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I like it... but don’t need it...


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2 hours ago, Jglopez7 said:

Titanal? 

You rang, @The Short Umpire?

Titanal is a high-grade alloy of Aluminum, Zinc, Copper, Magnesium and Zirconium, produced by AMAG Rolling of Austria. Titanal was first employed in mountaineering, being used in lieu of straight aluminum in such things as tent poles, trekking poles, and then finding its way to alpine skiing poles. Soon after, it was used in alpine skis themselves in lieu of fiberglass because torsional stress can be distributed in all directions instead of just in the axis – or grain – of the glass strands. And, unlike common aluminum, it’s less prone to shearing when compromised, instead exhibiting deformation. This is important, because steel does deform as well, but under much less comparative load. More common aluminum alloys are rather stiff, and most tubes and rods of aluminum are cast and set into the desired shape. Welding of aluminum gets problematic, too, because the oxidation layer, or skin, of aluminum impedes the bonding or welding process. As such, high quality welds come at a premium, because low quality “spot” welds can result in failure over repeated stressing.

So why not titanium? Titanium is much stronger than steel, at a fraction of the weight. It also will deform (bend) when compromised, instead of shearing... surely that’s better than aluminum. However, like aluminum though, titanium forms an oxidation layer as a skin that not only hardens the metal and prevents corrosion, but also handicaps welding. The welding process has to be very precise, very abrupt, and of exceptional quality. Also, cutting and bending it into desired shapes requires considerable tools of force. Add in that aluminum is in much greater supply than titanium, and all of this results in Titanium products being considerably more expensive than aluminum.

Titanal has demonstrated, though, that because of its greater tolerance to deform than “common” aluminum, the welds are not only easier to make, but are less likely to fail, or “pop”. Then, when you factor in that minor deformation is occurring along the entire span of the Titanal rod when struck, instead of being wholly transferred to the welds, the rod (ie. the mask) is, in a sense, dampening the impacting energy like a tuning fork. Certainly not as much as steel and other cultured alloys, but better than homogenous aluminum.

As mentioned, Titanal was developed by AMAG Rolling of Austria. Adidas is the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, second only to Nike. Adidas also owns Reebok, TaylorMade, and Runtastic. Through its relationships with other prominent EU companies, Adidas has access to many cutting edge resources. It is very likely (through deduction) that Adidas either approached the shop that possesses the famed Icon’s planform, or brokered a deal to obtain the Icon planform (or the Chinese just copied it), and supplied the shop with Titanal through an arrangement with AMAG Rolling.

I dare say, from a technical standpoint, I’d prefer a Titanal Icon. Am I a diehard Nike fan and apologist? Hell yes. Would I turn down the chance to get or obtain (ie. given) an “authentic” Nike Titanium Icon? Absolutely not! But, there’s no way I’m paying the outlandish $300+ titanium Icons routinely fetch on the open market while still prone to being bent like any other titanium mask! Titanal may just be the future.

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1 hour ago, acpar72 said:

@The Short Umpire how do you know its Titanal?

So I purchased this from someone on the forum who sold it as such. One of the big factors in determining authenticity is weight. I put it on the scale and it is 15.4 oz. Which seems pretty light to me. If I’m wrong on that thought then someone please correct me. 

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On 8/17/2019 at 12:18 AM, The Short Umpire said:

So I purchased this from someone on the forum who sold it as such. One of the big factors in determining authenticity is weight. I put it on the scale and it is 15.4 oz. Which seems pretty light to me. If I’m wrong on that thought then someone please correct me. 

Anyone wanna weigh their steel adidas?

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We should publish and sticky a post in the Umpire Equipment board that lists the U-E confirmed weights of the Icon models, and perhaps some other select offerings (Wilson Titanium, Wilson Aluminum, All-Star FM4000MAG, Champro Rampage, etc).

At the very least, we need the weights of the frames for the:

  • Nike Titanium Icon
  • Nike Hollow Steel Icon (w/ vinyl dip)
  • Adidas Titanal Icon
  • Adidas / Reebok Hollow-Steel Icon
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2 hours ago, MadMax said:

We should publish and sticky a post in the Umpire Equipment board that lists the U-E confirmed weights of the Icon models, and perhaps some other select offerings (Wilson Titanium, Wilson Aluminum, All-Star FM4000MAG, Champro Rampage, etc).

At the very least, we need the weights of the frames for the:

  • Nike Titanium Icon
  • Nike Hollow Steel Icon (w/ vinyl dip)
  • Adidas Titanal Icon
  • Adidas / Reebok Hollow-Steel Icon

I second this. I don’t want to sell a mask under false pretenses but this could help people know what to look for as buyers. 

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I think the adidas  is the 3rd best looking mask out "there."  Behind the Nike and All Star Mag.  But, i also don't believe there are two different versions.  I think "titanal"  isn't a thing as of now.  Call me a conspiracy theorist but i don't think that adidas or anyone associated with a factory in the far east said "hey let's make a mask stronger and higher quality."   I think as far as this plan form goes it is the hollow steel Nike NRS, Nike Ti, and adidas or reebok pads on a hollow steel.   Hope i don't offend anyone with that.  Just my opinion.  

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@acpar72, I'd agree with you, but I held (at least) one in my hand. It was in my hand. I tried it on, twisted it around, tossed it up in the air. It wasn't Titanium – the wire gauges weren't right and the finish wasn't the smooth, natural cleanliness of titanium. It was almost fuzzy or speckle-y, more like I've seen with... anodizing. And what gets anodized? Aluminum.

Besides that, the welds were messier. Because of Titanium's inherit challenges in being welded, the welds themselves are typically done by a robot or a master welder on a precision jig. These welds were messier, akin to welds I've seen on low-end or limited-run (read: custom) aluminum bicycles.

The mask was memorably light. And, examining it very carefully, it didn't appear hollow. Titanium and aluminum mask wires can afford to be solid.

I'll admit, there is a hollow steel one out there that Adidas is circulating. Its tubes are narrower than the previous Nike hollow steel version, but the walls are thicker (you notice this during a chop job). I actually owned one of these, and I fervently believe that this is more survivable than the Nike predecessor, but it cannot be the only one that Adidas markets. I've seen Titanal first-hand from my job at REI, wherein I was selling and servicing alpine gear and tents. 

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I've had 4-5 of the Adidas in my hands and all had the magnet stick to them.   I thought they were titanal, but the magnet told me differently. 

I believe Max knows what he is talking about though, just in my experience I haven't seen one yet.

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On 8/19/2019 at 11:00 AM, wolfe_man said:

I've had 4-5 of the Adidas in my hands and all had the magnet stick to them.   I thought they were titanal, but the magnet told me differently. 

I believe Max knows what he is talking about though, just in my experience I haven't seen one yet.

I have yet to see a titanal adidas. All the ones I’ve seen have had the magnet stick 

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