I just picked up a couple of "flamed titanium" pocket clips, and I love the look of them. I've always been attracted to the blue-on-black color combo for most things I own, and I love the way the color pops on my Vision FG!
I've noticed, however, that even the slightest touch from my fingers will dull the shine and really mutes the color. It comes right back with a simple wipe on the clip with any dry cloth, but it's a little annoying just how well this finish attracts skin oils.
I was thinking about picking up some flamed ti scales to go with this, but after seeing how quickly the color fades after being touched, I'm not sure how I'd feel about an entire handle with that finish.
Whoa, I had no idea about butterfly wings! Thanks, I have a new rabbit hole to dive down now. :)
It is pretty wild from a scientific standpoint. The clip on my Benchmade Morpho exhibits the same phenomenon, since it's titanium and it's anodized blue. The liners do as well, actually, but they're harder to touch since they're recessed under the scales. Whenever I take it apart to deep clean it you can noticeably see the color turn more blue. When these parts are smudged they tend to become a dull grayish purple.