Micarta - how long has it been used for knife handles?

[Lostball]

Thank you sir, I'm going to have to go back and see if I can't locate some more as I seem to remember there was a few more slabs laying around. You never know when you might need them!!!

 

[GE Jr]

I have worked with Micarta used as a barrier/divider in low and medium voltage air circuit breakers & switchgear, transformers, and generator excitation equipment, most of which was as old as or older than I am. Any time I've needed to work with it, or fabricate new pieces for repairs, the one thing that stands out in my memory is the nasty smell whenever I needed to cut or grind it.

I am glad that I'm not a knife maker working with this stuff. I didn't know it was used for knife handles until a couple years ago when I started lurking around here. As such, I've been a bit slow to consider it for a traditional pocket knife of my own. That changed for me this year when the Forum Knife was in early discussion. I am also curious as to when it was first used for knife handles.

At the old power plant that I worked at for 25 years before graduating into retirement, we had on hand - besides the usual sheets in various thicknesses - Blocks, dowels, rods, and tubes, also in varying sizes.

 

[JB in SC]

@Wild Ben

Bo Randall used micarta in April/May of 1959 for the Ward Gay Special. Micarta was used for the development of Model 17 Astro designed for the Mercury Astronauts in May/June of 1960. This was a dark brown micarta, the knives and dates are well documented.

Bob was an early adopter of micarta. He was definitely a visionary. One of the nicest guys in the business, his mods for the S&W Model 41 were very cool as well.

 

[Lapedog]

Bakelite = Micarta = Linen/Canvas Phenolic
Garolite = G10 = FR4 = Glass Phenolic

It’s tough when trade names start being applied.

I know “fiber” washers were common on hidden tang knives in the Scagel style. I’ve often wondered how far back the use of phenolic spacers go.

That's funny, I always thought Bakelite was well known for being too brittle, especially in roles like for pistol grips or other gun furniture.

That doesn't seem to be a real problem for micarta these days.

 

[Lapedog]

Westinghouse bought the patents for a material called "Micarta"; and he formed a company to produce it in 1905, but that original "Micarta" material consisted of flakes of Mica bonded to paper using shellac. It was used as insulation for an electrical equipment, but was not the robust material which we now consider "Micarta". 1910 is the date I see most frequently for the development of the Micarta we know today. Bakelite phenolic resin was developed in 1907. That makes the 1910 date sound reasonable, because it was the use of phenolic resin which first gave robustness to Micarta.

But, I don't know when it was first used as a knife handle, either.

So the word Micarta is actually named after the mica first used in its construction? I always thought the root of the word micarta was "carta" or "card". Carta being a vaugely latinesque way to say card.

I know lots of companies fuse words like this to make proprietary trade names. Famous example nylon = New York + London.

Micarta = mica + card

 

[JB in SC]

That's funny, I always thought Bakelite was well known for being too brittle, especially in roles like for pistol grips or other gun furniture.

That doesn't seem to be a real problem for micarta these days.

Bakelite is brittle, it’s pure resin. Old phones and radios were made of it before plastics came on the scene.

 

[Stropping Young Lad]

Bakelite is brittle, it’s pure resin. Old phones and radios were made of it before plastics came on the scene.

Huh, I learned something today. It Bakelite Phenolic must refer to the resin plus whatever fabric.

 

[Lapedog]

Huh, I learned something today. It Bakelite Phenolic must refer to the resin plus whatever fabric.

Yes I suspsected bakelite was not reinforced and that is why it had a reputation for brittleness and cracking.

 

[JB in SC]

Huh, I learned something today. It Bakelite Phenolic must refer to the resin plus whatever fabric.

Bakelite is the trademark name for a phenolic plastic, it's a phenol-formaldehyde resin. The resin is used now to bond plywood, but was originally used for Micarta laminates.

 

[Wurrwulf]

As someone who works in the construction industry (and lives in an area with pile-supported everything), I recently learned that Pile Driving rigs also sometimes use thick, round discs of Micarta as a cushion to protect the hammer from damages resulting from repeatedly smashing into the pile. "Conbest" is a manufacturer that "manufacture to the same specifications as Micarta©".



A buddy at work, who is also a bit of a knife guy, has taunted me a couple of times that he's got a couple discs lying around in his garage. I'd love to get one to play around with.

Lots of great info in this thread! Thanks, everyone.

 

[knarfeng]

Bakelite = Micarta = Linen/Canvas Phenolic
Garolite = G10 = FR4 = Glass Phenolic

No. Bakelite was not Micarta. Bakelite would be similar to the resin in Micarta once Westinghouse moved beyond Shellac.
G10 and FR4 are epoxy resin reinforced with glass fabric. Not the same resin family as phenolic. Very different reactants. Very different reaction mechanism.

Bakelite is brittle, it’s pure resin. Old phones and radios were made of it before plastics came on the scene.

Huh, I learned something today. It Bakelite Phenolic must refer to the resin plus whatever fabric.

JB is correct. Bakelite is pure resin.

Here's a nice history of Bakelite.
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakelite.html

Bakelite itself is just the resin, and it is brittle. Leo Hendrick Baekeland, who developed it, also experimented with reinforcing it, but Bakelite itself was just the plastic.

The term "phenolic" applies to a family of theresins based on phenol as one of the reactants. Bakelite is a "phenolic resin".

 

[Stropping Young Lad]

No. Bakelite was not Micarta. Bakelite would be similar to the resin in Micarta once Westinghouse moved beyond Shellac.
G10 and FR4 are epoxy resin reinforced with glass fabric. Not the same resin family as phenolic. Very different reactants. Very different reaction mechanism.






JB is correct. Bakelite is pure resin.

Here's a nice history of Bakelite.
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakelite.html

Bakelite itself is just the resin, and it is brittle. Leo Hendrick Baekeland, who developed it, also experimented with reinforcing it, but Bakelite itself was just the plastic.

The term "phenolic" applies to a family of theresins based on phenol as one of the reactants. Bakelite is a "phenolic resin".

Again, thank you for clearing that up. I was misinformed. I’m going to edit my post so that info doesn’t spread.

 

[Jolipapa]

A few knives used bakelite.