As you might guess from the title of this post, I'm not exactly going for a subtle approach here, but frankly, that's rather the point.
More and more these days I see stuff marketed as "tactical" or "military" or what have you, that is basically just poorly designed garbage.
As an example, I see more and more so-called demolition tools or axes that are made from titanium.
Titanium is, short of aluminum, quite possibly one of the worst things to use for a striking implement that is meant to impact hard surfaces like cinderblocks, brick, concrete, etc etc.
One, it is rather soft. The vast majority of the tools out there use 6AL4V titanium which you'll be hard-pressed to get any harder than the high 30s Rockwell C. Not really ideal for an axe. Or even a hammer.
Two, it is light. Titanium weighs roughly half that of steel. Which is great for a number of purposes, but for a striking implement, where inertia is quite important, it is somewhat counter-productive.
Since it is also quite flexible, it has the potential to rebound in odd, unpredictable ways, something that could be hazardous to the user.
Now, that being said, if all you ever plan on hitting with said striking implement are relatively soft things, like... Well... People; then titanium is fine.
But for hard surfaces? Just... No. For hard surfaces like steel, concrete, brick, etc, etc; steels like S-7 are a far better choice. If you absolutely wanted to use titanium for a tool like this, you should use a beta alloy of titanium, one that you can actually heat treat to a Rockwell C rating in the mid-to-high 40s. That would make for a far more durable tool, although you would still have to contend with the lighter mass. It is also considerably more expensive than the far more common alloy, 6AL4V. Using titanium for handles, on the other hand, is not a bad idea. The light weight and resilience can really shine in that application.
Then there's the overwhelming use of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is admittedly a cool material. Light, strong, rigid or flexible depending on how it is made, it has a multitude of uses. But more and more you see it being used in applications where it really doesn't belong.
For instance, it handles impact quite poorly. Some of the early adopters of carbon fiber bike frames and wheels found that out the hard way when their wheels and frames almost literally exploded out from under them with even small impacts. You want a composite that will handle lots of impact, you'd be better served looking at some of the various Garolite grades. Of course, they're not as sexy as carbon fiber.
Kevlar then. Kevlar is a kinda sexy material. Unfortunately, for the companies doing the manufacturing, kevlar composites are quite a lot more difficult to machine than carbon fiber is and requires some very unique approaches to prevent it from fraying. It is also quite expensive.
These are just a couple of examples of the many things I've seen recently, and while I am not going to name names or get into specifics, my point with all this is really just to attempt to educate the consumer.
Don't fall for the marketing hype. Apply some critical thinking to your prospective purchases and try to really consider what you'd be using the tool for, before you drop several hundred dollars on something that will not work satisfactorily when it counts.
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