micarta finish

[butcher_block]

i did a search but not realy helpful i want to give it a wet/dark look but not give up grip should i use a wood hardener
any how i could use some input thanks

 

[Chiro75]

It depends on the type of Micarta. Here is a pic of a knife I just finished with Canvas Micarta. I wet sanded to 600 grit, and it's still plenty grippy, but to get rid of the sort of "dry" look natural canvas has (before absorbing oil from use), I slapped tung oil on it.

On linen Micarta, I like to do a 220 or 320 wet sanded, which is really smooth, but then squirt with WD-40 or oil with tung oil. Once the handles absorb oil from the hand from use they look awesome, but in the meantime you can help them along a little initially. Otherwise you end up with a very gray/dry look (like TOPS knives) on linen Micarta. The black looks gray, maroon looks pink. So, oil or WD-40, just a bit, will help until the patina takes effect. And the buyer can always touch it up themselves.

 

[butcher_block]

its canvas black and tan btw i have corby bolts for the handle just have the pins there so i can get a look

 

[Chiro75]

I'd think you could do what I did with mine in the pic above and have it look nice. Drop an email to BLGoode, too. Brian seems to make his canvas Micarta handles look really nice (the green ones, especially), although they look like they were hit on the buffer, to me. Canvas Micarta is so coarse, though, that even buffed they might still have nice grip to them. Hopefully he'll chime in! I just bought some green canvas based on how he makes it look, so I need a recipe!

 

[Fred.Rowe]

i did a search but not realy helpful i want to give it a wet/dark look but not give up grip should i use a wood hardener
any how i could use some input thanks

Any product you might apply will be a surface application and will wear off with use. One tecnique I have tried is to polish the handle to a high degree, then sellect some grip areas and checker or ruffin with an abbrasive tool. It's a differert look and it maintains the grip you are looking for. Fred