G10 G10 G10 wheres the micarta

L

leafstorm

Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
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Ok we all love G10 (most of us anyways). Most of my knives that are not Ti have G10 for handle scales. It really is a great material, but what i'm wondering is why we don't see more micarta on folders. My understanding is G10 is a pain to machine with all that fiberglass getting everywhere. It's hazardous to your health and hard on manufacturing equipment (so i've been told, I have no experience with the stuff). Micarta is a nice material as well and I enjoy the one knife I have with it. I would like to see more production folders with it. What do you guys think? Is micarta much more expensive than G10? Is it used less because it requires some maintenance from the end user? Why don't the big 3 produce anything with it (spy, bench, ker)???
 
While Micarta is nice, it is just as toxic (dust in lungs) and difficult to work with. i would love to see another Spyderco offering with some black canvas Micarta. One advantage to G10 is that it is nonporous, pretty much impervious to blood, oil, water, etc. Micarta will absorb those substances.
 
I cannot stand G10 and love the feel of Micarta, I always figured it must be much much cheaper to purchase and machine because of it's vast proliferation across the industry.
 
I imagine the fact that G10 is nonporous is a BIG reason it's used so much over micarta. Your average non knife nut probably wouldn't remember to oil their micarta every so often.

Would anybody else like to see micarta used more on production folders??
 
I like Micarta, too.

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I personally like when the knife absorbs my blood, sweat, and tears. Makes it MY knife....and no one else will want to use it lol.
 
I like micarta, I'd chose it over G10 anytime.

G10 just doesn't have the character to me, same as RemyKaze, over time it's nice to see those scales gain in appearance.
 
I'm sorry RevDevil but I must respectfully disagree.
While both are toxic; G10 causes more damage simply because of the glass.
Both are easy to work with.
But, G10 requires you to have the equipment necessary to cut glass.
Standard blades and/or bits are no good after one use.
When you try to cut G10 with a band saw; sparks fly.
Not with micarta.
I prefer micarta for most of the reasons already mentioned above.
I especially like the way micarta gets more character with age and use. G10 just gets dirty and chipped.
Micarta is like a pair of jeans, they get better once you break them in.
Top pic: New brown canvas micarta scales
Bottom pic: Aged brown canvas micarta scales

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Keyman i've enjoyed seeing all your customizations in the 'knives you've pimped' thread. I've got a couple knives I want to try this on. THanks for the inspiration!
 
Moisture is the reason I prefer G10. If I wanted something that soaked up anything wet, I'd just go for wood handles.
 
I'm actually tired of black G10, I'd buy more micarta if it was offered. It feels better and looks better aven if it will absorb water, it's still pretty tough stuff.
 
Thanks for the kind words leafstorm.

Just for the record though guys, micarta itself does not absorb or soak up water.
A slab of micarta is impervious to water. Micarta is not a sponge.
Only the microscopic loose ends of the canvas or linen (in the micarta) will take on a very, very limited amount of oil or stain.
We're talking about the very outer layer. Like only .020 inches or .51 mm of the surface is actually is effected.
You could sand off the effected area (by hand) in matter of mere moments.
Been there, done that.
Micarta has a higher coefficient of elasticity than G10 does.
Which in turn makes it more pleasant to the touch.
 
keyman, thanks. I always wondered how dep the water was penetrating, I assumed if it looked damp that it was absorbing the water. This is good to know.
 
I thought micarta was actually much CHEAPER/easier to manufacture and machine than G10...

But G10 comes in a wider array and vibrancy of colors than micarta, it is non-absorbant at the surface and so requires no maintenance to keep it in pristine/unused appearance, it can be sanded to a wide variety of grits, and the extra cost can be passed on to the consumer at a decent mark-up in price.

If working with blood/sweat/liquids, I'd prefer canvas micarta (unpolished/waxed, thank you!) for the softer grip and better retention without being abrasive. This is just my experience comparing the two, my guess is that the rough canvas-micarta leaves free strands of the cloth to contact the skin, also giving it it's "warm" touch.

So for me: same durability but better feel in hand and lower cost to produce sacrificing only the maintenance-free unused appearance? Give me rough canvas-micarta over G10 any day! :thumbup:
 
I find G10 easier to wok than micarta.
Micarta has a superb feeling, but is porous... reminds you of wood.
My choice is rough micarta as well
 
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