Titanium alloy ninja sword from the future

Mecha

Mecha

Titanium Bladesmith
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
9,887
Hello all,

Here is a titanium alloy dystopian cyberpunk future ninja sword from the year 2097.

It has a 24" blade made of hardened titanium-niobium alloy, with 6al4v hilt parts. OAL is 31" with a weight of 1 lb 1.5 oz.

Handle is rubber, nylon, and elkskin.

It has my maker's mark on the handguard which means I must have made it sometime in the future and it eventually made its way into the hands of a ninja in Japan.

km1QZXH.jpg


oWE5S3s.jpg


cA4HvuG.jpg


c7nUjQZ.jpg


Video!

 
gsx-rboy750 said:
I am.sure you went into this before but are you hardening the 6l4v?
Very nice!!
Click to expand...

The 6al4v is normal, but the blade is 90Ti 10Nb and is hardened, normally to low 50s HRc, and has the extra impact toughness of ti alloy.
 
Mecha said:
Hello all,

Here is a titanium alloy dystopian cyberpunk future ninja sword from the year 2097.

It has a 24" blade made of hardened titanium-niobium alloy, with 6al4v hilt parts. OAL is 31" with a weight of 1 lb 1.5 oz.

Handle is rubber, nylon, and elkskin.

It has my maker's mark on the handguard which means I must have made it sometime in the future and it eventually made its way into the hands of a ninja in Japan.

km1QZXH.jpg


oWE5S3s.jpg


cA4HvuG.jpg


c7nUjQZ.jpg


Video!

Click to expand...

Now if we can only get some cyborg ninjas wielding these we will enter the next age of warfare.
 
Mecha said:
The 6al4v is normal, but the blade is 90Ti 10Nb and is hardened, normally to low 50s HRc, and has the extra impact toughness of ti alloy.
Click to expand...
Sorry. I had read the quote wrong originally. Ok I need to check that ti out.
 
gsx-rboy750 said:
Sorry. I had read the quote wrong originally. Ok I need to check that ti out.
Click to expand...

It's not a graded alloy, it's a one-off bar stock made for Boeing in the 90s. I was able to get ahold of some of it for sword use. Only one I've ever seen that only has one alloying element, though there may be some trace amounts of iron.
 
Mecha said:
It's not a graded alloy, it's a one-off bar stock made for Boeing in the 90s. I was able to get ahold of some of it for sword use. Only one I've ever seen that only has one alloying element, though there may be some trace amounts of iron.
Click to expand...

Lol I was googling the shit out of it. I can get almost any ti but apparently not that from my search. Need to talk to a couple peeps.
From the video I feel the compisition was definelty something different.
I long for the day when someone has a commercially available ti that kicks sm100 in the teeth.
 
gsx-rboy750 said:
Lol I was googling the shit out of it. I can get almost any ti but apparently not that from my search. Need to talk to a couple peeps.
From the video I feel the compisition was definelty something different.
I long for the day when someone has a commercially available ti that kicks sm100 in the teeth.
Click to expand...

SM100 isn't even a titanium alloy, contrary to what some think. It's a nickel alloy, that has a lot of titanium alloyed into it. Eyeglass frame makers use it and call it "titanium" for marketing hype, and then people end up getting their nickel allergies triggered by the frames, and don't understand why supposed hypoallergenic "titanium" frames are making it happen.

I've never used an SM100 knife blade but would like to see one to compare to the best ti alloys I've been using.

Whenever my physicist friend has the time some day, he is going to make me some samples of ti alloy that I have formulated specifically for blades. He makes his own bronze alloys in his spare time, and we've been discussing custom titanium alloys for blade use as well.
 
Mecha said:
SM100 isn't even a titanium alloy, contrary to what some think. It's a nickel alloy, that has a lot of titanium alloyed into it. Eyeglass frame makers use it and call it "titanium" for marketing hype, and then people end up getting their nickel allergies triggered by the frames, and don't understand why supposed hypoallergenic "titanium" frames are making it happen.

I've never used an SM100 knife blade but would like to see one to compare to the best ti alloys I've been using.

Whenever my physicist friend has the time some day, he is going to make me some samples of ti alloy that I have formulated specifically for blades. He makes his own bronze alloys in his spare time, and we've been discussing custom titanium alloys for blade use as well.
Click to expand...


Ya. For sure. I should have stated nickel alloy with titanium. I have two pieces of a fixed sm100 blade I made. Lol

I am not a metallurgist but always though a high percentage of vanadium and iron combined with ti would be better for knives.

The sm100 just seemed like brittle shit even when machining innthe annealed state. Nothing like ti I have worked with.

I await your improvements and volunteer as a machinest tester and knife maker. Lol
 
gsx-rboy750 said:
Ya. For sure. I should have stated nickel alloy with titanium. I have two pieces of a fixed sm100 blade I made. Lol

I am not a metallurgist but always though a high percentage of vanadium and iron combined with ti would be better for knives.

The sm100 just seemed like brittle shit even when machining innthe annealed state. Nothing like ti I have worked with.

I await your improvements and volunteer as a machinest tester and knife maker. Lol
Click to expand...

Iron does have a nice effect!
 
gsx-rboy750 said:
Ya. For sure. I should have stated nickel alloy with titanium. I have two pieces of a fixed sm100 blade I made. Lol

I am not a metallurgist but always though a high percentage of vanadium and iron combined with ti would be better for knives.

The sm100 just seemed like brittle shit even when machining innthe annealed state. Nothing like ti I have worked with.

I await your improvements and volunteer as a machinest tester and knife maker. Lol
Click to expand...
I have been hunting for something in Sm-100 for 3 months.
The only smith that even would offer to make an edc sized folder quoted me $1600. Huh?
Is it really that expensive for stock? From what I've read the heat treatment isn't particularly complicated and both titanium and nickel are both relatively cheap.
Maybe the reason is because it's really just not particularly good stuff and the after sale complaints have knife makers shying away?
I am in the minority by liking some coloration in blades- anyway I would like to see some options besides anondized rainbow garbage knives.
If anyone has a $300 or cheaper idea for me drop me a line.
 
Motega said:
I have been hunting for something in Sm-100 for 3 months.
The only smith that even would offer to make an edc sized folder quoted me $1600. Huh?
Is it really that expensive for stock? From what I've read the heat treatment isn't particularly complicated and both titanium and nickel are both relatively cheap.
Maybe the reason is because it's really just not particularly good stuff and the after sale complaints have knife makers shying away?
I am in the minority by liking some coloration in blades- anyway I would like to see some options besides anondized rainbow garbage knives.
If anyone has a $300 or cheaper idea for me drop me a line.
Click to expand...

A piece of sm100 .1x1.2x8 is basically 200$ you have to machine it with carbides or waterjet.
Heat treatment is sent out is like 45with shipping.
It is expensive do to there not being a large demand and the cost of production.

Your 300$ range covers a piece of sm100 and 1 carbide and about 30 mins of machine time.

For a knife Like I made I would have to charge minimum 750 to even make it worth it.
 
GSX, reply is appreciated- too many people take exception to being corrected or admitting they have been educated- ironic considering that is the best reason for being here in the first place.

In addition to what GSX just schooled me on, further research has made it clear to me that this alloy is almost the polar opposite of my initial BS intel regarding how important the smelting ( would that be the right term?) process involves.
Vaccum chambers, precise "recipe" etc. INCLUDING quenching/cooling plus subsequent treatment makes this blade material stupid to take a chance on without total confidence in its production and producer.
Thanks for saving me a LOT of hassle!

While I would still jump at the opportunity to own a blade in SM100, I wouldn't trust anyone but an actual "rocket scientist" to obtain a billet from.

Again, most appreciated.
 
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