Quote Originally Posted by Karoht View Post
Not only do I have sources on titanium gear, but I know someone with a titanium chain vest. The thing is amazingly light, and he wears it under his regular chain hauberk when fighting with us. It is comfortable, and protects very well, and it's tough. He also wears it to work, he works at some kind of machine shop.

I want to be clear that no authentic representation has been found. It doesn't mean the metallurgy wasn't up to snuff though. That I'd have to look into. But you ar right, no one that we know of was wearing titanium on the battlefield.
Don't know how this slipped by...

Titanium is an amazingly poor material to make weapons or armor out of. Like aluminum, it is strong for it's weight. They don't build airframes out of titanium because it's strong, they do it because it is light and strong for it's weight. There's a reason cruisers are made from good old steel. Also like aluminum, almost any product produced and billed as titanium is in fact a complex titanium alloy. Not that ancient weapon and armorsmiths would want to work with it if they could.

When it comes to weapons and armor, even titanium alloys fall far short of steel. To achieve the same strength as a weapon or armor piece constructed of steel, a titanium alloy piece would need to be many times thicker, which would of course make the piece heavier, and counteract the titanium alloy's one advantage, it's weight (not to mention giving the piece unwieldy dimensions).

Not to belittle your titanium chain-shirt experience, but I highly doubt you guys are swinging steel weapons with the intent to kill eachother. Titanium alloy protective pieces are fine for industrial applications where accidental laceration protection is the intent, but it goes without saying that this is far different from mortal combat. Bottom line, when big dudes are swinging steel your direction, with the intent to kill, you want to be wearing steel too.