handle material

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rocky_taco

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Jul 25, 2006
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18
What are the better knife handle materials for durability and grip with wet or cold hands?

Micarta seems to be popular with knife makers. But, I've never owned one and don't know too much about it.

How does stacked leather fair?

Anything else I should consider?
 
G10 is now being used by some manufacturers. Like micarta, but grippier, from what I've heard. Also, hard to beat Kraton/Thermorun in the cold and wet.
 
I make replacement handles for knives and my favorite is Micarta. It can be textured for added traction and durability is hard to beat.
 
vjb.knife said:
I make replacement handles for knives and my favorite is Micarta. It can be textured for added traction and durability is hard to beat.
Click to expand...

How is the durability on micarta? Does it break easy? How does it last in a harsh environment?
 
Micarta and G-10 are basically indestructible! I have and like both the same.
 
Speaking to Krayton, such as found on an SRK, incredibly slippery when soaked in hot blood. Unpolished leather is much easier to keep a grip on when wet with blood. I suspect very soapy warm water would be a similar acting test medium if you wish to experiment.
 
I like Micarta, especially when it's left unfinished. When my hand is damp, the Micarta is super-grippy (but not sticky). However, when the handle is finished with epoxys or varnishes (ala Bark Rivers), it's a tad slippery. I've never had them covered in blood.
 
like said micarta is almost indestructible. but understand their are different types, paper, cloth, canvas etc and they have different feels/grips but generally the price is very good and it's coming in many colors now.

G10 is also darn indestructible and if it has grips molded into it, it's very nice too. I myself find it too cold and hard for big knife use, but fine for smaller blades. also many colors including bi-colors.

My favorite is Resiprene C. it's a rubber like material that is suppose to last as long as anything and can take the cold/heat temps and changes and also many chemicals (cleaners and such). it's great for big choppers. but it's not widely available, Scrapyard uses it exclusively.

Natural materials (wood, stag, bone etc) are the prettiest but don't last as long (harder use) in general. And you pay for the work needed to craft them.
 
If i had my choice on a custom.. It would be micarta... Then g-10...
However on many production knives... zytel/noryl and similar plastics are just as grippy , if not more so... in wet and other situations..
Matt
 
rocky_taco said:
How is the durability on micarta? Does it break easy? How does it last in a harsh environment?
Click to expand...

Micarta is incredibly tough.

Micarta is essentially made by taking multiple layers of paper, linen, or canvas, soaking them in epoxy, and then compressing them under high pressure The epoxy saturates the fibers of the base material, reinforcing them and making it one of the tougher handle materials available.

Micarta is basically impervious to water, and extremely resistant to chemicals, heat, abrasion, etc. Micarta made with canvas is particularly tough, and can be finished to provide a really grippy surface.

Basically, I'm a big fan of micarta, and would say you can't go wrong with it.
 
I like sanded micarta the best. Second would have to be g-10. I wish I could get sanded micarta for my manix.
 
i really like the white paper micarta it's almost bulletproof and looks like ivory without the big bucks. really good for a user knife.
 
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