kraton disintegration/decay

T

tholiver

Joined
Feb 22, 2003
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Hi. I've been collecting knives on and off for over 20 years. Recently the kraton on a few of my knives have begun to deteriorate. In the past (about 5 years ago) the kraton on my old cold steel ready edge gradually turned into tacky goo that you could actually scrape off with your fingernail. About two years ago the same thing happened to my SOG desert dagger. Now my old original Blackjack Anaconda II is starting to exhibit the preliminary stages of this deterioration. I actually rehandled the cold steel and the SOG knife so they are still usable but i kinda wanted to keep the blackjack all original. Help! Anybody have this problem or know of a possible solution?
 
any sort of chemicals/preservatives/oils that you use on them?? Kraton is known to deteriorate very rapidly in exposure to deet, I would imagine there are a number of other things (maybe even oils and things like breakfree that we use on knives without a 2nd thought) that could also affect it.
 
In the past (about 5 years ago) the kraton on my old cold steel ready edge gradually turned into tacky goo that you could actually scrape off with your fingernail.
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Welcome to my world! Same thing's happening on some of my Cold Steel knives.:jerkit:

It really ticks me off too. :mad:One of them is an overpriced Magnum Tanto.:mad:

There is no solution that I've found or even heard of, so, sorry I cannot help you there.

Re-handling is about the only option and I see you've got that problem licked. Fortunately, I have plenty of exotic hardwoods laying around, so re-handling is just a matter of choosing and doing.:)
I think what peeves me most about this is the fact that the knives themselves are great tools. A person shouldn't lay down their hard earned money on a tool only to have it's handle disintegrate in their hand.
 
WD-40 will dissolve rubber or plastic eventually. Sounds like the Kraton might've been exposed to some sort of solvent.
 
My CS Master Hunter has been around more than 5 years and is in excellent shape . I would also assume your problem is exposure to solvents.
 
Kraton is produced by a Polymer company named " KRATON Polymers.". They produce a wide range of Polymers. The knife handle material "Kraton Rubber" is widely reported as being resistant to deet. My first generation Trail Master (80s vintage) handle shows no signs of deterioratiion altho it has loosened up a little. The deterioratiion of your handle may be the result of chemical exposure and not Deet. The kraton web site is less than informitive and most links are not working.:rolleyes:
 
Are the handles coming into contact with any other types of plastics or polymers? Many times this is enough to cause a chemical reaction that will break down both. Some type of chemical reaction is taking place to destabilize the Kraton. Are they constantly exposed to UV lighting? If you can find a common condition that all the knives are exposed to it might stop further damage. Solvents used for cleaning or preserving would be a good place to start.
 
I've got some Kraton handled knives going back more than 10 years, and they are absolutely fine.

Perhaps you could contact Cold Steel and see if they can be helpful on
this matter.
 
Kraton is the last material I would want as a knife handle. The only reason they use it is because it is CHEAP. Cold steel uses it more than anyone else, which definitely says something about Cold Steel.
 
Hey thanks for the replies. Well the ready edge was old , from the first year of production (198?). It was a daily carry/use item for 10 years or more. Over its life it was exposed to everything from BBQ sauce (it made a great impromptu steak knife) to wd-40. And I never use deet.
However the SOG and the Blackjack resided mostly in a bureau/footlocker, occasionally handled and then put away. At worst they were exposed to the occassional sweaty palm. Actually come to think of it i also had a kraton handled spyderco kitchen knife that also went gooey on me. I like the feel of kraton but i have been avoiding buying any more kraton handled knives since this problem started.
Hmmm so i wonder what is the safest way to clean kraton when it happens to get dirty? Its probably too late for the handles that have gone gooey but maybe theres something that can be done to prolong the life of those unaffected, good old preventative maintenance.
You would think with the popularity of kraton that there would be advice from at least one of the knife manufacturers.
:jerkit:
 
Whats up with your avatar Rat? Thats a damn annoying pic thats hard on the eyes.

Is that a self portrait?
 
I have one of the very first cold steel urban skinners ever made....with the smooth uncheckered kraton handle as it took cold steel a while to figure out how the checker their handles . I have put a plastizer with a uv guard on it a few times over the years.

It dates from early in 1980. 26 years later it is just fine.In fact it has got a bit stiffer over the years.
 
Well, there are more than 100 different types of Kraton.

The Kraton used in the Cold Steel (and other) knife handles could be
Kraton D

The manufacturer specifically omits from its performance parameters:

Resistance to Prolonged Outdoor Exposure and
High Temperature Performance
 
rifon2 said:
Well, there are more than 100 different types of Kraton.

The Kraton used in the Cold Steel (and other) knife handles is presumably
Kraton D, because that's the only form of Kraton that's black in color.

And Kraton D is not the greatest form of Kraton - in fact,
its manufacturer specifically omits from its performance parameters:

Resistance to Prolonged Outdoor Exposure (and)
High Temperature Performance.

So, yes, you do have to wonder why it's used in knife handles...
Click to expand...

The kraton compounds and master batchs summary of properties sheet at there web site lists Kraton D and G as a natural black compound. Kraton D and G are also listed as being used in Automotive parts/Sporting goods and Molded Items. "D" injected molded at ~400 Degrees while "G" is injected At~350 degrees.
 
Bors said:
The kraton compounds and master batchs summary of properties sheet at there web site lists Kraton D and G as a natural black compound. Kraton D and G are also listed as being used in Automotive parts/Sporting goods and Molded Items. "D" injected molded at ~400 Degrees while "G" is injected At~350 degrees.
Click to expand...

Thanks, my error (and glasses) - I read "block" polymer as "black" polymer.

Anyway, still, with respect to Kraton D - whatever temperature is used for forming it -
High Temperature Performance (and Resistance to Prolonged Outdoor Exposure) are specifically omitted as performance parameters
for it by the manufacturer, Kraton.
[See http://www.kraton.com/content/includes/An Intro To Kraton.pdf at Page 11, Table 1.]
______________________________________________________________________________________

And Cold Steel does not readily disclose which Kraton grade it uses for its handles.
Based on the posts on BF, I doubt it's one of the better grades.

But it could be...
 
I have 2 SOG Satin Tech Bowies and a Blackjack Anaconda II (the later I have had for a few years - handle looks fine, although I have never used it). All three have Kraton handles. I personally like the feel the rubbery (Kraton) feel that this adds to the grip.

I have heard some discussion on different types of Kraton and Cold Steel using Kraton D. Does anyone know what Kraton SOG and Blackjack used? Although from what I am hearing from "tholiver" I should be careful since he had this same issue with these two brands!
 
KnifeFury said:
I personally like the feel the rubbery (Kraton) feel that this adds to the grip.

I have heard some discussion on different types of Kraton and Cold Steel using Kraton D. Does anyone know what Kraton SOG and Blackjack used?
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Actually i also like the feel of kraton its just this current deterioration problem thats makes me question its overall utility.
Regarding the SOG knives. A buddy of mine bought a SOG pentagon and a SOG limited edition blued steel Midnight Tigershark(?) around the same time i bought my Desert Dagger. But from the getgo the kraton on his knives always seemed stiffer and more dense. And unlike my desert dagger the handles on his knives have not deteriorated at all. Maybe SOG uses (used?) different grades/types of kraton on different models?
 
tholiver said:
Actually i also like the feel of kraton its just the this current deterioration problem thats makes me question its overall utility.
Regarding the SOG knives. A buddy of mine bought a SOG pentagon and a SOG limited edition blued steel Midnight Tigershark(?) around the same time i bought my Desert Dagger. But from the getgo the kraton on his knives always seemed stiffer and more dense. And unlike my desert dagger the handles on his knives have not deteriorated at all. Maybe SOG uses (used?) different grades/types of kraton on different models?
Click to expand...

Well, that could be, what with so many different grades of Kraton available.
 
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