Are Micarta scales a must when buying BK16?

As for replacement scales in micarta... frankly, I'm not a huge fan. I know they're very popular, but to me it's basically spending $30 to get $3 more performance... it just don't add up. Unless you just like the looks that much better. And there's nothing wrong with that :)

I really don't see any big performance improvement over the stock Grivory scales - and believe me, I've tried. The stock handle is so well-sculpted to begin with, that texture is just not that big of a deal.

Wet or dry, slick or textured, the way a knife handle fits in your paw has a LOT more to do with how easy and comfortable it is to use, and how securely it stays in your hand, than what material it's made of.

The Becker 16 has that palm swell and them gentle curves that make it nestle right into your hand and "want" to stay there. That's a huge part of why it's one of my favorite production knives, ever.

If you insist on more texture, other cats have already shown ways to texture/stipple the Grivory stock scales... all of which offer much more "grip" than either rough-hewn or polished micarta.

Others will disagree... mostly because they like how micarta looks, and they've already spent their money on replacement scales, and well... there's that. ;)

In my opinion, if you're going to upgrade the scales, go ahead and spring for G10. Same or better "grippiness" when wet or greasy, more color options, much better long-term durability than any micarta. But again... I could do that if I wanted to. I didn't bother adding G10 to my 16, because I simply don't think it's necessary.
 
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james terrio said:
As for micarta... frankly, I'm not a huge fan. In my opinion, if you're going to upgrade, go ahead and spring for G10. Same "grippiness", more color options, much better long-term durability.
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Don't care for the stuff myself. I prefer the grivory over the micarta, but that's just me.
 
I worked the grivory grips on my BK9 with some pretty coarse sandpaper (about 80 grit I believe) and now they feel very similar to micarta in my hand. They have a warmth to them and just the right amount of grippiness. I also made white plastic liners. These weren't from CD cases, but just some sheet of unknown plastic I found in the lab at work. Gave them a good overall width. I am pleased with how they feel, function and look, so I don't need to spend the extra for a new set of grips.



 
I've never heard of someone just sandpapering the handles. It's interesting that was enough to improve it.
 
I was laying out of this one, but I have to chime in now. Honestly, IMO micarte is grossly over rated, and costly. I'd leave the Grivory a lone if I were you. I went with the tan scales on mine, it looks great, has excellent grip, and it stays clean. Micarte contaminates way too easy (it'll soak up liquids such as blood, etc.). Not a good thing if you plan on using it for food prep around camp. That's running a REAL risk when potentially way out in the bush. Some will say they use micarte on a food prep knife, and I would ask how much they clean, and reclean the knife as they use it. If you change them at all look into g10.
 
I sure like the micarta on my 10, but the 16 is fabulous as stock. To me, the 16 is not a glam knife, but it just plain WORKS. For the price, the factory kit is hard to beat. If you like HEFT, then add micarta. Or shove some lead foil into the cut-outs under the grivory. :D

If you were concerned about the micarta absorbing something, it's easy enough to sand it to 600x and then rub some wax in. Should seal it nicely.
 
Waxes and oils wear off - pretty quickly, in fact. Grivory and G10 don't wear off, and don't absorb gunk and bacteria to begin with :)
 
james terrio said:
Waxes and oils wear off - pretty quickly, in fact. Grivory and G10 don't wear off, and don't absorb gunk and bacteria to begin with :)
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true dat.
G10 is HEAVY, though. but gives great grip when wet..
 
I gotten my micarta grip on standby even before my BK16 arrive. It look really great and match the sheath well but its more for the outlook which everyone have their own preferences. I got it to match my BK9 which got micarta scales on it too and I like the grip when I chop with it. The 16 are more suited for more finer tasks then the 9 but better grips do give me a better control in getting my tasks done.

If you use the 16 to process your hunts, grivory makes it easier for you to wash and clean the inside better, incase blood got in between the gaps and stuffs. Micarta might soak up some blood and leaves some stains on it hence you may wanna switch out the scales depending on your activity for the day.

Functionality wise, sanding or stippling the grivory scales helps in enhancing the grip and since they already gave ya 2 sets of scales to try it out on. Take one set and give it a try, see how the performance holds up then decide if you wanna get the micarta scales or not.

I have a few DPX Gear fixed blades with G10 scales and I like those too.
 
I have micarta on almost all of my knives. Never ever had a problem with bacteria or having them soak up anything. Have had them covered in blood and guts many many times. They clean up really easy.

I have made my own micarta, bought micarta sheets, and have tons of the ka-bar micarta. The stuff is way tougher than most people think. It does not soak up stuff like most people think either. The CNC micarta scales are not sanded and are very rough, but they only absorb liquids to the first layer of canvas. I have made micarta scales and sanded them up to 2500 grit and they are like glass. No absorption at all.

I have dyed many ka-bar micarta scales and trust me, it is really hard to get the dye to soak into them. This is because there is so much resin. It does not soak in very deep and can be sanded off with little effort.

As far as cleaning them, I just use an old toothbrush or scrub brush and some dishwashing liquid. They look brand new in just a minute or two and dry in less than a minute.

If you are out in the bush and need to sterilize them, just pour some boiling water over them. I am pretty sure they will not be harmed at all.


I know a lot of people like the grivory and zytel but I prefer the way micarta feels over those. G-10 is nice but not my favorite. It is a lot heavier than the micarta for sure.

Micarta has a true warmth to it and feels better than any other material to the bare hand. If you are using gloves, then I guess it doesn't really matter.

It is also grippier than any other material when wet too.

I would be more worried about wood scales soaking up bacteria than micarta.

In my opinion, It is a far superior handle material than anything else on the market. Only thing that comes close is G-10.

This is just my opinions and experiences and you are all free to disagree with me but I know what works for me and know what I like.

And they are worth the extra money in my opinion.

I know James................. We don't have to agree to be pals my friend...lol....:D
 
I used to love micarte. Wanted it on every knife I have, and that's a lot. But, that was some time ago,and now I know a lot about bacteria (been studying biology for the past 4 years). Without going into too much detail let me just say this... knife handles are absolutely loaded with bacteria. The gripier the surface, the easier for bacteria to culture on it. A slicker/dencer surface makes it harder for bacteria to "stick". Now, micarte is very "grippy", very porous, and every layer of the material is exposed making every layer contamnible. I will say that some micartes are worse than others--
I think linen is the absolute worst, and g10 the absolute best (g10 is a full synthetic micarte). Enter the Grivory, or Zytel. I'm not always going to be close to a kitchen sink, either. I'm talking about going from game processing to food prep to eating with as little as a rinse of drinking water. Boiling water would be nice if I had it to use as a rinse. I wouldn't trust micarte like that. All micarte I've delt with soak up fluids instantaneously. Now, as far as looks go... I believe wood was mentioned earlier. Wood looks way better than micarte, and can be completely sealed with polyurethane. But, now we're talking serious hot spots. This is why I'm now choosing a full synthetic material based grip for my knives.
 
There are a lot of well educated posts on this topic, so allow me to bring it down a notch lol

I think micarta looks really cool, it feels sturdy and has some heft, it never feels as cold as you would expect, and I love the texture. I have never cared much about bacteria. To he honest, like a caveman, if it looks clean and doesn't stink, I am happy.

For these reasons, I LOVE micarta. Have I been caught skinning a deer then picking my nose... it was an accident I tell ya! Would I eat in my biology lab? Absolutely! Lol But I am still here. I probably washed my hands 20 times in my tour in Afghanistan. Eh thats gross, but i didn't have a lot of easy options.

So if you live in the dark like me... micarta is great! :-D
 
I'm pretty sure my EDC knife has ebola at this point. I've never washed it's micarta handles even once.
 
You guys are making a good argument for wood grips, since it can have both a decent texture and a natural anti-microbial effect that is superior to plastic.
 
Dexwithers said:
I know James................. We don't have to agree to be pals my friend...lol....:D
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It's OK brother, you're allowed to be wrong occasionally. You're only human :D

Whatever works for you, folks. Use what you like and like what you use; none of this is earth-shattering, life-or death stuff. :)
 
The micarta scales are nice, but the stock scales are very comfy and they can be modded for better traction.
 
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