OPINIONS ON THE STRONGEST HANDLE MATERIAL

Cobalt

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Is it G-10, Carbon Fibre, Micarta, or what about G-11 which I have no idea as ti what that one is. What about other materials such as reinforced nylon or zytel etc. This would apply to folders or fixed blades. My personal preference is G-10.
 
I like titanium handles for being the strongest. G10 is also strong, but you need liners with it or else G10 is too flimsy. Zytel is very strong and really does not need liners, but it can also flex under extreme pressure, but not as easily as G-10.

Carbon fiber I would have to say is closer to G-10 for strength.

Micarta, again I feel needs liners to keep strong.

G-11, don't know!

And let's not forget about aircraft aluminum. Very strong .. most knives that support aluminum handles are thick.

I guess G-10 would be what I would pick after titanium and aluminum.

Mark

" Knife Collectors Are Sharp People
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[This message has been edited by Mark W Douglas (edited 26 January 1999).]
 
Strider (Bob) is right. Fixed blades are the strongest and folding knives with integral locks would come next. So far there are only a few folders with the integral locks. Can't seem to find one with the right combination of handle thickness, blade shape/length, & blade steel yet that I really like
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I only like locking folders, fixed knives are too impractical for me to carry around every where.

Mark

" Knife Collectors Are Sharp People
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[This message has been edited by Mark W Douglas (edited 26 January 1999).]
 
G-11 is glass-filled epoxy, similar to G-10 but with more glass which makes it stronger.

The strongest handle material is unquestionably steel -- make the knife all in one piece. The same applies to folding knives as to real knives; a steel handle is unquestionably the strongest, but obviously the joint is the weak point anyway; there's no point in going overboard strengthening one link of a chain.

The trouble with steel is the weight. If you make it big enough to fill the hand it's going to be very heavy even with holes drilled in it, and if you make it thin enough to balance the blade it's not going to be pleasant to work with for long at a time -- strength isn't the only consideration in choosing a handle material.

Wrapping the handle of an all-steel knife is one solution, but paracord wrapping is not the most durable kind of handle around -- though many of us don't care because we can rewrap it in just a couple of minutes.

I like to wrap with continuous half hitches, using mason's cord which is much smaller than paracord. The knots make a spiral pattern that aids grip, and it holds up much better than a plain wrap.

Then there are Mad Dog's bulletproof handles. He uses a glass-filled epoxy that's even stronger than G-11. If I recall the test correctly, pistol bullets bounced off with barely noticeable surface damage and a high-powered rifle bullet wreaked havoc -- that's comparable to bullet-proof vests. Solid steel is even stronger, of course, but that's strong enough for most of us.
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-Cougar Allen :{)

 
Barring steel, I gotta second the Dogs' composite. I've seen it hammer nails from the flat side of the handle without even a ding.

Derek
 
I would have to say that the strongest handle material isnot the issue, but the material that gives the best grip when finished, since ti or steel liners provide all the strength you need.

And the strongest foding knife is a butterfly knife.

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Patiently waiting for the Spyderco SpydeRench, Lum Chinese Chopper Folder, Rolling Lock Martial Folder, Shabaria and JD Smith, heck if it si from Spyderco I'm anxious; REKAT Escalator and Pat Crawford design.

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