A couple of basic questions

[Mellow Chaos]

What exactly is micarta? Is it based in nature or petroleum? I've notice it is very verstile, tough, and can be made to simulate other material. Also, can someone give a summary of the differences between hollow grind and flat grind, and what the advantages are of each?

Sorry for the newbie questions, but I'm getting around to asking some questions I've been wondering about for awhile.

 

[Josh Feltman]

Micarta is composed of layers of linen, canvas, or paper bonded together with phenolic resin. I'm not going to take a stab at your other question. You might want to do a search for hollow grind and flat grind, or check A.G. Russell's Knife Encyclopedia
--Josh