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Jerry
Jerry Reader
4/3/13 2:37 p.m.

Ok, so my first marriage back in 1993 we did the traditional matching gold bands, had vines going around them and black ink inside the design, kinda cool (and not very much $$ if I remember.)

Flash forward to 2013 and second attempt (there's always a practice swing right?). Gold is berkeleying insane expensive, and apparently not as common, probably for the berkeleying cost. Titanium, Tungsten, all kinds of cool options.

My first thought?

Except the fiancee is concerned about getting those rings caught in her hair. (I see a naughty joke there somewhere but we'll move along.)

Next idea:

Again, she shot me down. She's a pretty big Star Wars geek herself, but not this much.

Finally thinking this:

Carbon fiber makes everything better, and faster. So, what say you? Anything good or bad? I see carbon fiber at $35 and $300, is there a $265 difference to be had?

nderwater
nderwater UberDork
4/3/13 2:44 p.m.

My first wedding band was domed white gold and after seven years of wear had become scuffed and nicked to death. I replaced it with a $20 domed tungsten carbide band I found on eBay - and four years later it still looks like new. I'm not sure how long the CF in the one you pictured will hold up without scratching, but going tungsten is a no-brainer in my book.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
4/3/13 2:46 p.m.

I have one. It's plain. I leave it off most of the time because it is irritating to have E36 M3 on my fingers when I'm doing things like typing or wrenching.

Buy something cheap and round with a hole in the middle or just tell the mrs to get one for you. Ideally, it just needs to advertise ownership so using a gold sharpie should be acceptable.

Grtechguy
Grtechguy UltimaDork
4/3/13 2:51 p.m.

I still have a standard gold band. 14k with a comfort fit.

failboat
failboat SuperDork
4/3/13 2:52 p.m.

All I can think about when I see carbon fiber rings, is how many oxidized carbon fiber hoods I've seen.

I have a simple brushed titanium ring. I tried on several and this was the only one i liked the look of. its picked up its share of scuffs over the years but I almost never take it off. I don't concern myself much with it, it was less than $100. Men's rings are so inexpensive, just get one you like, if you feel like replacing it later its not like you have to save up for several months to do so.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
4/3/13 2:52 p.m.
Jerry wrote: Finally thinking this: Carbon fiber makes everything better, and faster. So, what say you? Anything good or bad? I see carbon fiber at $35 and $300, is there a $265 difference to be had?

I have almost this same ring. Mine is Cobalt, not Tungsten.

It has held up pretty well over teh last year and a half. I wear it when I wrnech on teh car and at work in manufacturing facility. It has some scratches and whatnot, but it is supposed to.

I like it! I think it was about $150.00.

Swank Force One
Swank Force One MegaDork
4/3/13 2:54 p.m.

I'm just getting mine tattoo'd on. I can't stand things on my hands or wrists. I've never worn a watch in my life and don't plan on doing so.

JohnInKansas
JohnInKansas Dork
4/3/13 2:56 p.m.

Seems like I remember there being some dissent regarding tungsten or titanium or something. I want to say it was along the lines of "the gold ring will flatten on my finger easier, but will also be easier for the paramedics to cut off".

My wife and I both wear hand-me-down plain gold bands. Keeps the waitresses from hitting on me, so she's happy.

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury MegaDork
4/3/13 2:58 p.m.

I got this artcarved Titanium ring for appprox $150

Pros:

  • Titanium is pretty hard
  • Doesnt scratch too easily
  • very lightweight
  • Doesnt tarnish
  • finish doesnt change color if exposed to chemicals or heat
  • titanium is what they make expensive bikes out of

Cons:

  • It cannot ever be resized. If you need a new size, Artcarved covers that for I think 10 years (maybe lifetime?), they basically send you a new ring (may or may not be a problem to you depending on how attached you are to "your" ring)
  • If you ever do manage to bend it, it will likely crush you finger beyond repair
  • Its very light, and some people view this as "cheap"
  • Its comparatively inexpensive, and some people view this as "cheap"

Personally, I love it, I almost dont notice its there. The curved interior is very comfortable when lifting heavy things or gripping a wrench, where a squared ring might pinch. I dont worry about getting solvents on it like I might with a colored or "patina-ed" ring.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
4/3/13 3:00 p.m.

Titanium for me. I had the ring made by a machinist friend of mine aeons ago before you started seeing all the alternative metals for men's rings. Cost was far less than you see in the jewelery stores because it's a machined part, not jewelery I think it was $60?

For my "real" wedding band, I have a commercial Ti ring with a curved interior. But it's just too bulky for my taste, so I pulled out the old machined part after a couple of months and that's what I've worn ever since.

Klayfish
Klayfish Dork
4/3/13 3:02 p.m.
Jerry wrote: Finally thinking this: Carbon fiber makes everything better, and faster. So, what say you? Anything good or bad? I see carbon fiber at $35 and $300, is there a $265 difference to be had?

Mine looks somewhat similar. Yellow gold on the outside, with white gold on the inside (though mine is more of a weave pattern). It was cheap, yet didn't look "plain" or "boring". Before I got married, I wasn't a jewelry person either, and I'm still not. But I got used to it after a few months. Now 13+ years later, and I'd feel weird if I took it off. I need to have it fixed, it's no longer exactly round, kinda oval.

JohnInKansas
JohnInKansas Dork
4/3/13 3:03 p.m.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

That reminds me: My BIL procrastinated picking out his ring until the day before the wedding, and couldn't find a store with a plain ring in his price range. So... he went to the hardware store... and got married with a chainsaw bushing. Think it cost him all of about $10.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 UberDork
4/3/13 3:03 p.m.

I'd opt for the traditional plain gold band, since that's what I have. I was lucky enough to beat the runup in gold prices, though. Hate to think what mine would cost today. I think it was $350 a dozen years ago.

Datsun310Guy
Datsun310Guy UberDork
4/3/13 3:07 p.m.

The wife got me my second 14k gold ring at Sam's Club 15+ years ago - $90.00.

I wear it 3 seasons - rarely in the summer as my fingers tend to get puffy when it's hot out.

rebelgtp
rebelgtp UltraDork
4/3/13 3:07 p.m.

A woman I work with makes rings out of old Damascus steel shot gun barrels.

ditchdigger
ditchdigger SuperDork
4/3/13 3:10 p.m.

I did tungsten. Again cheap via ebay. Comfort fit. After 6 hard years as a millwright it still looked like new.

The thing about tungsten is it will not bend. You don't have to worry about it crushing your finger, it will shatter.

You can break a tungsten wedding band with vice grips. That is how they remove them in ER's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poM423pewRE

fritzsch
fritzsch HalfDork
4/3/13 3:10 p.m.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0YAhykMMxc

Ron Swanson said: “Any moron with a crucible, an acetylene torch, and a cast iron waffle maker could have done the same. The whole thing only took me about 20 minutes. People who buy things are suckers.”
1988RedT2
1988RedT2 UberDork
4/3/13 3:17 p.m.

In reply to Datsun310Guy:

That was a helluva deal for 90 bucks!

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 UberDork
4/3/13 3:22 p.m.
fritzsch wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0YAhykMMxc
Ron Swanson said: “Any moron with a crucible, an acetylene torch, and a cast iron waffle maker could have done the same. The whole thing only took me about 20 minutes. People who buy things are suckers.”

I love it! That there is some funny stuff. I don't care who ya are!

Strizzo
Strizzo UberDork
4/3/13 3:24 p.m.

i wanted tungsten, mainly because i wanted the heft of the tungsten over a titanium or gold band. a white gold band similar to what datsun posted was like $550, my tungsten that looks the same was iirc $50. i wanted it because it can be shattered off easy enough and won't crush my finger if i smash my hand in something. not sure about long term comfort yet, i don't start wearing it till may 11

yamaha
yamaha UltraDork
4/3/13 3:26 p.m.

In reply to ditchdigger:

My friend just got one of those for his wedding band, aside from being rather heavy, it looked good

Joe Gearin
Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
4/3/13 3:28 p.m.
Swank Force One wrote: I'm just getting mine tattoo'd on. I can't stand things on my hands or wrists. I've never worn a watch in my life and don't plan on doing so.

A friend of mine did that........he's divorced now. He isn't pleased with his decision.

yamaha
yamaha UltraDork
4/3/13 3:29 p.m.
Jerry wrote: Finally thinking this: Carbon fiber makes everything better, and faster. So, what say you? Anything good or bad? I see carbon fiber at $35 and $300, is there a $265 difference to be had?

Get this exact one, as its tungsten carbide it'll be safe like the one ditchdigger posted, but look good for you.

Swank Force One
Swank Force One MegaDork
4/3/13 3:30 p.m.
Joe Gearin wrote:
Swank Force One wrote: I'm just getting mine tattoo'd on. I can't stand things on my hands or wrists. I've never worn a watch in my life and don't plan on doing so.
A friend of mine did that........he's divorced now. He isn't pleased with his decision.

Tell him that now is his opportunity to get some really cool hand tattoos to cover it up.

petegossett
petegossett GRM+ Memberand UberDork
4/3/13 3:43 p.m.

I cut mine out of a piece of aluminum plate using a drill press and 2 different sized hole saws. It's been doing its job just fine for the last 7-years.

Hey, this is GRM... :)

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