Handle Materials You Find Special, Desirable, Cool or have Memories

[spudley112]

I was looking through my SAK collection and was admiring a custom I have that was made for me years ago. It is made of mammoth ivory and I thought how cool it is to tote something made from an animal that last walked the Earth 14,000 years ago! That inspired me to look around at other knives that have the same material.

I came across this Trapper by AG Russell (I have the same trapper with wood handles).


I also have a few yellow Delrin handled knives in my collection because my grandfather was a big fan. As is the purpose, he said it was easier to find if ever dropped.

Finally, cellidor scales on my favorite knife, the Swiss Army Knife! I think cellidor is pretty tough considering what I have put mine through. I have cracked cellidor before when it fell out of my pocket or got dropped on a hard surface. Yep, love cellidor.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Micarta 

When knife-toutube led by Nutnfancy started my collecting addiction I couldn't afford the best knives......that usually had micarta handles.

Saw on youtube you could make your own "micarta", so I did.

Next logical step was to slap micarta on my cheaper knives, so I did.

Making a blade of my own was the....next logical step.....so I did.

All very logical 

Now I'm about 70 knives down the rabbit hole and I may have thought up something new and unique in the world of micarta (if such a thing exists  )

JMO, but for a fixed blade that will be used there is no better handle material. 

[Rapidray]

There are so many great materials out there that it’s hard to pick one especially when some of them cost a lot.
It would have to be G-10 with Micarta breathing down it’s neck! 
G-10 has a more dull look but is more secure in my hand, and with it being a knife thats a plus!
Micarta will polish up very nicely and looks great!

[Aloha]

Special, in that category I'd say mammoth sounds about right.  I don't have anything in that material but it sure is terrific looking.  I'd likely place anything inherited regardless of material in this category as well. 

Desirable, I'll use this category interchangeably with durable or best for the job.  Micarta gets the nod here.  I've got a few fixed blades in Micarta and they are beasts. FRN may not be such a wonderful material but its durable as well.  I've got several in this material and can vouch for it being tough.  Celidor will certainly get the nod as its a good material and is pretty tough as well. 

Cool, This about covers every thing else possibly.  I think wood is very nice.  I love all the choices available.  Titanium would fall in this category as well. 

Memories, seems all could be placed here.  Your first knife, dads knife, maybe something thats been with you a while.  I've not yet reached this point with any tools I have.  Maybe my kids will feel a certain way about the knives I owed when the get them? 

[spudley112]

Micarta 

When knife-toutube led by Nutnfancy started my collecting addiction I couldn't afford the best knives......that usually had micarta handles.

Saw on youtube you could make your own "micarta", so I did.

Next logical step was to slap micarta on my cheaper knives, so I did.

Making a blade of my own was the....next logical step.....so I did.

All very logical 

Now I'm about 70 knives down the rabbit hole and I may have thought up something new and unique in the world of micarta (if such a thing exists  )

JMO, but for a fixed blade that will be used there is no better handle material. 

I saw a youtube video on making micarta from blue jeans and I have wanted to do that so much. The handles I have seen look super cool. Here are some pictures I found:

[Rapidray]

I saw a youtube video on making micarta from blue jeans and I have wanted to do that so much. The handles I have seen look super cool. Here are some pictures I found:
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

Blue jean micarta handles...cool. 

[spudley112]

Blue jean micarta handles...cool. 

Just imagine the different colors of denim you could stack together? Would be cool.

[Gerhard Gerber]

There are so many great materials out there that it’s hard to pick one especially when some of them cost a lot.
It would have to be G-10 with Micarta breathing down it’s neck! 
G-10 has a more dull look but is more secure in my hand, and with it being a knife thats a plus!
Micarta will polish up very nicely and looks great!

I beg to differ 

G10 is just a type of plastic, so any grip is due to texturing.

Modern and home made "micarta" is a resin (plastic ) impregnated fabric.  The type of fiber in a specific fabric determine a lot about the end product, but basically the space between the fibers are filled with resin and the fabric gives the whole structural strength.

The inherent grip of micarta comes from those fibers sticking out a bit.

Polishing micarta takes more skill or better equipment than I have, the only way I could achieve the same results BRK get on some of their knives, specifically the Burlap micarta, was to sand to 400 grit, seal with CA glue and polish up.

When you seal and polish you loose the natural grip of micarta. 

 

[spudley112]

I though G10 was similar. I read awhile back that it was glass cloth layered, soaked it resin and compressed. I confess though, I am not super savvy in some handle materials.

[Gerhard Gerber]

I though G10 was similar. I read awhile back that it was glass cloth layered, soaked it resin and compressed. I confess though, I am not super savvy in some handle materials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G10_(material)

 

And so we learn.  Basically the same process but using glass fiber glass instead of cloth.
GRN/FRN is then the same just using Nylon

[Rapidray]

I don’t think so. Every thing I have read is cloth and resin. Micarta is compress under pressure and G-10 is baked. G-10 is a glass cloth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G10_(material)

[Gerhard Gerber]

I don’t think so. Every thing I have read is cloth and resin. Micarta is compress under pressure and G-10 is baked. G-10 is a glass cloth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G10_(material)

"glass cloth" + resin is what we call fiber glass and use to build boats.
G10 I assume they use a more refined cloth than the above.

There's a term I recently heard and can't put my finger on, but I believe what you are referring to is the original Westinghouse Micarta.

Micarta is now a brand name and the bigger manufacturers had to stop calling the stuff on their handles "micarta" or face law suites.......believe it was mentioned by Condor's rep in a Blade Show video.  Re

"Micarta" can be made using various epoxies, polyester resin and probably others.

Not sure about the original process but the epoxies and resins mostly used now don't require pressure as much as pressing.

[Aloha]

That blue jean micarta is awesome.