Pat Smith makes tough, well constructed back packs, that's what he knows. That's what Kifaru and Mountain Smith were built on.
Kifaru does not know metal, or even how a stove works. Pat said for years it was too hard to build a stove out of titanium. :mrgreen: Best advertising some folks never had to pay for.
As for prices, its about how you build it that makes the difference there. SO and K tents have 2-3 times more seams in them, which is 2-3 times more places for the tent to leak, and fail. And it requires 2-3 times more cutting and sewing, which is where the increased cost is. Both SO and K tents are notorious for peak failures, because of the way all those seams meet in the top of the tent.
Disclaimer: I was an original founder of Titanium Goat. I've been in the industry for over a decade. I know gear, I design and build it for a living, both for myself, and for several other companies.