Micarta - can it be sanded to change color tone?

Boink

Boink

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Jun 6, 2002
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I just received a Microtech LCC that is mechanically sound in every way. What I don't like about it is one Micarta scale appears darker than the other. Not by a lot, but enough to be bothersome. If I sanded it, will it get lighter or darker? The answer might tell me which scale to work on. Thanks for anyone shedding some light on this.
 
Most linen or canvas Micarta scales get darker with higher grit sanding and are darkest / deepest coloured when fully polished up. Conversely, they are lightest, brightest when sanded with a coarse grit.

Remember that when roughly sanded and therefore lighter in colour, the Micarta can and will pick up moisture and appear darker, like a rag soaking up liquid, and will go brighter again when it dries out. However, it can sometimes take up oils and dirt that might discolour the Micarta surface. Can't be avoided if you like the matte, brighter look. To restore the surface again, you might need to wash the surface with dishwashing detergent and let it dry out. Jason.
 
Jason, thanks for some insight. This one's got the matte look and is not polished. I can see a fine fabric appearance on the surface of it. Micarta on this is green and one scale is slightly darker than the other. Should I give it a sanding on a small portion? What grit should I use?
 
I would resand the entire handle,using 120 grit. If you want a smoother finish resand with 180.
The other thing here is that canvas micarta is somewhat directional.It is quite likely that the scales were put on 180 degrees out to each other.Rub your hand across a carpet -one way looks darker-same reason.If this is the case resanding may help some,but won't change the problem.
 
I will try this. Thank you both.

With some clues I have received on this thread and seeing the knife up close, I will guess that the one scale is darker due to previous handling. It was sold as new from a dealer, although the knife is a year 2002 model. There are trace marks on the clip-side bead-blast titantium bolster, which appear as table marks. The darker scale is on the non-clip side. This all leads me to think the knife sat on a display case for a while and was handled a lot between 2002 and now, with the hands of others lending a polish on the one scale, therefore making it darker.
 
Before I'd touch it with sandpaper, I'd give a rag a little shot of WD-40 or some olive oil or something along those lines and rub it in to both scales. My guess is that they'd even right out. Surface treatments like this aren't permanent on Micarta, but it should even the color out and then if you're using the knife a lot you shouldn't have to worry about it again.
 
I've got both materials on hand. Which one should I choose to use? Will Olive Oil make me want to eat salad afterward?

;)
 
Boink said:
I've got both materials on hand. Which one should I choose to use? Will Olive Oil make me want to eat salad afterward?

;)
Click to expand...

GFo with WD40. It'll make both sides dark (should've asked you if you wanted lighter or darker first!). If you're trying to lighten them, then I would try 400 grit sandpaper first. Actually, just wash both scales in soapy water first and let them dry out well. If I remember right the LCC is pretty smooth, what I would think of as being a 400 grit. Then you can always go back to 320, 220, etc down the line.
 
If you think it was sitting on one side for a long time - and the up side is the light side - sanding will remove the light faded surface - maybe.(UV fades micarta - and just about any colored surface)
 
All great ideas and thoughts. Thank you very much. An email arrived from someone who has an extra matching pair of scales because he had stag put onto this knife. Now the conundrum becomes - go for the matched pair or up the ante to stag!! (just a rhetorical thought about this unusual turn of events). Forums are the best. Especially BF.
 
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