Men’s Wedding Bands and Alternative Wedding Bands

Truth about Tungsten

Men’s wedding bands can be a lot more involved than most guys think.

There have not been many options for men in the past, but as technology increases, the number of styles and materials have increased exponentially.

The most popular options right now for men’s bands are alternative metals like Titanium, Damascus Steel, Cobalt Chrome and Black Zirconium. Most people have been switching to alternative metals for the cost saving and the ability to create some very cool designs.

Some of you may notice I did not mention Tungsten Carbide. This is because this material is not very safe. Tungsten is generally unbreakable and unscratchable and yes, you can open a beer with it. However, in emergency situations this ring is dangerous, as it is very difficult to get off and can cause even more injury during the removal process. After talking with ER nurses, doctors, and hearing some customers’ experiences, we have decided to not sell the metal if we can help it. We keep them in stock but we will tell you before you buy it that we do not like this metal.

Lashbrook Design -- https://www.lashbrookdesigns.com/

All Materials below can be custom designed to have inlays of Wood, Meteorite, Gold and other alternative metals. Check out Lashbrook's website! Send us the ring design you like and we can give you a price quote and order it for you!

Alternative Metals

Now that we have covered Tungsten let's look at other great and safer materials.

Titanium

One of the most common is Titanium. Titanium is a very strong and lightweight metal. Lashbrook, the wedding band company we use, has created a Titanium Alloy. This metal is a little more expensive but it is stronger than pure titanium and the color will not fade.

Facts of Titanium

Hypoallergenic
Highest strength to weight ratio
Needs no special care

Black Zirconium

One of the most popular metals right now is Black Zirconium. It has become very popular due to the fact that the material is actually black and the color does not wear away. It has incredible chemical resistance and does not react with solvents and acids. It is generally used in nuclear reactors.

Facts of Black Zirconium

No nickel
Stronger than natural zirconium
Coating will not wear off.
Zirconium is a element on the periodic table
Needs no care

Cobalt Chrome

If you are looking for a whiter material that matches the tone of white gold, Cobalt Chrome is for you. This metal is very strong and scratch resistant. Cobalt Chrome is a mixture of Chromium and Cobalt. It also has the weight of a gold ring while costing much less than gold. This ring has gained popularity quickly.

Facts about Cobalt Chrome

Cobalt Chrome is used in Engine Turbines
Hypoallergenic
Often used in heart stents
Needs no care
Can handle a lot of abuse

Damascus Steel

All of the metals I have discussed so far are pressed into shape by a machine then finished by hand. The next material, Damascus Steel, is made by hand by the metalsmiths at Lashbrook. The same process is used to create samurai swords and high end knives. These beautiful rings come with 5 different patterns and are very strong and durable.

Facts about Damascus Steel

There can be up to 100 layers in the rings
No two rings are the same
It is twice as hard as titanium and cobalt chrome
Avoiding salt water is best

The last metal I will cover today, is not a single metal, it is the process of molding many metals together. This process is similar to how Damascus steel is made, but instead it includes precious metals. This process is called Mokume Gane which translates from Japanese to ‘wood grain metal’. Each ring is made by hand! It takes an extremely skilled artist to produce these rings. They are made by stacking thin metal into a billet and heated just below melting point but just above the temperature at which the metal will soften. Over the course of the heating, the metals become one solid block. As much as 8 hours of hand work goes into making just an inlay of Mokume Gane!

Facts about Mokume Gane

Hand made
Prone to scratching
Emulates old world techniques
Can be used as an inlay in a ring or a ring can be made of just Mokume Gane
Many different precious metals can be used.

Nerd Notes

Each metal can be used together to make very cool designs. Lashbrook offers some amazing inlays, and laser design options.

They use real meteorite from the Gibbson Meteorite found in Africa!
They can use wood on the inside or outside of the ring and if you do not like their options, you can supply your own!!
They do free sizing for life
Everything is totally custom from the design to millimeter width.
They even use real carbon fiber - not the look-alike stuff the other guys use
These guys are the best! Check out their stuff and let us know if you want one!

Meteorite