Buyers ask what grade of titanium we use more often than almost any other specification question. 'Pure titanium' is not one material - it is a family of grades with different jobs. For food-contact tableware, cups and cookware, Grade 1 is the standard, and knowing why helps you buy with confidence.
The short answer: Grade 1 for food, Grade 5 for tools
Every food-contact product in the LeafCovenant line - chopsticks, sporks, spoons, mugs, lidded cups, nesting cup sets, pots and kettles - is Grade 1 pure titanium (TA1). Grade 1 is commercially pure titanium with the least added strength and the best corrosion resistance. Grade 2 is also pure titanium but roughly 20% stronger, a common choice for rugged hiking pots. Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) is the aerospace alloy: very strong, but it contains aluminum and vanadium, so it has no place in food contact.
Softness is a feature, not a flaw
Soft sounds wrong for cutlery, yet in thin-wall titanium it means the metal bends instead of cracking. A 0.4 mm Grade 1 cup or spoon can flex on impact and spring back, which is why titanium tableware survives years of trail and dishwasher use while harder alloys fracture. Grade 1 also deep-draws and stamps cleanly into rolled rims, folding handles and nesting shapes with fewer rejects - the reason most premium titanium tableware starts as Grade 1.
Corrosion, taste and a simple compliance story
Grade 1 carries the highest corrosion resistance of any titanium grade, so it ignores salt, citrus and repeated dishwasher cycles. Chemically inert means no metallic taste and no coating to wear off. Food-contact rules in most major markets judge the metal itself, so a pure Grade 1 product has a simple compliance story: one material, one finish, no additives, no coating to fail.
Three questions for your supplier
Ask which grade is on the spec sheet (TA1/Gr1, TA2/Gr2 or TC4/Gr5), what wall thickness the product actually uses (0.3-0.5 mm is thin-wall territory), and whether colored finishes are voltage anodizing rather than paint. On your first order, request the mill certificate. MOQ starts at 5 pieces per SKU and samples ship in 5-10 days, so verifying a spec sheet is nearly free.
Want prices, samples or a custom titanium line?
MOQ from 5 pcs, ships within 72 hours, replies within 24 hours.