As I sat at my desk and tried to overcome this temporary blockage it suddenly dawned on me that everywhere I look nowadays I see the word “titanium”. When I go to the bank, I see advertisements for a “titanium checking account”. In the sporting goods section of my favorite department store, I see titanium golf clubs, titanium golf balls and knives made of titanium. I see eyeglass stores advertising titanium eyeglass frames, the dentist now uses titanium posts for implants and I can go to the hardware store and see titanium drill bits and paint named “metallic titanium”. Specialty jewelry companies have been using titanium for years and I can order titanium pots and pans over the internet. Wow!! When did all of this happen and why am I surprised to see all of this now and at this point in time?
The truth of the matter is, Titanium has slowly but surely been entering the consumer markets for the last 25 years or so, it has happened right before my eyes and I have been a part of it. Perhaps I was so close to the action, I missed what was going on, however, I know for certain that titanium metals have made their mark on our society.
When I first entered the titanium industry in 1974 our concerns were simple, we wanted to produce and sell titanium into the Chemical Processing Industry and the Aerospace Industry. We were a fledgling industry and were looking for markets where we could introduce our “space age wonder metal”. If we found a market, everyone was happy, as there was another place to sell our sheet, plate, pipe or wire products.
I think one of the first consumer markets for titanium that I can remember was for titanium jewelry. The unique fabrication characteristics of the metal, coupled with the bright anodized colors, made titanium jewelry a very cool and chic product to own. I can also remember the day someone from the office came in and announced that they had seen a titanium tennis racquet; our comments were, what will they think of next?
I don’t know about you, but I participated in the growth of titanium in consumer products and probably was not even aware of the impact I was making. I have worn over the years a number of titanium watches, from very simple designs to the more luxurious brands. They all do the same thing, but once you own a titanium watch you are considered “cool” by your peers. I have run the gamut on golf clubs from drivers to putters, to titanium golf balls, none of which have helped my game, by the way. The next trend was the eyeglass frames, for reading glasses, distance glasses to sunglasses, I have had them all. I have had titanium money clips, titanium stereo head phones, titanium knives and the granddaddy of all, titanium dental implants. All of this has happened to me over the last thirty five years, and I am just waking up to the fact that “titanium” is a household word.
While many of us were out looking for and developing applications for aerospace, CPI, military, oil and gas and marine markets, there have been a number of dedicated , entrepreneurial and talented individuals creating a consumer goods market for titanium that many of us have taken for granted. The consumer market for titanium is growing by leaps and bounds and it is very possible that someday this market could be one of our largest markets. Consider this--if every household in the USA, or even every automobile manufacturer, used one pound of titanium, the total usage of titanium product could be staggering. I for one am now a firm believer that the consumer market for titanium products is a market worth pursuing and one worth developing. Now...if I could only invent that one titanium product that everyone has to have ...the possibilities are endless! Let’s put our thinking caps on and come up with something new and creative.
