Knife Handle Supply now carrying TeroTuf!

Fixall

Fixall

Brian
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 26, 2018
Messages
5,438
I don't often make new product announcements here on BladeForums, but I'm pretty excited to be able to offer TeroTuf to you guys!

TeroTuf is a newer composite to the market. It is made from 100% polyester resin and fabric... Which means it is a non-toxic material! We do still suggest wearing proper protection when grinding, of course. TeroTuf is very chemical resistant, does not swell in water, and has fantastic color-fastness. It has been weather tested by Ochs Sherworx and exhibited no noticeable color change after twenty-seven continuous weeks in the sun!

TeroTuf has a couple of benefits over composites like Micarta and G10 too. Namely incredible grip when both dry and wet... And best in class shock absorption. In fact, several national champion choppers have featured TeroTuf handles in recent years.

TeroTuf is proudly made in Eugene, Oregon.

As a test, I have stocked scale sets in six different colors in 1/4" thickness. If it does well, I will soon stock the material in 3/8" thickness... And also maybe sheets/half sheets.

In the coming days, I will be stocking the website with 1/4" Richlite scales in a dozen colors, as well as a modern made canvas burl/rag Micarta in five different recipes.


Find it here!


Coyote Brown
IMG_1465.png

Gray


IMG_1464.png


Maroon
IMG_1467.png


Navy Blue
IMG_1466.png


Olive Drab Green
IMG_1469.png



Purple
IMG_1468.png
 
Last edited:
I used to get it from TKS, IIRC. It is good stuff. Sort of like burlap Micarta, but softer. I found that buffing it with an uncharged muslin buff accentuated the texture for a better grip. Excellent wet grip for fishing knives and skinners.

Hopefully, after you get this as an established material you can offer it in sheets. I used to get it in 6"X12" sheets. Cutting curved handles is more efficient from sheets.
 
Last edited:
I saw that the other day. Love that maroon.

In other news I'm finally using the Westinghouse Bowie blocks I got from you. I assumed they would be 1 per knife and bought 4, but they are huge, I'll easily get 2-3 handles out of each block. Still glad I got 4 because it's really nice material.
 
Richard338 said:
I saw that the other day. Love that maroon.

In other news I'm finally using the Westinghouse Bowie blocks I got from you. I assumed they would be 1 per knife and bought 4, but they are huge, I'll easily get 2-3 handles out of each block. Still glad I got 4 because it's really nice material.
Click to expand...

Glad you're liking those!

I try to make sure those bowie blocks are cut large enough for most any fixed blade. I actually just sent the very last bit of that material that I had out to another BF mamber. :)
 
love me some Terotuf!
 
I got some Terotuff from a Canadian distributor awhile back.

Tried orange scales awhile back on a skinner. I struggled with the finishing part. Had some "cloth burrs" that were difficult to smooth out by sanding...and they kinda turned greyish in color. At the end, scales looked more like "pink salmon" than orange. I believed this would be similar to Micarta to finish.

So my question is: What is the best way to sand/finish/buff this material? Thanx.
 
I spotted a typo in my earlier answer and changed it. Here is a more detailed finishing of these type laminates:
1) Shape with clean fresh abrasives. Use the belt grinder at slower speeds of use files and sandpaper.
2) Once shaped, hand sand to the desired grit level. Usually, 400 grit is enough, but some folks like 800 grit.
3) Clean well with alcohol to remove dirt/swarf and any grease or oil from your hands. *
4) Use a dry and uncharged muslin buff on light colored handles. Buff to create a bit of grippiness. If the handle color is dark, you can charge the buff with matchless white or pink. You can also buff by hand with a clean, soft cloth if you don't want to machine buff the handle.
5) Clean again with alcohol and let dry.
6) If there are rag hairs that didn't go away, flood the handle with thin CA and let dry for about 5 minutes. Wipe off with a cotton cloth dampened (not soaking wet) with fingernail polish remover, rubbing hard as you clean off the excess. You are not trying to clean it all away, just remove and re-dissolve the excess and rub it into the loose fibers. Let dry overnight. Re-sand by hand with 400 grit paper to remove any traces of the CA and lightly buff by hand with a clean, soft cloth.

*In some cases, you may have to scrub the handle with soap and water to get stains out.
 
AbLonewolf said:
I got some Terotuff from a Canadian distributor awhile back.

Tried orange scales awhile back on a skinner. I struggled with the finishing part. Had some "cloth burrs" that were difficult to smooth out by sanding...and they kinda turned greyish in color. At the end, scales looked more like "pink salmon" than orange. I believed this would be similar to Micarta to finish.

So my question is: What is the best way to sand/finish/buff this material? Thanx.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay. Blade Show prep has things a bit crazy around here, lol. Most of the time, I recommend leaving terotuf with a bit of a rough finish. I really like 120 - 220 grit. One of TeroTuf's best improvements over Micarta (imo) is it's grippiness, so I like to accentuate that.

As usual, Stacey has given some great advice.

I don't usually polish or buff TeroTuff, so I decided to do so to see how it went. I VERY quickly hit these scraps with a 120/220/400/800 belt and then buffed them. I didn't change, or clean the belts between pieces, so there is some minor contamination. If you look closely, you can see some pinhole voids in the material (especially visible with the coyote brown and purple). You can also see that there is a bit of buffing compound trapped in the material. If you are going to buff it, I would absolutely recommend using a CA glue finish. I think 800 grit would be the perfect time to do so.

IMG_1542.pngIMG_1541.pngIMG_1539.pngIMG_1543.pngIMG_1540.pngIMG_1544.png
 
AbLonewolf said:
I got some Terotuff from a Canadian distributor awhile back.

Tried orange scales awhile back on a skinner. I struggled with the finishing part. Had some "cloth burrs" that were difficult to smooth out by sanding...and they kinda turned greyish in color. At the end, scales looked more like "pink salmon" than orange. I believed this would be similar to Micarta to finish.

So my question is: What is the best way to sand/finish/buff this material? Thanx.
Click to expand...

I don't think people who Want TT worry about finishes.... or at least they Shouldn't.
Let me first say that I love it. I use it, and will use it again, and again.

It's a Users material.
It's Not meant to look pretty, or be on a safe queen.

It is Wonderful on hunting knives for gutting up stuff, on knives for cutting off fish heads, butchering, hatchet handles, beaters, choppers, machettes, etc, etc....
It might be the Best handle material for All that. Wonderful grip and feel.

-But, it's Ugly.
It's groady, it gets coarse and gets dirty, it stays dirty....It will never look new and pretty again. Scrub and Scrub away......
some people complain about its looks
But I love it.
If you want a User, You will too.

*Yeah the orange is maybe the ugliest of the colors, or yellow
 
Last edited:
I think it's one of the very best materials for a knife handle that's going to see a lot of use in all kinds of conditions, and I agree that if you want to make a nice looking knife that uses Terotuf the knife had better be designed for it. For example, don't crack out your fancy main gauche pattern thinking you can use Terotuf and it'll still look amazing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top