Titanium vs steel hardware? Does it really matter?

Heartland_edc

Heartland_edc

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May 4, 2015
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So titanium (6al4v) is supposed to be some 45% stronger than steel, and close to, if not impervious to corrosion. If I have the option to upgrade my steel hardware (screws, standoffs, pivot, clip) from steel to titanium, would it make ANY real difference in terms of durability? If titanium is lighter than steel, i'd imagine when people say it's "stronger", they mean if you're comparing say 1lb of titanium to 1lb of steel. But the same size of titanium screws would be needed to replace the steel ones, so they wouldnt weigh the same. If titanium is only stronger by exact weight, I'd imagine you would need larger titanium screws, standoffs, etc to balance in weight, and actually create a difference or benefit in strength. Can someone clear this up for me? Thanks! :)
 
You hit the nail on the head. Titanium isn't stronger than steel, it has a better strength-to-weight ratio. But it's much lighter, so 1lb of ti is a LOT more material than 1lb of steel. I don't know exact numbers, but people more knowledgeable than I have stated that, if we're talking the same size piece of metal, the steel will be the stronger of the two. And really, let's face it, the advantages of titanium in general are, at best, minimal. Guys buy it because it's cool, not because it adds any real practical value to a knife.
 
Titanium is amazing stuff, and if you have the option, I would take Ti hardware.

As far as a difference in strength or weight for hardware, you will not notice any difference.
 
As far as I know, if I state this correctly, titanium is stronger than steel by weight, but steel is stronger than titanium by volume.

Thus, it depends on the application. For functional hardware, such as screws, pivots, et cetera, that are a given volume, steel is the stronger choice. For standoffs, scales, pocket clips, and adornments, titanium would generally be the better choice, given its corrosion resistance and weight savings, and that these such parts are appropriately load bearing.
 
Ic! Thank you for the responses! I knew there had to be some explanation in terms of volume/density/weight etc. This is all very helpful
 
Titanium only has higher strength to weight ratio than some of medium hardness/mild steel.

Steel like 4140, 4340 HT to 50's will be far stronger than any Ti alloy.
 
shqxk said:
Titanium only has higher strength to weight ratio than some of medium hardness/mild steel.

Steel like 4140, 4340 HT to 50's will be far stronger than any Ti alloy.
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This brings up a fair point, also, as there are a plethora of grades of titanium and steel, as well as copious definitions of strength. For any given application, one material's "strong" properties may be ideal, whilst the other's "strong" properties may be useless.
 
Titanium in screws is only better because of how it can be anodized or heat colored more easily and with a lower risk of ruining the HT (soft screws are not fun). Steel, on the other hand is heavier but stronger, cheaper, easier to machine, and more easily available. Titanium is good for scales, good for Pocket clips, and good for standoffs that aren't tapped. Other than that, I prefer steel for everything else.
 
Basically, if you put titanium anywhere on your knife, the chances of me buying it drops by a huge amount. There are exceptions, but they are few.
 
I strongly prefer steel hardware, because I have a tendency to strip screws, which happens a lot more with softer titanium hardware (hardness is also different than tensile strength, and actually trades off with it [recanted]).
 
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50an6xy06r6n said:
I strongly prefer steel hardware, because I have a tendency to strip screws, which happens a lot more with softer titanium hardware (hardness is also different than tensioner strength, and actually trades off with it).

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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Are you trying to say that higher hardness = lower tensile strength? Because that's not right. If you mean something else by "tensioner strength" my bad.
 
eKretz said:
Are you trying to say that higher hardness = lower tensile strength? Because that's not right. If you mean something else by "tensioner strength" my bad.
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Errr I was thinking of tensile strength and toughness... And suddenly that parenthetical makes no sense. But I'm pretty sure titanium screws are markedly softer than steel ones (at least in my experience)
 
Titanium screws definitely strip easier than steel screws. Unless your steel screws are garbage.
 
Yeah good grade 8 steel fasteners are pretty well unbeatable. Especially if you go with a brand like Holo-Krome etc.
 
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