Micarta handles

From Wikipedia:

"Micarta is a brand name for composites of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, carbon fiber or other fabric in a thermosetting plastic. It was originally used in electrical and decorative applications. Micarta was developed by George Westinghouse at least as early as 1910 using phenolic resins invented by Leo Baekeland. These resins were used to impregnate paper and cotton fabric which were cured under pressure and high temperature to produce laminates. In later years this manufacturing method included the use of fiberglass fabric and other resin types were also used. Today Micarta high pressure industrial laminates are produced with a wide variety of resins and fibers. The term has been used generically for most resin impregnated fibre compounds. Common uses of modern high pressure laminates are as electrical insulators, printed circuit board substrates, and knife handles."
 
I started making knives in 1980, and Micarta was very popular and had a wide use among knifemakers at that time.
 
Some of the Randall collectors can correct me - but they have been using micarta on Randall knives since the last 1950s, as I recall.

TedP
 
If George Westinghouse invented micarta in 1910 I imagine it was probably first used for knife handles in 1910 or 1911.:D
 
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