Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Sept 1, 2012 12:49:56 GMT
I'm assuming that whey they say that on the eBay and website stores run by foreign companies, they use that word due to an online translator giving them that word when they enter whatever the actual word is in their language. I also saw the review on the main SBG site on the Global Gear Fire Blade. However, that uses "infused."
Anyway, so are these swords made with the titanium or tungsten mixed into the steel, are they layered/laminated in with different sheets/billets/rods, or are they just coated on top of the steel blades? I'm asking, because I want to know that if I get one, will the titanium/tungsten end up getting worn off with use or polishing? If it's actually mixed in and part of the blade's core forged material (would be difficult, since the metals have different melting/softening temperatures), then I figure there's no worries about losing the neat colored finish. But if it's just a coating... that means the sword has a rather limited aesthetic life if being used.
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Post by Elheru Aran on Sept 1, 2012 13:55:56 GMT
Yes, they are almost universally simply coated with titanium or tungsten. Yes, this wears off fairly quickly because it's strictly an aesthetic device. No, I don't think you can weld titanium or tungsten to steel like that...
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jhart06
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Post by jhart06 on Sept 1, 2012 14:56:23 GMT
Jeff nailed it... There tech isn't there yet to make these things much more than a novelty. Some swords have tungsten or titanium content, but not enough to make them stand alone super-steels... Which don't exist for blades- if they did, we'd know about it, and the big names would be using them.
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Post by MOK on Sept 1, 2012 15:38:42 GMT
The tungsten, titanium etc. coatings are adsorbed, not absorbed.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Sept 1, 2012 16:08:12 GMT
Thanks for the typo correction! Fixed the topic title.
So anyway, is doing the "adsorbing/coating" easy? Like can you use your coated blade, and then have it recoated after a bunch of the coating came off?
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Post by chuckinohio on Sept 1, 2012 16:18:40 GMT
Expensive, and finding a facility to do something as large as a sword would be difficult.
Do a search on Titanium Nitriding as used in machine tools to give you an idea of cost involved. You would most likely having as much invested in the coating as the sword cost initially.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Sept 1, 2012 17:14:25 GMT
Wow, it's crazy how the forges in China are able to do the adsorbing and still sell the swords for under $200.
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Post by chuckinohio on Sept 1, 2012 17:19:28 GMT
A function of- Cheap labor No environmental concerns No adherence to industry standards and regulations
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Sept 1, 2012 17:50:42 GMT
F**K... is it really that bad for the environment to make swords? I'm somewhat of a closet environmentalist... this is a serious bummer.
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Post by MOK on Sept 2, 2012 11:50:47 GMT
As bad as any other heavy industry. Of course, normally most of the footprint comes from the transportation of fuel, raw materials and products to and from the factory, but stuff like gassing titanium onto a steel blade takes special facilities and processes and they take special care to run clean.
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Taran
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Post by Taran on Sept 2, 2012 23:57:51 GMT
Far less so than building and installing and maintaining modern windmills.
But the environmental concerns is really a matter lower regulations, period. That is THE greatest drag on American industry, compliance with regulations of all kinds. That is THE greatest cause of higher prices in the USA. And any American businessman can and will tell you exactly that.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Sept 3, 2012 0:13:39 GMT
No politics, please.
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Taran
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Post by Taran on Sept 3, 2012 18:48:15 GMT
Not politics. Economics.
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Post by MOK on Sept 3, 2012 18:49:19 GMT
What's the difference, really?
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Marc Kaden Ridgeway
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Awful lot of leaving and joining going on here for me .... And gosh I can't recall doing a bit of i
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Post by Marc Kaden Ridgeway on Sept 3, 2012 19:29:34 GMT
Ummm yeah... those economics are all entertwined with politics... let's veer back on topic please.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Sept 12, 2012 13:35:53 GMT
The relative density of tungsten is almost exactly the same as gold -
tungsten Density @ 20oC: 19.3 g/cm3 gold Density @ 20oC: 19.32 g/cm3
T10 is an alloy of steel with 10% tungsten - because tungsten has such a high melting point (3422 °C (Celsius) flashing tungsten on a sword blade would be an interesting process.
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Kuya
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Post by Kuya on Sept 12, 2012 15:08:40 GMT
The T10 used for our Chinese Katanas is actually not made with Tungsten. There was an old topic about it somewhere ( here it is at the "other" sword forum). The "T" means "Tool" and the "10" is the carbon content being about 1%. That's why some Chinese Forges list as both T10 and 1095.
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Post by Dave(utilityslave) on Sept 12, 2012 15:10:49 GMT
I was told by a sword smith that the primary reason for adding titanium to the mix is for stage swords because it sparks easier and whiter than just carbon steel. We were discussing alloys and not coatings.
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