Is it possible to dye G10 handles?

A

alou

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Oct 28, 2003
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I want a Strider DB-L for duty but coyote brown is just too conspicious. I need the handle to be black. Do you guys have any suggestions as to how I can do that? Thanks.


Alex
 
Unfortunately, according to Strider, they didn't make this model with black G10 grips.
 
Dying the stuff is impossible, if you painted it the color would rub off rather readily.

I'm sure a knifemaker could replace the scales for you.
 
I wonder why it's not possible to dye the handles. I mean, how did they color it in the first place?
 
They dyed it while it was still soft. It's an epoxy laminate, a glass fiber mat filled with epoxy resin.
 
Actually, I have read that G-10 can be dyed quite easily. Some people in the motorcycle fairing manufacturing business say it can be dyed with everyday fabric dyes.
 
I'm not sure how that is supposed to work. I think it would simply be paint on the surface, it may be durable paint, but it's still prone to getting scratched and wearing off.
 
We started a new forum!

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I've never dyed G10 but I've done plenty of plastics successfully.

Take an old pot and put enough water in it to cover the handle scales. Heat it up to a low boil, toss in a pack of black Rit dye, dissolve it, and bring to a simmer. Toss your scales in and let them sit for a half hour or so. Keep the dye agitated and the parts in motion; it'll help the dye to work and it'll prevent any possible burning against the bottom of the pot. You can bring the temperature down if the possibility of burning worries you but I've never burned anything doing this and the dye works better when hot. YMMV.

If it doesn't work, you're out $1.99 for the dye - a rather inexpensive mistake as mistakes go.
 
Actually I think this does fall under the 'embellishment' category for changing handle scales Cougar. Nice call.

On any G10 that I have worked, drilled, sanded and had in my hands the color was clear through. I don't think any dye is going to go very deep so one scrape and it will probably show the original color again. That would be my guess anyway.

I think you may be able to change the appearance but it may or may not last. If you look at some of the threads where guys have grooved their G10 handle scales you can tell that the color is not just a surface color but is in fact all the way through into every fiber and cell of the scale. (see pic) This is really seen when you see how deep some of the grooves are.

I don't know how absorbant G10 is going to be and I'm not sure of a way to open the pours to make it soak in whatever new color you want to use. In the end it would probably be much easier to just buy new scales the color you want and use the old as a template to make the new ones fit.
 
The color goes clear through on the plastics I've dyed as well. The dye doesn't penetrate that far, of course, but it does go further than just sitting on the surface. I don't know why it works or just what exactly is going on; you'd have to ask a chemist about that. I just know that it works on every plastic that I've tried, assuming that I'm dyeing to a darker color than what it was. (I'm assuming that some colors will not work with other colors; Rit has a color guide on their website that I followed and there were no problems, even if it was intended for fabric.) That, combined with Keith's comment, makes me think that an attempt is warranted. I'm curious about this myself.

I suppose just how badly scratches will affect it depend on the material and, as I said, I don't know how well this will work (if at all) on G10. If it does dye and you accumulate enough scratches that are deep enough to effect the way it looks, $1.99 and a half hour's time will restore it to the way it was.

Anyone willing to give this a shot? The only G10 that I have is black so I wouldn't be able to know if it worked or not on mine.
 
I used to paint professionally. Now I don't mean to be confrontational at all. But I have found in my personal painting endeavors that proper preparation can make it possible to paint virtually anything.

Now one of you guys said that the G-10 material is a Epoxy type polymer. IF that be the case ( and I am totally certain it is) then maybe, just maybe you could use an Epoxy paint to color the G-10.

I don't know myself. I would rather ask a dumb question that to assume something that may be false. I welcome feedback positive and negative. :)
 
alou said:
I want a Strider DB-L for duty but coyote brown is just too conspicious. I need the handle to be black. Do you guys have any suggestions as to how I can do that? Thanks.


Alex
Click to expand...
Rit dyed my brown g10 that came with my S90V black/brown Yojimbo 2 sprint run to sexy dark green pretty close to british racing green and the factory green g10
 
It's been years, but do you remember what Rit dye you used for that? I'm trying to do the same thing. Thanks!
 
I have dyed G10 with the regular rit dye from wallyworld. You can go darker with the dye, but not lighter.
 
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