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Can you clean micarta?

O

orangish ducktape

Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
904
Is it possible to clean micarta so it looks almost new again? My BK14 micarta is getting very dirty and I tried washing it in water and soap, but it didn't work to well. And is there anyway to make micarta more grippy because mine is a bit slick.

Thanks,

-orangish ducktape
1671.jpg
 
A bit of soap/water with an old toothbrush works pretty well on mine. The micarta will absorb oils/sweat and get darker with use, but the brush does a good job of getting the grit/grime out of the material.
 
I thought I remembered someone saying they threw it in the dishwasher but I could be wrong. I have never done it.
 
you can use a strong degreaser like simple green and very stiff bristled toothbrush or just soak it in a strong dishwashing liquid (like dawn) with hot water to break up the embedded oils before scrubbing. i just dye all micarta black, that way it always looks clean :p for extra grip, you can sand it to rough it up but do it under a bucket of water or something - the dust is toxic from what i've read. doesn't apply to beckers but some micarta have lining (like some of the esee handles) so too hot a water might soften the glue and the liners will bubble up or peel off.
 
the smoother you sand it, the less it will discolor. Of course it will be slipperier too. Never tried to wash it myself. I would avoid the dishwasher, or anything that produces steam... some resins start to break down in the 250F range.
 
sandblasting!

try the dishwasher though, and perhaps some brush, soap, and goo gone if you want
 
When I make Kydex sheaths for knives I usually put a couple of pieces of blue painters tape in several locations......... I hate the way it cleans just that spot but fwiw this is what it looks like when removed. It sucks for pictures but should do what you want, of course cleaning w/soapy water (as described?) should work fine too.

Notice there's a clean stripe on the scales of the ESEE-6:

DSC03595-1.jpg



Eli
 
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