Handle texturing.

[uyotg]

I've heard lots about micarta vs G10 and EU vs ergo vs Fusion vs etc (even still I'm not sure what some of the handle shape names mean ). I'm sure you have too. But I'm kind of surprised to hear so little about the texturing since it gives so much character, especially to the layered handle materials. I guess this is why it's interesting to me in the first place. There's so little documentation, and the things that always get the attention are the blade finish and the handle color and material.

I really like the diamond grid texturing found on the limited edition anorexic BOSS Streets and maybe some of the Mean Streets. I've never held a Mean Street, but my CABS LE looks like it's routed with a conical bit with the cuts along one axis deeper than the cuts along its perpendicular axis. I think it's simple, handsome, and still grippy, but making half of the cuts a little bit deeper keep it from looking too consistent and boring.

The ones I find unpleasant so far are the ones routed with a spherical bit in straight lines very close to each other, like on the BOSS Jacks and Bushwacker Mistresses. Looks a little too plain to me, and those ridges feel sharp, especially on G10.

Your favorites? Least favorites? Or do you prefer no texturing/hand-shaped altogether?

 

[darkaether]

hand shaped all the way

 

[CapitalizedLiving]

No texturing.

 

[Last Visible Canary]

I'm perfectly happy with the proto boss jack in g10. If it's going to be smooth for me it has to be g10 because I can apply a heavy grit sanding and it will take it up as a surface texture. With canvas it just kind of gets fuzzy. There are times, like on the TTKZ, where the texturing on g10 can be so sharp at the peaks that it cuts into the hand during use, especially in the tube fastener countersinks, but it's worth it to me once sanded down a little to make it less bitey.

 

[RussMo]

I'm perfectly happy with the proto boss jack in g10. If it's going to be smooth for me it has to be g10 because I can apply a heavy grit sanding and it will take it up as a surface texture. With canvas it just kind of gets fuzzy. There are times, like on the TTKZ, where the texturing on g10 can be so sharp at the peaks that it cuts into the hand during use, especially in the tube fastener countersinks, but it's worth it to me once sanded down a little to make it less bitey.

+1 what LVC said!!! A little lite grit sand paper and you can knock down the points just enough to take the sharp off. Oh, and I do prefer the texture be it G-10 or Micarta. Like them all, but prefer texture...