In reply to Horse:
I should declare my hand. I trained as an aero engineer but never got very excited by the "recipe book subject" (as we used to refer to "materials".) So somewhere in my notes I have all there is worthwhile to know about Al and Ti alloys, and a tiny bit on steel, but that's where it stays - in my notes !
I'm honestly surprised that Ti (bulk properties) is half as stiff as steel; it really doesn't feel that way when worked with hand tools. Are we talking about the same alloys (there are only about two relevant Ti alloys, and the Russian equivalents are so similar as makes no odds) ? It may be that specific stiffness (stiffness per unit mass) is what's confusing me.
Now, pedantry is what's required here. If we consider that cross-sectional area again... The problem that the OP has run into is he's reached the elastic limit of the metal at the outside of the bend, by bashing. Have you got any figures for that for Ti ? Or is your analysis different ?
I take the same view on Russian screws. Use them if you know what you're doing. There are a variety of different designs and qualities out there - surprisingly - and some look much better than others. If they've been "re-branded", frankly I wouldn't be interested, personally.
Y