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cheap black material for scales

rogerxd45

rogerxd45

Joined
Mar 12, 2009
Messages
271
ok so im building a couple of knives and its my first time doing so with actual knife steel (1095) I have made a few knives out of the crappy home depot steel just for some practice, i never intended them for use.
I would like to put some black scales and some tan scales on these knives once i get them heat treated. Ive been looking for a cheap material to use. I looked into g10 but that is more expensive then i want to spend. I know you get what you pay for but these knives wont be seeing any hard use so im not too worried about the strength, i certainly dont need the strength g10 or carbon fiber provide.

I have made micarta in the past and i will probably do one of the knives with micarta scales. but any recommendations as to a cheaper alternative to g10 would be greatly appreciated
I was also thinking about doing a wood handle that i could sand very smooth and put a nice paint on it or a black dye but i would prefer a synthetic material

another idea i had was to use some wood handles and then take it into a truck bed liner company and have them spray the handle with a thin coating of rhino liner, I think that would be really cool and i love the texture it provides

thanks for your time and if you have any ideas i would love to hear them
-Roger
 
You really dont want anything cheaper for a fixed blade. I do use acrylic and decorative acrylic on folders. If you want some black acrylic I can send you some for a minimal fee.
I would actually go with delrin if you can get ahold of that. Pretty tough as well.
Im not sure where you looked for G10, but that really is as cheap as it gets. For less than 20$ shipped you can get a whole sheet at many places.
So I am kind of confused where you looked and what your budget is.
 
I get my G10 from Alpha Knife Supply (they're also a dealer/member here on BFC). A 1/4" thick sheet 8.5"x 11" runs about $25. If you just don't want that much, try Texas Knife Supply, USA Knifemaker, Jantz, etc for a single set of scales.

Black paper micarta is another option... it's inexpensive, durable and looks nice when it's sanded smooth.
 
if you wanna go cheap, just use a 2x4 and "rit" dye in black or use an oak stain to get the wood darker. Home depot even sells oak boards you can turn into handles.
 
Big Chris used horse stall floor liners with pretty good success. You can get it at tractor supply and it is inexpensive. Easy to shape and feels good in hand. Russ
 
If you have made micarta in the past; suggest you make some G10. Simply a matter of changing your fabric or paper depending on what kind of micarta you've previously made for glass mat. Use epoxy based resin if ya want best strength & resistance.
 
Rogerxd45,not sure what thickness your looking for but KnifeKits has some 1/8" x 3" x 12" canvas micarta for only $6.95
 
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