Oiled Micarta

Dair

Dair

Joined
Mar 14, 2017
Messages
98
I've been considering greased grips...
Anyone keep their scales oiled?
Any pics?
 
I have done it. I give em a wipe down with boiled linseed oil when I get them.

Micarta darkens over time as it absorbs oils from your hands, grease from whatever you are cooking over he fire etc... for the most part it's nonporous. But the fuzzy ends do absorb, so I get a jump on it by loading them with BLO. It means there's less opportunity for other crap to soak in.
I also find it makes them easier to clean, and gives a more even darkening.

I'm no scientist, so I don't know if what I'm doing is effective at all but until I know otherwise, it makes me feel better.
 
Blues Bender said:
This makes no sense. Just use the knife and the oils from your hands will naturally make the micarta look "oiled".
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That's where i'm at, i got tired of scrubbing my grips every time i use my knife so i thought to just let it be,
but there's a lot of area my hands don't get to, so instead of carefully grinding my sweaty palms into it, i figure
oiling it up would be easier and more effective. Seems more sanitary and aesthetically pleasing.
 
I have even a more fundamental question since I have never owned nor seen a micarta handled knife; what is the attraction to it say over g10? Toughness, looks, weight, or what?
 
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Mrgauth said:
I have even a more fundamental question since I have never owned nor seen a micarta handled knife; what is the attraction to it say over g10? Toughness, looks, weight, or what?
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Micarta has a "warm" feel to it unless it's polished. Then it feels like G10 to me. I don't think either is more durable than the other.
 
19-3ben said:
I have done it. I give em a wipe down with boiled linseed oil when I get them.

Micarta darkens over time as it absorbs oils from your hands, grease from whatever you are cooking over he fire etc... for the most part it's nonporous. But the fuzzy ends do absorb, so I get a jump on it by loading them with BLO. It means there's less opportunity for other crap to soak in.
I also find it makes them easier to clean, and gives a more even darkening.

I'm no scientist, so I don't know if what I'm doing is effective at all but until I know otherwise, it makes me feel better.
Click to expand...
I think you're right on track with your "treatment" plan for micarta. If you use a micarta handled knife for a lot of food prep or sanitary activities, you'd like to have control of the stability of the oils that penetrate and seal the porous material. Your trick with linseed oil puts you in control of what "adds character" to your micarta. Not only that, but most natural lipids (animal and vegetable fats) will behave differently over a fairly narrow range of temperatures. What feels dry and stable under cold conditions may feel slick and oily under hot conditions. Linseed oil is a good choice, as would be a high grade mineral oil as they have a fairly flat temperature viscosity response over the typical service temperatures.

I've never done what you're describing but it does kinda make sense.
 
Hackenslash said:
Linseed oil is a good choice, as would be a high grade mineral oil as they have a fairly flat temperature viscosity response over the typical service temperatures.
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Exactly the reason I use BLO. Now, mind you BLOnis not food safe the way linseed oil or tung oil would be.
But once it polymerizes, the stuff is very stable.
I'm a woodworker by hobby and I've always treated micarta a bit like wood, in that I load it with BLO to seal off those pores and prevent other crud from doing it. It I can seal with a safe and stable product, why not?
 
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