Do all linen and canvas micarta handles feel like they do on TOPS and RAT knives?

[James0723]

I really love the feel of the handles on Rat Cutlery and TOPS knives. I like how they have that canvas feeling.

I've been looking at other knives that say they have linen micarta handles, but in the pictures it often looks like a smoother material that wouldn't have a canvas feel. Does every knife that has a linen or canvas micarta handle feel like that, or are some of them smoother?

 

[ron_m80]

No. (the answer is too short for the forum to accept it how funny)

 

[Hitthespot]

Micarta can have that canvas feeling your talking about, but it can also be polished to almost a smooth glass feeling which many have complained about from companies like Bark River. I have a Bark River Bravo 1 with G10 scales that are very smooth and what I would call Slick. I also have a Spyderco Manix 2 with G10 scales that provide good grip and are not slick at all. Micarta and G10 both can come either way and many steps in between.

Wood can also be very smooth if highly polished. I like the handle on my Fallkniven F1 I just received. Although not as attractive as a Micarta or Wood handle, for a user the Thermorun material so far is hard to beat. And there lies the problem. Nice looking or function? Sometimes it's hard to find a perfect mixture of both.

Bill

 

[James0723]

So even if the knife description specifies linen/canvas micarta (as opposed to simply micarta) handles, it still might not have a canvas feeling?

 

[WalterDavis]

So even if the knife description specifies linen/canvas micarta (as opposed to simply micarta) handles, it still might not have a canvas feeling?

Correct. The feel of the handle depends more on the finish. A higly buffed and polished handle will be smooth and solid, pretty much regardless of material.

 

[James0723]

Ah, that's unfortunate as the canvas feeling handles are my favorite. I was thinking of buying a Boker Phantom dagger, one of the primary reasons I would be getting this dagger over another was I thought the handle would have that feel.

Here's a picture of the dagger. In this picture it looks as if the handle would feel that way, but this is a stock photo and designed to make the dagger look as good as possible. Has anyone held this dagger, and if so, was the handle smooth or canvas-like?

 

[Guyon]

Busse scales have a rougher, textured feel. Probably because they're textured. And rougher.

 

[Leftoverdj]

You get the canvas feeling when the canvas is exposed. The resin layers will take a high polish and feel slick. From that picture, I would expect a good grip from the alternating exposed rings,

 

[gargoyle3]

I have that dagger..one of the meanest fighters ever made!
You can easily carve Micarta with a round file or Dremmel tool, to sculpture grooves into it.

 

[rayban]

Usually you can make a "too smooth" micarta "mas grippy" by hand sanding with 220 grit or so.....go lower in grit till you like the feel.

 

[wolv]

also the compound (the percentage of fiber and resin can vary) affect the feeling.

 

[CWL]

Most of the mass is in the resin, not the paper or cloth. While people may feel that canvass 'feels' grippier, it is really the texture of the micarta itself that gives grip to the knife.

Grips that have been rough-sanded, sand-blasted or actually textured (grooved, knurled, etc.) will feel the most secure on one's hand.

 

[James0723]

Thanks for all the info guys.

Today, after making this post, I happened to be in Barnes & Noble and noticed the knife magazines. On of the cover of one was a special edition Becker fixed blade that's coming out, with S30V and a really canvas-like micarta handle. I could tell from looking at it that the handle would have the nicest canvas feel. Just something interesting to look out for.