Clear G-10?

[rmc85]

I always thought it would be pretty cool if Spyderco made a knife with clear G-10. Is it possible to even make clear G-10?

I know the Leaf Storm has opaque G-10 on it, but I was thinking about something much clearer than that.

 

[The Deacon]

Well, you probably could make the resin totally clear, but I don't think you'd ever find clear fiberglass cloth. So what you'd end up doing is just making the cloth more visible. Not at all sure very many folks would find that terribly attractive. Except maybe "old school" surfers.

Paul

My Personal Website - - - - - - A Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting - - - - - - Kiwimania
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
Spyderco Collector # 043 - - WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[wally@ferguson]

I'm guessing translucent G10 is something like 90% glass fibre and 10% clear epoxy resin and you will always see opaqueness from the fibre bundling.

 

[oregon]

Transparent aluminum, a ceramic, might work for knife scales. It is a candidate material for transparent armor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_oxynitride

oregon

 

[Jake Bauer]

I want clear FRN

 

[oregon]

Clear nylon maker link: http://www.grilamid-tr.com/

Microtech with clear scales: http://nicnac.net/media/microtech_scarab_OTF_automatic_knife_de-dlc-ser-clear_top.jpg

Swiss Army has had clear plastic scales for some time now.

The trick, I think, would be to reinforce the clear nylon with clear fibers to make the scales that we already know and love: Fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN).

I would buy a clear-scaled Spyderco Endura 4.

oregon

 

[Dr Heelhook]

I know the Leaf Storm has opaque G-10 on it, but I was thinking about something much clearer than that.

I'm not a native english speaker, but isn't opaque the opposite of transparent?

 

[Phil Brown]

I'm not a native english speaker, but isn't opaque the opposite of transparent?

Yes, yes it is. If you were a native English speaker, you would probably also have our notorious foot-in-mouth syndrome. Or maybe it's just us Americans.

"Jade green" G10 is, in fact, as transparent as G10 gets. What you're seeing is the fuzzy image of the fiberglass mats through the cloudy and slightly greenish resin. FRN could (I imagine) be made with transparent nylon, but you'd still have the fiberglass. I suspect the effect would be similar to what we already have. You probably would have to go outside of Spyderco's usual materials - likely to an inferior one - for a truly transparent handle.

Does anybody know anything about the mysterious UItem1000 that Chris Reeve is using on the Sikayo? It looks like it might fit the bill.

 

[oregon]

Does anybody know anything about the mysterious UItem1000 that Chris Reeve is using on the Sikayo? It looks like it might fit the bill.

I only know the Google. And, yes it could work. Good find. (GE origin, injection moldable, heat resistant, transparent...:

Info: http://www.polymerplastics.com/performance_ultem.shtml

pic, unpolished amber UItem: http://www.complast.com/ultem/ultem.jpg

pics of some UItem products: http://www.connecticutplastics.com/capabilities-and-parts/materials/ultem/parts-photos

oregon

 

[rmc85]

I'm not a native english speaker, but isn't opaque the opposite of transparent?

I know its sounds weird...The opaque G-10 scale on the Leaf Storm is the clearest G-10 I've seen from Spyderco. You cant see through it but some light does come through.

 

[Josh K]

It'd be interesting, but so would a variety of colored / clear FRN handles.

 

[The Deacon]

FWIW, I believe the correct term for the G-10 on the Leafstorm is translucent. All other Spyderco G-10 is opaque.

But, as I mentioned earlier, aside from removing the greenish tint, if that's possible, I don't think you could make it any closer to transparent without reducing the number of layers of fiberglass cloth in it, which would weaken it and it still would not be enough closer to being transparent to make that worthwhile.

Paul

My Personal Website - - - - - - A Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting - - - - - - Kiwimania
Dead horses beaten, sacred cows tipped, chimeras hunted when time permits.
Spyderco Collector # 043 - - WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and good fortune and fame are your lot, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile with his shorts twsited up in a knot. - Morey Amsterdam

 

[rmc85]

I'm going off what NGK's description says.

 

[wally@ferguson]

The undyed G10 on the Leafstorm is like frosted glass...you don't have visual acuity but light shines through very easy.

With high glass to resin ratio I don't believe you can ever get it crystal clear. I have a 3x23mm green tritium vial mounted on inside of G10 scale on my Leafstorm and it illuminates through the G10 nicely.

I believe the green G10 tint is from the glass strands....plate glass...old Coke bottles.

 

[wally@ferguson]

Any one else tried a tritium vial in their Leafstorm ?

 

[rmc85]

The undyed G10 on the Leafstorm is like frosted glass...you don't have visual acuity but light shines through very easy.

Thats kind of what I'm talking about.

I saw a pic someone else posted with a light shining into their digi scales on their Military.