Why Grey Almite?

[scolby]

Sal, or anyone who knows, why has Spyderco chosen to produce certain knives in the Grey Almite-Coated Aluminum rather than Titanium 6AL4V?



I know that the machining of Titanium is more difficult than aluminum, but the then you have to coat the aluminum. In very small knives such as the Mouse and the Toad, can this really be so significant?





I wonder what the cost factor difference is? Is it really enough to push to price significantly?



Just thinking of the perfect Mouse and Toad scale materials.



"Chance favors the prepared mind" - Louis Pasteur

[sal]

Hi Scolby. Mostly cost is the issue. We've found that Titan scratches more easily than Almite but the real reason is cost. a Titan scale would add a minimum of 50% and could double the cost of a model, depending on the model.

I have a Titan Delica that I carry in rotation. I enjoy the model. It is considerably heavier that an aluminum version might be.

sal