Seriously.. what's the benefit and can you justify the cost? (yeah it's subjective, of course)
Lighter and cool looking??? I wouldn't spend extra to get one.
They're cool and generally limited run. That's about it.
awesome if you got money to burn but other than the look and a couple ounces ... i remember looking at the price and thinking why not just make it out of gold.
good t6061 aluminum is more than ample
the only legitimate use i can think of is underwater demo - not sure why but titanium knives are used for durability and anti magnetic properties.
Now that serves a legitimate purpose. If titanium doesn't serve as a better heat conducive metal over aluminum and it's outrageously expensive, then I don't see how a significant percentage of consumers can justify the cost. It seems frivolous and it makes just as much sense to have my tv remote control made out of titanium, or my phone, or my toaster, etc... A nicely done gunmetal paint job on aluminum does a fine job in the 'looks' department, imo. At least stainless steel serves a purpose as being durable with the cost not being exorbitant.
Titanium is very tough, light weight and about corrosion proof. But, I'm going to guess 99% of the sales are because of the bling factor.
I hear they scratch easily and look like hell if you use them .. so it immediately means it's a light for no use or let it get beat... it's terrible at heat transfer and expensive as all get out .. easy answer ..not in this lifetime .
CPF has a good thread on this....
They're also twice as bright.
I have a titanium credit card... seems like plastic to me tho 
<Advertisment>
Introducing the 6D Ti Mag, new from Mag-Lite International!
You hit someone with a 6D Ti Mag, and they'll know they've been kissed. The tube won't deform and absorb the shock, just swing-thwack-grunt, and you'll have the 'perp' on the ground unconscious and spitting teeth. And with our new shock-tite LED bulbs, busting bulbs while busting heads is a thing of the past. Over 100 lumens of blazing power at your fingertips and up to 16 hours of illumination will seal your authority.
Yes, SS will do, but when you're wading through the teeth and blood of rent-a-cop hell, you might as well make a statement. "Outta my way, or not. I don't care. I still get paid."
</Advertisment>
Seriously though, I think it's a bling-thing. Just like putting small sapphire lenses in lights. Unless you carry pocket-fulls of sand, glass lenses under 1cm are pretty hard to scratch
If that was written on the light I'd pay top dollar for it.
It's there just for the "wow" factor. Being an state of the art space grade material. Pretty much like carbon car parts on generic POS cars that does not benefit from it at all being a piece of junk. A bit unfair as even the carbon fiber made parts add some benefit instead of titanium on flashlights.
Stainless steel FTW! for non heavy heating flashlights. Polish them and bling is there!
wouldn't get one. costs more, heats up faster, and i would probably never use it because it would just sit in the closet because i would be afraid it might get scratch or ding up..
I'm imagining an L2P Ti.
happyFoy
Ti is a pretty crappy torch material..
It more often than not ends up heavier than alum, and as heavy as SS in torches (even though its stronger, its rarely made thinner, and therefore actually ends up heavier)
It micro scratches.. Its actually a lot more scratch resistant than Alum, SS, but because of the usual clean surface, and the way titanium oxide looks, it tends to stick out a bit more. (Also because we know SS and Bare AL scratches, and we accept it, while lightly scratched Ti causes cringes because of its "value")
Thermally Ti is pretty bad, the head of a torch can be hot, the other end cold to touch! Al is the way to go, even SS does a better job than Ti.
Its a damn hard material to machine, and even PERFECT threads still have a grittiness to it, just the way Ti work hardens..
Also, Ti as a more expensive material, tends to be used by more expensive manufacturers, and is accordingly finished to higher level, with associated costs of handling such materials (more expensive cutting tools that wear out many times faster for example).
SO why use Ti? totally for bling factor. I will admit to having Ti, and I love it. I carry it on a regular basis and its my "dress" torch, much like how some might wear dress watches. Had to forgo many other torches though, just a concentration of my flashlight allowance for many months....
Ti, SS, SS, Al
Personally I think its like putting diamonds in your teeth. Save the Titanium for places where you can actually use it. I have a Titanium framed mountain bike. For a use like that, its lighter than 98% of aluminum frames. Its stronger than both steel and aluminum and will last a life time with zero care. It also has a little spring in the frame so when your going over bumps its not as harsh as riding a stiff aluminum frame.
I have used for edc a alu miniAA, SS itp A2 and a miniAA ti.
talking at about the same volume of metal, i concluded:
Alu gets dents and scratches which can't be easily recovered. SS is quite heavier, seems to be good enough, but the extra weight doesn't feel nice in my pocket. Ti, has the average of them in weight, scratches are really small and they can be cleaned. So, my keeper edc is titanium, other than the fact that it looks much better.
Heat is not a problem for me in all of the 3 materials, i know that Ti has worse thermal transfer, but the power of these flashlights is small, so heat does not affect them a lot!
Its all about the Bling! I appreciate fine quality. I have expensive knives, tools, fishing reels etc. I also have budget stuff as well. But even if I was filthy rich I would not spend $30k on lights in one year- well I might but I wouldn't tell the world. A bit obscene really when there are people dying from hunger.
I own one titanium light. I bought it brand new. It arrived scratched.
