pound per pound its stronger, but take two rods of equal diameter of titanium and steel and the steel will be the stronger of the two. The reason people use Titanium is because its strong ENOUGH, and lighter for the same size. Disclaimer this is an extreme over generalization and a lot more goes into this all.
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What he said.
People use titanium for knife handles instead of steel because Titanium is lighter, not because it is stronger.
 
Reliable

Lightweight

Simple Design

I also prefer them over liner locks because your grip reduces any chance of lock slip or failure.

I thoroughly enjoy all locking mechanisms and its hard to beat an axis lock or tri ad lock etc. for dishing out a good beating on . But when it comes down to what I like in my pocket I prefer knives without extra springs, coils, balls and other moving parts.
 
The design is more important than the components.

steel is stronger than titanium in biomechanical testing. But a well designed titanium knife will be stronger than a poorly designed steel knife.

The triad lock or a simple back lock will be biomechanically stronger than a linerlock or frame lock. But again, design wins the day.

the older steel knives with back locks (like the original Al Mar SERE folders) are among the toughest folders made.

titanium is "strong enough" but much lighter than steel, and is an excellent choice for a carry knife.
 
I'll just throw this in : there's a reason a lot of Ti handle knives have steel on steel locks.
Wear resistance. Does that mean it's stronger?
 
shootz said:
I'll just throw this in : there's a reason a lot of Ti handle knives have steel on steel locks.
Wear resistance. Does that mean it's stronger?
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This is bound to start an argument over "galling" or "work hardening" ....:p
Titanium is a ductile metal, so it possesses the ability for plasticized flow. This is why you see manufacturers put a steel lock-bar insert for the lock interface.
AND its why see some manufactures use hardened steel washers for the pivot bearings to ride on instead of just the soft titanium.
 
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