Present work describes the formation of shear bands during Vickers indentation with indentation loads in the range of 0.1 to 20 kg in four metastable β titanium alloys in β water quench condition. Extent of solid solution has marked influence on the evolution of shear bands. All the four alloys exhibit both the primary and secondary shear bands. The spacing between shear bands increases with increase in distance from the indenter edge. Crystal orientation mapping has been used to measure misorientations at different locations within the matrix, shear bands and at the interface between matrix and shear band. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.