How can one tell the difference between garbage Micarta, G10, CF and those of good quality.

[greater]

I suppose for knife scales that go over metal liners or tangs it might not be much of an issue but I imagine it may be for knives without liners that rely on the synthetic material to hold up to heavy use.

Lets talk about this subject that seems to be eluded. What are the tell tale signs that your synthetic may not be good quality. Are the garbage versions stronger and/or harder than plastics like Zytel regardless. Are Zytel like plastics a better bet with today's proliferation of garbage Micarta, G10, and CF ? Will a good quality Zytel like plastic be better than low quality versions of these anytime?

 

[Darkpast]

Do you not like micarta or did you just have bad experience with it(or bad quality micarta)?
I for example had all above mentioned,
Wood, Ti, steel, micarta, CF, Zytel, rubber grips, etc. Never really experienced any issues. IMHO if knife comes from reputable maker/brand, you will have less issues.

 

[Diemaker]

Zytel is DuPont's trademarked name for their nylons, which are second to none for quality. For toughness and wear resistance you will be hard pressed to find a better material for knife scales. Nylon is a picky resin to process so there are many chances for error, which means lower quality molded parts if everything isn't done right. As for the quality of fiberglass, G10, or CF laminates you will not know of any quality issues until they arise. Things like what resin did they use, resin content, and how it was processed make massive differences but they are not something you can really tell by eye, unless it is total garbage.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I'd also echo as above - if you look at examples from reputable brands, that's a good way to see what quality should be.

Spyderco, for example, has produced consistently good examples in their knives of G10, FRN (Fiberglass-Reinforced Nylon, a.k.a., 'Zytel' by a different, non-proprietary name) and carbon fiber. I'm sure there are other very good examples from other well-known brands. But I have a good many Spydercos in G10 and FRN in particular (many are linerless), and at least one in carbon fiber, and they're all impressive. I don't think I've ever seen bad examples of G10, FRN or CF from Spyderco.

Some other examples of carbon fiber can be less than impressive. I have at least one (not Spyderco) that has issues with the fiber peeling out from the 'end grain' of the material - sort of looks like splintering in wood. That's one way it can go wrong.

I've never seen any bad micarta either - but again, all of the knives I have in it are from well-known and reputable makers.

 

[115Italian]

Especially with g10, in my experience, the cheaper feeling stuff I’ve seen could be more of a case of misrepresentation than actual poor quality. Some brands say the material is g10. I wonder if it’s g10?

 

[c7m2p3]

I guess we have to define what "better" means. Personally I just don't like the feel of plastic whether that is branded as Zytel, GRN, FRN, CF elite or whatever new marketing name comes out next. This has nothing to do with its performance. All these materials are light, durable, stable and will probably outlive me and the steel on the knife it comes with. However, a good part of the reason I buy and carry knives is not just for the out and out performance the same reason a common digital watch will tell time the same as a Rolex. Plastic scales just feel cheap, hollow, and don't give me pride in my carry piece.

That being said, if what you are looking for is just a durable handle material? Any of the modern plastic varieties mentioned above produced by good companies is going to be fine. G-10, Micarta, Carbon Fiber, and stabilized wood varieties are almost always going to come with a price hike though they come in many different forms and varieties and the quality of each depends on the manufacturer the same as the plastics.

 

[Spey]

Visual inspection.

Owner stated had issues with the compression-lock with these Micarta scales installed vs. the OEM G10 fitment providing excellent operation.

A cursory inspection reveal the following ... (note gaps on BOTH sides of my fingers). On a knife with back-spacer, maybe not such an issue ...



EDIT: unfortunately, visual inspection will not tell you the type of resin (epoxy, vinylester, polyester) that was used constructing the scales.