Cleaning and maintaining Survive! canvas handles

OBX351

OBX351

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As much of a question as it is a statement. Anyway, I use my GSOs a lot and therefore clean them as well. This is one of the advantages of removable handles. Josh told me to use Dawn to de-grease the handles and to use mineral oil to keep them from drying out.

However I've found that I've worn my canvas micarta down and several of my handles are becoming smooth. I use a nylon brush and more recently a brass brush to try to scoff the top layer of canvas so it becomes more coarse. It helps a little. Do you think my handles are too dry? Any suggestions?
 
Way to go for getting that much use on them!

I know when they are degreased from the soap it definitely dries them out. But it sounds like you're reapplying mineral oil after that step to get some oil back in them. Do you mostly wear gloves when using them? Just wondering if the only oil they are getting is the mineral oil immediately after the cleaning process.

If you have access to a bead-blaster you could take them off and blast the exterior portions. I've not done that with a Survive, but have blasted some of my Bark River that were very slick. I was really pleased with how grippy they came out. One thing though, if the retention on the kydex is already tight, that extra grip from bead-blasting is going to make it harder to sheath/unsheath. I guess that could be good or bad depending on the existing retention.
 
Thanks, but they are 2+ years old. I rarely wear gloves when I use my knives unless I am batoning. My hands sweat when I use them a lot, which is several times a week and they should add some re-hydration to the scales.

Bead blasting is a great idea.

I didn't realize how tough micarta scales are and I am going to try a steel brush next to see if I can make the handles more coarse. I'll post the results here.

I'd love to see Guy put grooves in his G10 and micarta handles, I'd never need to worry about them becoming too smooth.
 
The only part that dries is the very surface, tiny canvas fibers sticking out of the epoxy that makes up 99% of the handle. I've never oiled my handles and they're fine. I wash my canvas micarta constantly, because I don't want bacteria growing from blood and body oils and whatever else soaking into them.

I'd stop oiling your handles and see if the grip improves ;)
 
You cant dry out micarta handles. They are canvas cloth soaked in phenolic resin, layered and pressed to force out the air and then allowed to dry into a block. They are virtually indestructible. Busse fans use powerful chemical solvents to strip the epoxy coatings off their knives and it has ZERO effect on the micarta and g10 handles. I have used stripper and it ate through my nitrile rubber gloves like they were wet toilet paper! There is no oil in micarta and no water. The appearance of dry vs wet is because when sanded there are some canvas fibers exposed. If you wash with dawn soap and scrub with a green side of the sponge you are just washing away any oils from your hands or from when you oil the blade, causing the canvas to appear dry and isually lighter in color
 
Matthew - Thanks for the suggestion but I don't oil them very often. Mostly I wash and scrub the handles with a brush then use.
 
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I have used 220 grit sandpaper to lightly sand g10 and micarta and it definitely made them feel more grippy. That grip comes from exposing more canvas fibers. They feel smooth because over time your hands wear away some of the fibers that are sticking out.
 
So you guys are funny... I keep reading about the virtues of mineral oil for protection and darkening micarta and blah blah... looked all over cvs for it...had no idea it was used as a LAXATIVE and that's where it was located...hilarious haha.

I decided after my recent trip to give my 4.1 a spa treatment, and found a little freckling under the handle (my bad for not putting anything on them). I'm not worried about it at all, if there is an easy way to get rid of it i will, otherwise im just gonna lube it up and put the freshly cleaned scales back on!



As for the mineral oil, it made the handles look exactly like they did when dirty, not "vibrant" like I expected. I did a quick water only rinse and dry and the color came out between crazy dark and super light, so I am happy with that.

At any rate thought I'd share my fun adventure down laxative lane...
 
Yay! Fun with laxatives!

I haven't used it myself, but everyone says to use steel wool for a case of the freckles.
 
At any rate thought I'd share my fun adventure down laxative lane...
Click to expand...

It's always nice taking it to check-out if it's the only thing you need to buy.

"Seriously, it's for my knives."

"Whatever you say, sir. Hope you feel better."
 
Hard Knocks said:
It's always nice taking it to check-out if it's the only thing you need to buy.

"Seriously, it's for my knives."

"Whatever you say, sir. Hope you feel better."
Click to expand...

exactly, I threw in a tooth brush but I don't think it helped haha.
 
I buy my mineral oil at bed bath and beyond. It is by the cutting boards and cutlery and is pure mineral oil. Its intended for refurbishing cutting boards. The laxative stuff is sometimes fortified with vitamin E ? I think? I just went as pure as possible. Or you could do like samurai and add a couple of drops of clove oil to your mineral oil. Thats what they used on their swords.
 
Try soaking them in soapy water then scrub the crap out of them. I use Vaseline on my scales and wipe them off until they're not greasy. The colors seem to pop and it doesn't evaporate like mineral oil.
My friend Josh used one of those blade erasers and said it took the spots right off of the 3v.
 
Riz2530 said:
I buy my mineral oil at bed bath and beyond. It is by the cutting boards and cutlery and is pure mineral oil. Its intended for refurbishing cutting boards. The laxative stuff is sometimes fortified with vitamin E ? I think? I just went as pure as possible. Or you could do like samurai and add a couple of drops of clove oil to your mineral oil. Thats what they used on their swords.
Click to expand...
I wonder why the clove oil - you think it causes the oil to "stick" more?
 
Clove oil anesthetizes the cut when they slice you in half with the sword. :eek:

But seriously, I wonder if it has something to do with the anesthetic properties of the clove oil.
 
...I don't oil my micarta. Well, sweat and skin oil maybe. If I get something gross on it or process raw meat, I wash it with scalding hot water and Dawn. Otherwise I leave it alone.

If I wanted pretty I wouldn't be using canvas micarta.
 
Standard, I got a blade eraser to try after your suggestion, boom! Works great. Gotta be careful with the stonewash a bit.
fe23ea8ce91e68964ca09aef26fbeefa.jpg


Also, I frog lubed the hell out of the underside of the knife handles, so it should be all good this time, and subsequently sorta darkened the scales...I got the stuff everywhere....
 
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