Originally Posted by
13ollocks
If I was replacing "mission critical" fasteners, the last place I would go to is Ti from Amazon. Apart from the occasional blatant counterfeit stuff, Amazon sells at the lowest price point, and that includes fasteners. You're likely getting Ti of unknown provenance and QC. If the fasteners matter (I'm thinking stem- and seat post fasteners, mainly), I'll pay the extra and get them from a legit hardware supplier like McMaster-Carr. High-grade steel fasteners are also stronger then Ti-equivalents, Ti is lighter and has better corrosion resistance, but for small fasteners (again, stem bolts), I'd rather good steel - higher tensile strength and the weight saving of Ti is negligible.
I used to work in a machine shop which manufactured hardware for aircraft engines, and can tell a good piece of hardware from one which is not so good. High quality steel is very strong, but you aren’t going to find high quality steel in Kalloy components. I have occasionally got some bad things from Amazon, and returned it. But, for the most part, the quality is good, and I’ve had nothing to complain about. The hardware is light, well-finished, doesn’t corrode, and is reasonably priced.