Can a rubber-coated knife handle "melt?"

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
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Last night, I took another look at one of my older knives. I have kept a few in a box and had forgotten all about them, until last night.

What took me by surprise was that one of the knives which was still in a box felt sticky when I held it in my hands.
Then, I realised that the coating on the handle was "melting" or in the corrosion process.

I wonder what caused that to happen. Is it because of oxidation or something like that?

Obviously, it is a chemical reaction of something! :rolleyes:
 
Oils from your hand, electric motors near by, lots of things cause it to degrade, rubber decomposes eventually.

I've had softer rubber grips get tacky like that, the insert in my Centofontane/Spyderco.

A little soap and water, and carrying it for a couple of days fixed it right up.
 
Some plastics will react with each other with terrible results. Just drop a few plastic worms in a styrene box and check it in a few days! They eat each other. Be sure to keep all synthetic gripped knives in nonreactive boxes or cases. While this is probably not your situation, maybe it will be helpful to someone someday!
 
Thanks guys for bringing up the plausible and possible causes. They explain in part the current situation. :)
 
Fuah! This is bad.. Your knives are melting away.. :( Sorry to hear about yer loss my good friend.. :(

Sam
 
My Buck 450 started to soften up after I accidentally soaked it in WD40. It hit a point of stasis, giving me an excellent working tackiness.
 
Right, what others have said. The handle is undoubtedly a synthetic, and so is subject to having its plasticizer(s) interact with any oil it might come in contact with. Some of the interactions you see are downright funky.

Dave
 
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