micarta vs. G10

spyken

spyken

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help, I've never handled micarta and I am considering getting a blade with black micarta handles. How does it feel / perform, as compared to G10?

as a reference, I have only handled Emerson's G10 (I like it).
is it more expensive than micarta?
does micarta "look" more polished / better?

I intend to use it as a tactical/utility blade within dry as well as humid/damp/wet conditions. What would be a better choice?

many thanks.
 
Hey Ken...

What kind of Micarta ?

Canvas, linen, paper, rag ? :)

I would think canvas would have the better grip in wet conditions..

ttyle

Eric...
 
as far as expense, when your making a knife, micarta tends to be a little more if that. the way the handle is finished has much to do with which is appropriate. micarta with a sanblast makes a good gripping handle. G-10 unpolished makes a good secure handle. Both materials are strong, g-10 will take more of a beating, the micarta is hard, nut tends to be more brittle than g-10. you can never go wrong with either one as far as the use your looking for. eric is right if your going to go with micarta canvas would be the best choice. with either material if you scratch it uo it can be easily sanded out.
 
what about that "wood grain" look that micarta handles seem to have (based on pictures I see on the website - Bob Dozier's knives, Busse, etc). Does micarta have to look like that? I much prefer lightly textured surface (like the G10 in Emerson. looks more tactical) - can micarta have a lightly textured surface without the "wood grain" look?
 
The wood grain look shows up the most with linen micarta. Its made of strips of linen compressed with resin. When you machine it and polish it the different layers show.
If you get a bead blast finish it won't show up as much.
Canvas micarta doesn't seem to show it as much because the canvas seems to be alot more coarse, its probably the best for grip.
Paper micarta can take a really fine polish and not show the layers very much.
 
G-10 is a rubberized plastic that makes a good handle because its strong, resiliant, and can be textured to produce a secure grip under many conditions. Micarta is much more elegant. It can be shaped more easily, textured (by different grades of sandpaper as well as from its original substrate) in many different ways, and seems altogether more like a good wood. It also exhibits an interesting property (almost all of the micartas do this) of becoming more grippy when wet, a very nice property in a knife handle! Micarta might not be as resiliant as G-10 under heavy impact, but unless you slam your handles into rock a lot, you'll like micarta a lot better than G-10
 
I've handled a Spydie Bob Lum fixed blade that features black linen micarta... it's quite smooth actually and I have reservations about its "grippiness"
 
I have never had a problem with Micarta becoming slippery. No matter how wet my hand got.

G-10 is not a rubberized plastic. It is many layers of fiberglass cloth impregnated with epoxy and baked under thousands of pounds of pressure. The fibers in the fiberglass cloth are run crossways and this in combination with the epoxy make for a very durable material.

Micarta is made in much the same way, but uses paper or cloth instead of fiberglass. It also is made with phenolic resin instead of epoxy. Micarta is softer than G-10 and will scratch easier.

Micarta and G-10 are both Nema Grade Industrial Laminates. Paper Micarta is Nema X, Cotton Micarta(canvas or linen) is Nema CE & LE and G-10 is Nema G-10.

I know, :yawn: :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Keith Montgomery
G-10 is not a rubberized plastic. It is many layers of fiberglass cloth impregnated with epoxy and baked under thousands of pounds of pressure. The fibers in the fiberglass cloth are run crossways and this in combination with the epoxy make for a very durable material.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I was just going to say that! G10 is fiberglass! Nice strong stuff!
 
I'm bringing this topic bttt.

Do you prefer micarta or g-10? Why?
 
I think Micarta can look much nicer, comes in more varity of colors. I think the strength difference between Micarta and G10 is negligible. How many people have actually "broken" a g10 or micarta handle? I have hardly chipped either, and I have dropped/hit my knifes handles on things several times.
Also, why would canvas micarta be "grippier"? My understanding is the base material difference is primarily aesthetic- cotton, linen, paper, canvas- and the texture has to do with how it is finished. Would bead blasted paper micrata really be less grippy than polished canvas micarta? Would bead blasted canvas micarta be "grippier" than bead blasted paper micarta?
May be it is only me, however micarta feels "grippier" when it gets wet than it appears- this is true even for smooth micarta in my experience.
Martin
 
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