G-10 or T-6 aluminum Frame

B

big70tom

Joined
Aug 5, 2010
Messages
124
WHich one of these two would be a stronger Frame material? Isnt G-10 just like injected plastic? I would think the T-6 Aluminum would be better, but the cost is the same.... a little help getting this through my head please!!!
 
Aluminum is highly susceptible to corrosion or pitting. Especially considering the sweaty environs of our palms. I would prefer G10. Structurally also it seems to be adequate, though maybe not as strong as aluminum, definitely capable of whatever a knife would be handling.
 
big70tom said:
WHich one of these two would be a stronger Frame material? Isnt G-10 just like injected plastic? I would think the T-6 Aluminum would be better, but the cost is the same.... a little help getting this through my head please!!!
Click to expand...

From what I've read, G10 is epoxy and fiberglass, not plastic.
 
big70tom said:
WHich one of these two would be a stronger Frame material? Isnt G-10 just like injected plastic? I would think the T-6 Aluminum would be better, but the cost is the same.... a little help getting this through my head please!!!
Click to expand...

FRN is injection molded Nylon. The Nylon is reinforced with chopped glass fibers.

G10 is layers of glass fabric impregnated with epoxy.

Laminates are stronger in the direction of the fibers than they are in the other direction. In a knife handle, the fibers lie in the plane of the handle. So, since a knife handle might endure stress from the non-fiber direction, aluminum is stronger.

However, the stress on a knife handle is much less than what any of the three materials will handle. So I wouldn't worry about which is stronger. Any of them will be stronger than what you require.
 
msikk said:
Aluminum is highly susceptible to corrosion or pitting. Especially considering the sweaty environs of our palms. I would prefer G10. Structurally also it seems to be adequate, though maybe not as strong as aluminum, definitely capable of whatever a knife would be handling.
Click to expand...

Really? from what I read and from experience that's not right. Aluminum should form an oxide film that protects it from corrosion. In fact I remember an experiment where we were using aluminum and a strong acid and we couldn't get it to react at all without really scraping off the oxide.
 
msikk said:
Aluminum is highly susceptible to corrosion or pitting. Especially considering the sweaty environs of our palms. I would prefer G10. Structurally also it seems to be adequate, though maybe not as strong as aluminum, definitely capable of whatever a knife would be handling.
Click to expand...

Given BM (& others including Micro-Tech) use of aluminum handles on many of their knives, I would think we'd hear more of that as an issue.

Honestly, I think it's a toss up. The aluminum handle might be stronger, but I think the G-10 should be strong enough, so whatever advantage aluminum might have provided won't really be noticed.

I don't know if the OP is talking specifically about Hogue/Elishewitz's aluminum & G-Mascus handled knives, but I can decide which model I prefer.
 
I have read both sides of the story, but from my experience of Aluminum Macbooks and personally seeing many-many more similar Al Macbooks with pitted palm rests I am personally biased against Al as a material in salty/sweaty environments, although I would love for a metallurgist to pitch in :)

D'ohboy said:
Really? from what I read and from experience that's not right. Aluminum should form an oxide film that protects it from corrosion. In fact I remember an experiment where we were using aluminum and a strong acid and we couldn't get it to react at all without really scraping off the oxide.
Click to expand...
 
msikk said:
I have read both sides of the story, but from my experience of Aluminum Macbooks and personally seeing many-many more similar Al Macbooks with pitted palm rests I am personally biased against Al as a material in salty/sweaty environments, although I would love for a metallurgist to pitch in :)
Click to expand...

Aluminum won't pit like that. There's something else going on. I have 36 year old spars (boom and mast) on my sailboat that get dunked in the ocean and salty, poopy, bay water just about every other day. They still just have their Aluminum oxide coating, courtesy of mother nature.
 
I bought the aluminum handle Hogue/Elishewitz EX01 and could not be happier. The aluminum has much more grip than I thought and slides in and out of a pocket better than any G10.

I'm actually very surprised by the amount of grip on the aluminum. Whatever sealant they use in the anodizing provides a secure grip. I avoided aluminum knives without ever using one because I thought they'd be like stainless steel handles. Now, I'm wondering if the Benchmade and Microtech knives share the same grip.
 
msikk said:
I have read both sides of the story, but from my experience of Aluminum Macbooks and personally seeing many-many more similar Al Macbooks with pitted palm rests I am personally biased against Al as a material in salty/sweaty environments, although I would love for a metallurgist to pitch in :)
Click to expand...

Perhaps it's the grade of aluminum? I don't know for sure & agree that it'd help if a metallurgist pitches in, but high grade aluminum should not pit & I don't believe it can rust.
 
Yes, aluminum rusts. Corrosion is a major issue for aircraft manufacturers. But some alloys are more prone to rusting than others. The 6000 series of aluminum alloys, of which 6061 is a member, is much less prone to rusting than the 2000 series or the 7000 series, though given the right environment, it will rust also.

All the examples are fine, but unless you know which alloy they are, they don't mean much. BTW, T-6 refers to the temper. It won't tell you which alloy is being used.

As for knife handles, I don't remember ever seeing a bare aluminum knife handle. Every one that I have seen is anodized. Anodizing greatly improves the corrosion resistance of any aluminum alloy.

So, I said all that to say that IMO, if the knife handle is anodized 6061 (which I've seen a lot advertised) I wouldn't expect that much problem with corrosion. For most blade alloys, by the time you have problems with an aluminum handle disappearing, the blade will have already gone.
 
Chipping in :)

I got two items made in different aluminum. One in six thousand series and another in seven thousand series aluminum. The seven thousand series aluminum is harder but oxides/rust/reacts much easier. The other one too soft but tarnishes less.

I think the problem aluminum is high grade aluminum which can tarnish quick.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top