Micarta Issue?

DaveReb

DaveReb

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Sep 15, 2007
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Purchased a new Tactile Mariner with the Vintage Micarta scale ~ 6 weeks ago. Everything looked great, centering lockup ect. ect. Fondled it for a day or two, then pretty much put it away. It is still Jeans weather here in NE Ohio, so I’m still carrying my larger blades. I pulled the knife out last week, actually to sell, as I’m not really crazy about the blade shape, and the blade was slightly off center. Pulled the knife out last night and the blade was still slightly off center, fidgeted with for a while and the blade seemed to move farther off center, towards the Micarta side. I put the knife away and decided in the morning that I would disassemble, clean, degrease, lube and reassemble to see if that would cure the centering issue. I got up this morning and the blade was dead center, slow rolled it, and flicked it lots and the blade remained dead centered. Pocketed it for and hour or 2 and when I pulled it out, it was off center again. I’ve not messed with the pivot, as it doesn’t seem loose, there is no blade play or lock up issues. The Micarta is ~3/16 thick with no steel or Ti liner. So my question is will Micarta destabilize/flex/swell/shrink with temperature/humidity changes? This bugging the crap out of me because it isn’t a cheap knife, and at the price point I don’t think I should be having these centering issues.

TIA
Dave
 
DaveReb said:
Purchased a new Tactile Mariner with the Vintage Micarta scale ~ 6 weeks ago. Everything looked great, centering lockup ect. ect. Fondled it for a day or two, then pretty much put it away. It is still Jeans weather here in NE Ohio, so I’m still carrying my larger blades. I pulled the knife out last week, actually to sell, as I’m not really crazy about the blade shape, and the blade was slightly off center. Pulled the knife out last night and the blade was still slightly off center, fidgeted with for a while and the blade seemed to move farther off center, towards the Micarta side. I put the knife away and decided in the morning that I would disassemble, clean, degrease, lube and reassemble to see if that would cure the centering issue. I got up this morning and the blade was dead center, slow rolled it, and flicked it lots and the blade remained dead centered. Pocketed it for and hour or 2 and when I pulled it out, it was off center again. I’ve not messed with the pivot, as it doesn’t seem loose, there is no blade play or lock up issues. The Micarta is ~3/16 thick with no steel or Ti liner. So my question is will Micarta destabilize/flex/swell/shrink with temperature/humidity changes? This bugging the crap out of me because it isn’t a cheap knife, and at the price point I don’t think I should be having these centering issues.

TIA
Dave
Click to expand...
I had a Benchmade 710 (still have it) that used to change like that but it was the pivot action.
Take it off the table and blade drops and swings . Carry in pocket and the action would get sluggish / wouldn't drop with out some wrist . Put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes and she would free up again .
This was the higher end one with blue and black G-10 and M390 steel .
When they made that one they left out a spacer ~ half way along the length of the handle between the full steel liners there was even a hole where the spacer would attach in the liners . Once I made a spacer and inserted it and reassemble the knife the action is now perfect ALL THE TIME .

I know that doesn't apply exactly but . . .
I can commiserate .
Come to think of it now I think the original black 710 had a full back spacer and when they come up with Mr. Fancy they went with stand off(s) . And not enough of them / this 710 has a fairly long handle .

Maybe yours needs a back spacer rather than ?stand offs ?
 
The knife does have a back spacer so I don’t believe that is the issue.
IMG_2025-05-11-123150.jpeg

From playing with the knife a little more it may just be the machining of the Micarta. It is vintage old stock Micarta so tolerances within the slab may not be perfect. At some angles the blade looks centered and at others off center. Another issue I maybe having is that it appears that my stop pin maybe rotating when I cycle the blade, so that maybe another or the main reason why the blade centering appears to be changing.
 
I've had certain types of micarta warp and shrink.....in one case shrunk so badly you could slide 3 post it notes between the scale scale and bolster where it was completely tight the day before.
 
J. Doyle said:
I've had certain types of micarta warp and shrink.....in one case shrunk so badly you could slide 3 post it notes between the scale scale and bolster where it was completely tight the day before.
Click to expand...
What any of that real Micarta®?
 
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