Difference..Micarta/G10

oeser said:
That must be the case, because handshaped tigerhide linen has a very soft texture in my hands and black paper feels so buttery smooth to me. I have also dropped black paper handles on concrete and seen the dents that were left and have never experienced that with g-10. Even though it is less durable I much prefer the micartas over g-10 on my fixed blade knives.
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paper feels smooth, no question. the material is simply smoother than canvas.

but canvas doesn't feel soft, at least to me. it feels rough (not always, just on my busses, and in comparison).

ive dented g10 and micarta, but have never had either crack or break. the closest was a badger handle that bent slightly away from the tang (canvas micarta).
 
Tony G said:
The one guy that may really know.... and he gives use three words :grumpy:
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Ok, so I was a little too concise. I was editing/correcting Dwayne's post, just as he suggested.

Micarta uses phenolic (or melamine) resin.
G10 uses epoxy.

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MORIMOTOM said:
paper feels smooth, no question. the material is simply smoother than canvas.

but canvas doesn't feel soft, at least to me. it feels rough (not always, just on my busses, and in comparison).

ive dented g10 and micarta, but have never had either crack or break. the closest was a badger handle that bent slightly away from the tang (canvas micarta).
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I haven't seen G-10 dent (haven't tried on purpose) so that is good to know. Maybe saying micarta is soft is misleading. It feels soft to me in texture and that is probably mainly due to the fibers that are exposed i.e. canvas, linen, etc. G-10 definitely feels more like plastic than micarta which may be due in part to the main composition of epoxy vs. phenolic resin. I guess that just makes it feel "softer" to me.

I have also taken sand paper to all of them and black paper sands down much quicker and easier than g-10 which was very resilient. I work with wood a lot and I guess in my mind that translated to softer or harder materials.

Edit to add: I have read somewhere that Jerry charges more for g-10 handles simply due to the fact that g-10 is harder to machine than micarta. That could be misinformation so somebody correct me if that is wrong.
 
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oeser said:
I haven't seen G-10 dent (haven't tried on purpose) so that is good to know. Maybe saying micarta is soft is misleading. It feels soft to me in texture and that is probably mainly due to the fibers that are exposed i.e. canvas, linen, etc. G-10 definitely feels more like plastic than micarta which may be due in part to the main composition of epoxy vs. phenolic resin. I guess that just makes it feel "softer" to me.

I have also taken sand paper to all of them and black paper sands down much quicker and easier than g-10 which was very resilient. I work with wood a lot and I guess in my mind that translated to softer or harder materials.

Edit to add: I have read somewhere that Jerry charges more for g-10 handles simply due to the fact that g-10 is harder to machine than micarta. That could be misinformation so somebody correct me if that is wrong.
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ive used a dremel and paper by hand on g10, and material was removed pretty easily. same with micarta.

i dont know, im not trying to be argumantative.

its good to have different perspectives.
 
Don't inhale G-10 dust ... Micarta isn't as toxic.

Just throwing that out there for folks that might not know.
 
resinguy said:
Done.
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Thank you for the insight, I knew I could count on someone to fix it if needed. :D :D :D

I had a buddy make some "micarta" with epoxy and blue jean material once, it was great stuff, but what would that particular mix be called? Aside from abomination that is. :p

PS, I've never seen something so messy as when he pressed it. :eek:
 
MORIMOTOM said:
ive used a dremel and paper by hand on g10, and material was removed pretty easily. same with micarta.

i dont know, im not trying to be argumantative.

its good to have different perspectives.
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Difference is what makes this world an interesting place and hopefully my views don't come across as argumentative either. Just sharing my opinion. :):thumbup:
 
Paper micarta feels funny to me especially if smooth. If G10 were an option on the CABS mine would have it. I much prefer G10 to micarta in all aspects except for cold weather without gloves where micarta seems to feel a little warmer. On the other hand, Canvas or Linen feels different yet still great in hand and I do like my snakeskin blades a lot. In the end, I like everything BUT paper for using.
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AZTimT said:
Paper micarta feels funny to me especially if smooth. If G10 were an option on the CABS mine would have it. I much prefer G10 to micarta in all aspects except for cold weather without gloves where micarta seems to feel a little warmer. On the other hand, Canvas or Linen feels different yet still great in hand and I do like my snakeskin blades a lot. In the end, I like everything BUT paper for using.
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And what about Battle Pappy Tim ? Would you prefer to have it in G10 instead of micarta ?
 
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i'll vote for micarta, based on cold weather use. i really perfer micarta when it's cold out. it seem's to grab more, and feel's more alive in the hand. also a big plus when using gloves.
 
I don't know, depending on the micarta it can feel just as slippery as G-10. To tell you the truth it's a toss up for me, although I do like the fact that G-10 does not absorb liquids. If I had to pick one, it would probably be G-10.
 
I have had both g10 and micarta. I like both.

My favorite for just looking at would have to be linen micarta. Just looks great. Green, tan linnen, snakeskin etc all look great in linen. The up side to the G10 was the fact that it was easier to clean.

If you have to cut stinky stuff, or oily stuff, the handles are easier to clean. the feel is definitely different in the hand.

Just a different feel totally.

I had a BAD in G10, and now one in micarta, and I like the micarta feel better.

I think I also like the depth of the look of micarta. You can see the texture of the cloth in the handles, and that just adds depth to me.

G10, you can see layers when the colors are distinct, but you really can't see the pattern in the material much.

If that makes sense.

I am a bit worried about the black paper on the CABS I have on order, because the material tends to turn faded and greenish looking after time. If you look at older black paper micarta on the older knives, it seems faded to me.

Hopefully it is durable enough. I don't intend on making it a super hard core use knife. Just an edc, but I tend to bang the handles on stuff all the time while wearing them.
 
Bigfattyt said:
I am a bit worried about the black paper on the CABS I have on order, because the material tends to turn faded and greenish looking after time. If you look at older black paper micarta on the older knives, it seems faded to me.

Hopefully it is durable enough. I don't intend on making it a super hard core use knife. Just an edc, but I tend to bang the handles on stuff all the time while wearing them.
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Most of the ones you see that are greenish or faded are ones that have lived the life of a safe queen, more than likely. If you use black paper, the oils from your hand will keep it nice and black. And for a smaller knife black paper will be plenty durable. Plus, if it breaks it's covered. ;):cool::thumbup:
 
I have come to greatly prefer canvas micarta over G-10. It just feels better in my hand. Given the option I wouldn't buy a G-10 knife.

Many may feel different and that is what makes the world what it is.

.
 
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