Corian as handle material

S

stokka

Joined
Sep 4, 2006
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176
Did anyone use corian for handle? I am considering it, but wondering if there is something wrong with it - did not see any "big" manufacturer using it..

tnx in advance.
 
I've seen it used and own a great edc knife with black corian.

Is'nt that the material used in countertops?
 
I know it costs an arm and a leg if you order countertops made out of it. Maybe cost is a factor?

I've seen a few custom pistol grip makers that have Corian in their line-up, and they look pretty cool.
 
Yes that's Du Pont's Corian the counter top material .IIRC it's polyester. I have AGRussell's Shun knives with the corian white corian handles .Those knives are great but I haven't dropped one on the ceramic tile floor so I don't know how brittle it is. BTW my counter top is made of a similar material frm Formica Co IIRC all of Corian's competition is made of acrylic due to Du Pont's patents.
 
Buck knives used it on production knives for about two years....limited run
of knives,folders and fixed blade,it was white Corian...1990 -1991.
just like the one in middle of my avatar 124 white Corian.
 
A while back I made a few knives with it. It looks good when buffed but it is very heat sensitive. It drills and saws well enough. Use shape belts and avoid heavy buffing. It tends to crack around the edges of the knife handle when you heat it. These cracks load up with rouge and you must sand them down and start all over. A good source for this material is kitchen cabinet makers. They have scraps, especially where they need to cut out for the sink. Hope this helps.
 
i have some small pieces if anyone wants some -just cover postage-
some pink granite and grey granite colors 1/2'' thick
 
Thank you Rosconey2, appreciate it very much. I have a friend here who is making those corian counter tops - that is how the idea came to be..

Perhaps other people want to try..


Thanks a lot to everybody!! Will give it a try.
 
As we say in the south, that stuff is "slicker than two eels copulating in a barrel of snot".

Seriously, I made some knives up with corian handles just to see how they would work out. Nope, no good. First, you can really damage the handle if you buff even a tiny bit too agressively. The buffer will definately eat corian up. Second, it is way way too slick for a working knife. Blood acts like KY jelly on the handle. Seriously!

I can get an unlimited supply from the local cabinet shop, but it only goes on knives I know will only sit in a case and be stared at.

My 2 cents.

Hank Hammond
 
ive seen it at a knife show on a few knives and it looked quite good, but i think hank would be right about its slipperyness but i would think most acrylics are like that. i say give it a go and see how you like it, maybe a beadblasted finish could look okay and still be grippy.
brett
 
bead-blasted.....very interesting idea. will have to try that.


I've used corian...mostly for bolsters on kitchen knives. I wouldn't want it on a hard-use skinning/hunting knife. But it does make a pretty decent (and dense) handle material. I have a bunch too, if anybody needs any. I get free samples all the time (architect by day).
 
OK, I got'ta ask. Brittle. Slick. Heat sensitive. cracks. Why would you want to use such a third class material on a custom knife. We're supposed to be making the best knives we can, with the best materials, and techniques we can. A custom is supposed to be better than a factory. Is the throw away junk mentality craping into hand made knives? If its not fantastic material. Leave it alone.
 
"brittle, slick, heat sensitive, cracks.."

sounds like ivory.

:D :p




I've used it in the past because honestly...it is not brittle...it is quite tough. I took a piece of micarta and a piece of corian and slammed them down on a concrete floor one after the other until they chipped. Took 4 throws with the corian and 6 with the micarta. 3 more throws each and they cracked.

Personally, I prefer stabilized woods over everything. But corian is not as bad as pakkawood or dymondwood...it at least has interesting patterns...and is great in the kitchen...not to mention impervious, easy to buff, dense, dimensionally stable, works like wood, etc. I see it on the same plane as the other synthetics out there.

Do I still use it? Nope!

I agree with you Mike that we should use the best materials we can. Sometimes, corian is the best some folks can get, or want. That's ok too. Let's not let this descend to "Brass has no class, Wood is no good".....
 
One of the knives I sent Mom for torture testing.

P9130087.jpg

Of course, she dropped it off the roof when putting up Christmas lights. :D

That was the only Corian Handle I've made - I'll replace it with something else. Flubber???

:thumbup:

Rob!
 
the knife in my avatar has corian scales. i used them just to try i out and wanted something white. it does look nice.
 
why cant you grove it to add texture to the handle-dont tell me im the first person to think of it,i thought about making a pair for my becker-
i used to work with it years ago,stuff is so easy
 
Well, I'll go against the grain here. I use it, and like very much, as do my customers. I test my knives extensively, and have not seen any of the down falls stated here. I feel it is very stable, the only draw back I can see is, it is heavy. Which could be a good thing depending on the application. I have field dressed countless game animals with my knives and find that Corian performs very well in that environment.



This is just me experience with this material.
Nick:)
 
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