Caring for Micarta?

[AlaChoctaw]

With the addition of a beautiful Bob Dozier Toothpick to my collection, I realized that I have an increasing number of Micarta handled blades without any idea of how to properly care for them. Can anyone help me with tips on what to do (or NOT to do) to keep these knifes looking good for a long time? Thanks!

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AKTI Member #A000934
"Always just one knife short of perfection!"

 

[richard rosvall]

IMHO, one of the nice things about Micarta is it requires minimal care. Under normal use, it won't shrink, swell, warp, etc. Light scratches can be removed with a fine grit sandpaper. I've seen some ivory-colored Micarta turn yellow over the years, but was able to bring it back by sanding first with 400 grit sandpaper and then 600 grit. You might want to post this at Shoptalk and find out what the knowledgable makers have to say.

 

[gadgetman]

Congrats on the Dozier. I bought a Slim Outdoorsman and love it. As far as care of Micarta, the satin finish on the Dozier knives seems to resist scratching pretty well. I even dropped the knife (sheathed) on asphalt, landing on the handle. I expected major damage, but there were only a few nicks on the end...whew. Even my polished Spyderco Mini-Dyad is surprisingly free of scratches. You have to look really close to see any fine scratches on the Micarta. Aqueous solutions shouldn't harm Micarta, though I would stay away from heavy duty cleaning solutions with alot of ammonia or basic solutions. I also don't use powerful solvents, even though the resin is probably pretty resistant. Be careful with bleach solutions too, because the chlorine will stain the blade.