Micarta / G10 Quality

I

Idlelifestyle

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Aug 17, 2021
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Hello peoples!
Is all micarta made equal?
Is all G10 made equal?

If not, how can I tell if I'm getting good quality
After market scales or heck even stock ones for that matter?
 
Not all equal. But all of it will perform the job of being a knife handle.
There are differences in appearance, surface roughness and how well they are machined. But, while these attributes do matter as to the enjoyment of use, they do not prevent the knife from being used. It's less critical than having a blade with a good heat treat.

Buy from a high end knife manufacturer till you get a feel for the stuff. I have never seen Spyderco or Benchmade put out a crappy G10 handle.
 
There are reputable scale makers, and then there are your no name amazon type. My micarta GITD the Punisher scales for the yojimbo I got cheap on amazon, but are pretty rough, managed to damage one in less than a year.

I prefer micarta over G-10. Both can vary greatly in texture. Thus far I prefer the burlap micarta of my PM2 to the canvas ones on the jimbo.
 
Idlelifestyle said:
1. Hello peoples!
2. Is all micarta made equal?
3. Is all G10 made equal?

4. If not, how can I tell if I'm getting good quality
After market scales or heck even stock ones for that matter?
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1. Hello and welcome to the forums.
2. Not really. Only because some folks (especially aftermarket sellers) make their own micarta. You get more variation in texture and feel due to the nature of materials that go into micarta handles (ie. linen, canvas, burlap, and paper).
3. To the best of my knowledge, essentially yes. Most people who make aftermarket scales or even stock scales in G10 are probably buying G10 in bulk and not producing their own. Granted, the machining of G10 can alter the texture too.

4. Good question. Stock scales are probably more consistent in quality from knife companies who make a good amount of knives. They *should* have the tooling and QC checks in place to not produce crap. Do lemons slide thru, of course. That is one reason where a good company should stand behind their product and offer some good customer service. I have never sent back a knife due to a scale issue in 30+ years.

Aftermarket scales are more hit and miss. Plenty of sellers on instagram offer them. I've seen amazing work and junk over the years. All I can say is do some research and use the search function in the upper right corner.

Many folks like to dabble and make their own scales. If you are a handy person with some basic tools, try ordering some supplies from https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/ and give it a go. If you do, please use a quality respirator when you work.
 
You guys are awesome!

Micarta welcomes wear and that's what fascinates me about it. When I see a knife with micarta, new, I think who's gonna create the story for that one, like a memory foam mattress.

G10 just feels like it will never let you down. It's like the ranch dressing of handle materials, good on everything!

I missed out on some knives I wanted and I figured i'd just swap out scales to give myself the asthetic when I felt. Noticed I couldn't find brand new stock para 3 g10 scales and they don't make the para 3 in micarta like they do the 2.

I just want the knife to feel like it doesn't want to leave my hand. G10 without a doubt does that, my fear was that maybe it was just spydercos g10.

And as for micarta, if it's what I'm thinking, the grip is amazing!

Thank you for your responses.
Guys make getting your feet wet not seem so bad!
 
The strength of G10 depends on the amount of fiberglass in the nylon. I remember an older post by Sal from the spyderco forum saying their G10 contains 30% (?) more fiber than commonly available G10.
 
kobold said:
The strength of G10 depends on the amount of fiberglass in the nylon. I remember an older post by Sal from the spyderco forum saying their G10 contains 30% (?) more fiber than commonly available G10.
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G10 doesn't contain nylon. It is fiberglass and resin. I think you're thinking of FRN, which can vary depending on the percentage of glass fibers (like pa6 or pa66).

Spydercos frn is much better quality than most.
 
G10 is a high-pressure fiberglass laminate, a type of composite material. It is created by stacking multiple layers of glass cloth, soaked in epoxy resin, and by compressing the resulting material under heat until the epoxy cures. It is manufactured in flat sheets, most often a few millimeters thick.
 
soc_monki said:
G10 doesn't contain nylon. It is fiberglass and resin. I think you're thinking of FRN, which can vary depending on the percentage of glass fibers (like pa6 or pa66).

Spydercos frn is much better quality than most.
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Good catch, still, I think Sal talked about G10. So the resin contains more fiberglass resulting in stronger G10.
 
kobold said:
Good catch, still, I think Sal talked about G10. So the resin contains more fiberglass resulting in stronger G10.
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Maybe talking about this post? https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/why-a-liner-on-only-one-side-of-military.82527/#post-676816

I believe if you run "Break" tests on the Military handle against other brands, you will find that the overall strength of Spyderco's G10 (15% stronger because of the extra compressed layers) and nested liner will compare favorably against ALL others.
sal
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No, not equal. One of the reasons I wish there was a way to fondle knives before buying.

Micarta on the ZWEAR shaman is rougher than say, the micarta on my Bravo 1.5. Both great quality and durable feeling. Micarta on my CJRB however, feels "cheap"? "Flimsy"? In comparison. I'm sure it's my imagination...under normal use and stress they will probably behave very similar.

G10 on the other hand, varies based on company. Once again, I think the overall durability is probably not too far apart as long as it's a reputable manufacturer. Example, Civivi G10 feels much smoother than Spyderco's and Cold Steel's. Is it any less durable under normal use? Probably not.

As to the question of G10 vs Micarta? If it's for harder use, I'd pick G10...I had good experiences with..ahem...dropping and abusing G10 and many of my G10 knives withstood the test of time. At least, I think G10 is better at resisting sharp, pointy type of contact than micarta. I think it's why Emerson and Hinderer make most of their knives with it.

Edit: I actually think the quality of carbon fiber handles vary alot lol, we should talk about that too :P
 
I've had either micarta or G10 handles on around 17 different production knives, from various makers, in prices ranging from $8 to $300, and I've never gotten a bad piece. Not even on the cheap Chinese made knives.

I prefer G10 if for no other reason than it's less absorbent than micarta. So there's less absorption of oil/lubricants. And I can scrub it clean without it absorbing water. I also like how aggressively grippy G10 is often made. I'm sure micarta can be made very grippy, but I've never handled any that I found to be as aggressive as coarse-textured G10.
 
Big fan of natural (semi jade looking/see thru) handles. My s35v civivi has natural handles. It's weird cuz I feel like I'm paying more for less. But I just love the contrast with black.

Are natural handles considered G10 or are they like a G10 lite? It is a very smooth handle. I'm assuming natural handles will never be as grippee (yes I made up a word) as fully fledged out g10?

As for carbon fiber. I like my money to go into the steel. I lose things often and would hate myself if I lost a carbon fiber knife. If anything I have now were to not be mine tomorrow I could deal.

Guess I just haven't explored carbon fiber.
Always felt like it added elegance to a knife but I never wanted a knife that felt sexy.

I guess just the durability alone makes it worth checking out!

Thanks again you guys for your very informed post. Learning a lot!

Not a micarta vs g10 thing.
More so what to look for when buying these materials, as I'm fond of both!
 
Micarta is a trademarked brand name covering a range of composite materials made by Norplex. However, the term has been genericized (at least within the knife industry) to the point where almost any fabric-based composite will be called micarta, regardless of who makes it. This means you're getting a huge variety of quality.

G-10 is a NEMA materials standard for use in electrical applications (originally, circuit boards), so it refers to something pretty specific. Within the knife industry, there doesn't seem to be much difference in the quality of G-10, with the main differentiator being how the material is processed/textured.
 
Ahh so g10 will be more consistent across the board where as micarta is more hit or miss?

Makes a lot of sense. Guess I can start checking for material used to make the micarta.

I saw some sick linen scales and said to myself I wonder if those are like micarta lol.
 
Idlelifestyle said:
Ahh so g10 will be more consistent across the board where as micarta is more hit or miss?

Makes a lot of sense. Guess I can start checking for material used to make the micarta.

I saw some sick linen scales and said to myself I wonder if those are like micarta lol.
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Even with the same fabric substrate, quality is all over the place. For example, some canvas micarta finishes out sort of soft and fuzzy, and some can be polished smooth.

There are some makers who describe their material as "phenolic" (paper phenolic, linen phenolic), which is the generic (and non-trademarked) term for a "micarta-type" material.
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
Even with the same fabric substrate, quality is all over the place. For example, some canvas micarta finishes out sort of soft and fuzzy, and some can be polished smooth.

There are some makers who describe their material as "phenolic" (paper phenolic, linen phenolic), which is the generic (and non-trademarked) term for a "micarta-type" material.
Click to expand...
Correct. Two examples, same manufacturer…..both Shirogorov’s Dergyll Dergyll

FA8F07DC-D81F-47EF-8BD2-FD66BAB6CF45.jpeg

D54700FC-C43B-49D3-AD82-1BD8FFE3BFA1.jpeg

First pic is standard canvas micarta, second is polished Micarta inlay.
 
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