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Aside from titanium not being "precious", are there any other drawbacks?

D

DiamondDense

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
198
in regards to a male wedding band?

before i reorder my band for the 3rd (and hopefully final time) i am reevaluating whether or not i really or particularly want platinum all that much.

for something that costs almost 1/10th the price, i fail to see many downsides to titanium other than the fact that it's not precious so it doesn't have that cache.

but, sometimes money in the pocket is more important.

your take?
 
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Do you keep losing your band? Or is your finger size changing?
 
Titanium is grey when compared with platinum.
Have a look at Boone rings as he specialise in titanium, and also other non-precious industrial white metals.

DK :))
 
I don't believe it can be resized....
 
I think titanium is great if you don't mind its grayish color. I really like its hardness but I chose Palladium for mine since I prefer the brighter brushed finish. I was against platinum not only on the price point but also the weight. Wouldn't want to loose the ring when shaking my hands to air dry after a handwash :) Palladium is durable but it's softer than titanium so mine suffered several small dents (around the edges) and visible scratches, unfortunately.
 
I have one. One drawback I'm aware of is it's so strong if you're in an accident it's hard for your doctors to cut it off. So make sure to get it off your finger before there's a lot of swelling.
 
It is SUPER lightweight ... like almost non-existent feeling. Hubby originally wanted titanium but once he tried it on, he was immediately turned off by how 'chintzy' he thought it felt on the finger. I was surprised by the weight as well. He opted for tungsten instead and loves his band.

Also, most hospital ERs now keep tools on hand to cut thru most every jewelry metal there is, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
 
HDer said:
I have one. One drawback I'm aware of is it's so strong if you're in an accident it's hard for your doctors to cut it off. So make sure to get it off your finger before there's a lot of swelling.
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i've heard that is not true. almost all medical personnel have the equipment to cut it off.
 
My DH has worn his almost 24/7 for 18 years. He loves the lightweight metal. Not being sizable is the only drawback.
 
I think it's a nice, budget friendly choice. Since you are shopping at e-weddingbands, take a look at Cobalt chrome too. White metal that is hypoallergenic.
 
HDer said:
I have one. One drawback I'm aware of is it's so strong if you're in an accident it's hard for your doctors to cut it off. So make sure to get it off your finger before there's a lot of swelling.
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This is the only major drawback I've heard as well. A lot of the major medical centers in cities are beginning the acquire the equipment to cut it off, but if you happen to have an accident and are taken to a small rural hospital, or if you're in a less-developed country and have an accident, then you might be in for a rough time...
 
My understanding is that Ti scratches a lot easier than stainless steel or Pt/WG/Palladium - I know that my Ti watches have a few annoying 'grazes' that don't indent the surface but affect the brushed finish!

For me, I like a bit of weight in my ring, which is why I went for Stainless Steel instead of Ti, but that is an entirely personal decision.

I could almost have had Pt for the price I paid for my damascus steel band :lol: but I think it looks a lot more interesting than Pt :)

I did have some wobbles about whether I should get Pt for 'future value' - in that you can weigh precious metal in and get the scrap value in a worst case scenario, but Damascus Steel will only be worth what someone is willing to pay for something unique/individual - but then marriage is supposed to be for life, so I guess we shouldn't be thinking about what we'd do if it ends... lol
 
My DH ring has one scratch visible after 18 years.

Any standard bolt cutter will cut a titanium ring. The only difference between standard and medical titanium ring cutters is the medical ones have a shaped nipper head to help avoid the skin. Titanium rings are not aircraft grade titanium which would be near impossible to cut without special tools. Some of the other alternatives can be struck with a hammer and they shatter.
 
If you're looking at inexpensive wedding bands, consider stainless. DH likes it because it's lightweight and hypoallergenic. Plus, if he loses it, it's very cheap to replace. The color is close to plat/wg.
 
so downside to Ti is that it is "gray", lightweight and potentially prone to scratches.

downside to stainless is?

and the downside to both is just that they're not "precious". ok, interesting.

thanks!
 
Both similar in color, weight and look (titanium is a bit darker when next to stainless).

Stainless can be more allergic for some (especially if the alloy has nickel...which cheap ones do), titanium is hypoallergenic. Stainless is a very poor conductor of electricity compared to the precious metals, but very very sensitive to chlorine. Chlorine will cause a stainless ring to become very brittle.

Titanium. Critical to NOT get aircraft grade. Commercially Pure (CP) Grade titanium grades 2 to 4 are what should be looked for (Ti-999 is what it is called; you want alloys at the softer end, not the hardest). Also a poor electrical conductor. Not harmed by chlorine or salt. A cheap black titanium has been on the market which is really an iron coating, which is bad. CP 2 may be more scratch prone, but that is a function of the alloy not the metal itself. Titanium scratches less easily than precision metals, but more than tungsten.
 
Have you considered Mokume Gane or Damascus Steel?
 
rockysalamander said:
Stainless is a very poor conductor of electricity compared to the precious metals, but very very sensitive to chlorine. Chlorine will cause a stainless ring to become very brittle.
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I have never heard of this before!

Is that definitely the case?

Should we be taking off Stainless Steel / Damascus Steel rings and/or watches before getting in the local swimming pool??

Most watches seem to be made of steel but I guess there are different alloys available?!
 
OoohShiny said:
I have never heard of this before!

Is that definitely the case?

Should we be taking off Stainless Steel / Damascus Steel rings and/or watches before getting in the local swimming pool??

Most watches seem to be made of steel but I guess there are different alloys available?!
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Do people actually wear jewelry in the pool for recreational swimming? I know in the field tromping, swimming, etc. through marsh lands and oceans is an entirely different story as you don't get the luxury of stripping down, nor would I want to necessarily. Of course in those environments it's mainly salt water and not so much chlorine.

Although stripping down might throw off the enemy......:lol::lol::lol:

 
HDer said:
I have one. One drawback I'm aware of is it's so strong if you're in an accident it's hard for your doctors to cut it off. So make sure to get it off your finger before there's a lot of swelling.
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In that case the Dr. will just cut your finger off!
 
I had bought my husband a titanium band, and he wound up being allergic to it! He was worried about losing yet another band, so I got him a stainless steel band, which he loves. He's actually got two of the same bands...one he wears around, and one he saves for when he's got business meetings and doesn't want people seeing his ring all beat up.

If you live in a small community, and the hospital isn't a major medical center, if you have an accident with either titanium or stainless, there's a good possibility that they won't be able to get your ring off your finger. Not every hospital has the proper tools.
 
Stainless rings are essentially coated passively by virtue of the process of finishing it. Chlorine breaks down that coating which allows the outside world to attack the actual surface of the stainless. This can lead to corrosion and pitting. If you feel a stainless ring (or watch) after years of exposure to pools and the like, you'll feel a texture on the surface -- that is the pitting. This is kinda like "rust" in that it will just keep getting worse over time if not dealt with properly.

For high end watches, they should be using 316L (Omega, Patek) or 904L (Rolex) steel that contain molydenum or chromium+molydenum+nickel, respectively. Watches a step below likely use 304L which is susceptible to corrosion.Cheap watches use worse steel. Even the higher-end watches have better resistance, but are not corrosion proof. So, I don't advise wearing them in chlorine frequently.
 
Sorry about allergy. But for every rule, there is an exception. I have no allergy, but titanium makes me ache. I had two bands to place next to my platinum wedding band, but every time I wore them my arm would ache from hand to shoulder. I've temporarily worn my DH's ring and had the same odd ache. I guess I'm just destined for precious metals. =)2

Winks_Elf said:
If you live in a small community, and the hospital isn't a major medical center, if you have an accident with either titanium or stainless, there's a good possibility that they won't be able to get your ring off your finger. Not every hospital has the proper tools.
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YMWV. Standard bolt cutters will remove most alloys of both, though not if they are aircraft grade titanium or at the very high-end of hardness. Standard ring cutters will not off these, although that is changing.
 
I wear the hell out of my 3mm comfort-fit 316L stainless band and that includes hand washing, etc. Never had a single issue. It still is shiny, smooth, and silver colored. Got it off Amazon.
 
rockysalamander said:
Stainless rings are essentially coated passively by virtue of the process of finishing it. Chlorine breaks down that coating which allows the outside world to attack the actual surface of the stainless. This can lead to corrosion and pitting. If you feel a stainless ring (or watch) after years of exposure to pools and the like, you'll feel a texture on the surface -- that is the pitting. This is kinda like "rust" in that it will just keep getting worse over time if not dealt with properly.

For high end watches, they should be using 316L (Omega, Patek) or 904L (Rolex) steel that contain molydenum or chromium+molydenum+nickel, respectively. Watches a step below likely use 304L which is susceptible to corrosion.Cheap watches use worse steel. Even the higher-end watches have better resistance, but are not corrosion proof. So, I don't advise wearing them in chlorine frequently.
Click to expand...

Excellent info again by @rockysalamander. This is exactly why I don't wear my dive watch with a 316L case (Orient Mako USA II) anywhere near a swimming pool. 316L is a great alloy for corrosion resistance in sea water, but it doesn't stand up to frequent exposure to chlorine.

I'm sure it would be fine if it took a few dips in the swimming pool, but honestly...wearing a dive watch in a swimming pool? What are you going to do? Set the bezel to keep track of how long you've been in the deep end? :mrgreen:
 
I know the question is about titanium, and, it’s always “better safe than sorry,” BUT...I’ve never NOT worn my stainless Rolex in a pool or our hot tub. Looks and feels like the day I bought it - 20 years ago!
 
Titanium is hypoallergenic. I can no longer wear earrings with gold. I can only wear earrings with titanium or niobium.
 
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