Liners - what's the story

[j22knife]

I have a hunting knife - it has black liners that appear to be made out of plastic.

What are "fiber liners"? What about liners made out of micarta?

Any insight into this mysterious aspect of knife-making would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[MORIMOTOM]

do you mean between the blade and the scale?


if the scales are wood, i would think the spacer provides a shock absorber of sorts so the wood doesnt crack. it may also create a more water resistant handle by sealing the knife to spacer to scale area a bit better than just metal to wood.

on many knives it is mostly asthetic.

 

[straitshot]

Aesthetics aside, I've read that fiber spacers are also intended to alow for differences in expansion/ contraction between the steel tang and the scale material, especially when bonded with an adhesive. Seems plausible to me. regards, ss.

 

[Andrew Taylor]

Handle liners only have two purposes

1. to look pretty and contrast with the scale material

2. to bulk out the width of the handle if the scales are too thin. Particularly useful with stag.

The liner is epoxied to the scale and the blade tang (or it should be), so once assembled there is no give. If we use multiple layers of lining, red, white and blue for instance, it is epoxied first and clamped between two boards to set.

The liner material is actually manufactured as an electrical spacer in motor windings and transformers. Its use in knives is incidental to it manufactured purpose. It is made in the same way as paper micarta, a base material, and phenolic resin bonded under heat and pressure.

 

[j22knife]

Handle liners only have two purposes

1. to look pretty and contrast with the scale material

2. to bulk out the width of the handle if the scales are too thin. Particularly useful with stag.

The liner is epoxied to the scale and the blade tang (or it should be), so once assembled there is no give. If we use multiple layers of lining, red, white and blue for instance, it is epoxied first and clamped between two boards to set.

The liner material is actually manufactured as an electrical spacer in motor windings and transformers. Its use in knives is incidental to it manufactured purpose. It is made in the same way as paper micarta, a base material, and phenolic resin bonded under heat and pressure.

Thanks for the response everyone.

That's what I suspected - mainly appearance.

I'm having a knife made that will have G10 handles with micarta liners. You're saying that the materials will probably be epoxied together so that it's just one complete material?

What about "fiber liners". I'm looking at a nice knife that has red fiber liners. "Fiber" what?

Thanks

 

[Andrew Taylor]

Thanks for the response everyone.

That's what I suspected - mainly appearance.

I'm having a knife made that will have G10 handles with micarta liners. You're saying that the materials will probably be epoxied together so that it's just one complete material?

What about "fiber liners". I'm looking at a nice knife that has red fiber liners. "Fiber" what?

Thanks

Yes the layers ought to be epoxied, we do anyway. It creates a bond, fills any gaps and turns the scales, spacers and knife tang into one solid unit. Having said that, G10 and a single layer of spacer is going to be pretty flat. A lot depends on whther the maker is using pins, corby rivets, or screws.

My guess is the G10 is thin, so the micarta liner is used to bulk out the thickness.

Micarta comes in paper, linen or canvas. The fibre in spacers looks like paper pulp and fine plastic strands. My father used to work at Bakelite in Birmingham, England making canvas linen and paper laminate plus printed circuit board and decorative laminate like counter top and radiogram cases. If I had known what I know now, I would have asked more questions and kept a lot of the off-cuts and full sheets he brought home!

 

[j22knife]

Thanks, Andrew. That's great information.

I remember Bakelite from my childhood too! My mother brought home spacers from vacuum tube production.

Yes the layers ought to be epoxied, we do anyway. It creates a bond, fills any gaps and turns the scales, spacers and knife tang into one solid unit. Having said that, G10 and a single layer of spacer is going to be pretty flat. A lot depends on whther the maker is using pins, corby rivets, or screws.

My guess is the G10 is thin, so the micarta liner is used to bulk out the thickness.

Micarta comes in paper, linen or canvas. The fibre in spacers looks like paper pulp and fine plastic strands. My father used to work at Bakelite in Birmingham, England making canvas linen and paper laminate plus printed circuit board and decorative laminate like counter top and radiogram cases. If I had known what I know now, I would have asked more questions and kept a lot of the off-cuts and full sheets he brought home!