Paper Micarta for handle?

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Ken H>

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Hello all, my BIL has asked me to make him a petty chef using Micarta for the handle. I've never used micarta, and looking I see paper, linen, and canvas micarta. Paper is much less expensive - how good it is? Is paper micarta fully suitable for a kitchen knife?

Looking for suggestions and advice. Perhaps G10 might be better? What about DUPONT CORIAN? How is it to work?

Thanks to all for any suggestions and guidance,
Ken H>
 
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Corian makes a nice handle. I would prefer G10 to paper micarta but I don't see any reason any of the choices you listed wouldn't be suitable.

Pick Corian or paper if you want clean solid color. G10, linen or canvas if you want texture or "wood grain" appearance.
 
Thanks for the input - paper sounds like it might be pretty good. The price is right anyway. Corian is also decent priced. just wasn't sure how easy it would be to work.
 
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G10 is the best of all. It's easy to work with too, but will dull your blades or end mills pretty fast. I like micarta better, as it feels warmer in the hand and is a more organic material... and is prettier IMO due to the cloth grain. I've used paper as full handles and quite a lot as bolsters, you have to shape it with sharp belts so it does not scorch, and carefully hand sand it to a fine finish and buff with a light compound if using white. The same holds true for light colored G10. You'll think it's irreparably smudged and dull looking but when you get it up to 1000 grit, no coarse scratches, throw a little light oil on and give it a light buff with pink campound or what have you, it'll come out beautiful.
 
I have done several handles with Corian as the handle and it works pretty good. Hit up a builder you know and see if they know someone that has any sink cut outs lying around. Usually they get tired of keeping them and end up throwing them away after they get tired of making little projects out of them.
 
Thanks for all the info - this gives me info to provide BIL so choose what he will want. This is planned for a Christmas gift so not rushing. He requested and thinks he'll pay me to build knife, but it will be a gift.

Thanks again for all the info - ya'll are the greatest at sharing knowledge.

Ken H>
 
Of the materials I offer that are heat and resin cures the one most selected for Kitchen Knives is RED Linen Micarta. I get plenty of wood orders, but for some reason the Red Linen just stands out it's classy and polishes nice with a wood look so people often ask what type wood it is.
 
I used to worry that paper micarta would be the most absorbent of the bunch, but after 2 years with a white paper micarta paring knife in the kitchen, it sure seems to be a good kitchen material! Perhaps the fibers are smallest and most densely packed. It shows a lot less texture than linen and canvas.

I don't like shaping large blocks of G10, but small pieces make impervious bolsters for kitchen knives.
 
I like black paper micarta bolsters. Sanded to 1000 or so with 6 coats of tru oil. They have a rich satin look to them.
 
Paper micarta is generally more smooth. Or it is easier to put a polished finish on. It is plenty tough though. Not liable to break at all!
 
Some paper micarta will absorb moisture, and is pretty sensitive to grinding or sawing heat. I got back a knife to tune up, that had been out in the field for a couple years... it had a tan paperstone handle, which was fine (a type of paper micarta) and a black paper micarta bolster, and the bolster had grown in size relative to the handle- enough that it was proud all the way around and quite noticeable to the touch. Additionally, small delam/surface cracking was evident on the top and bottom edges. Since it looked fine when it went out, I can only surmise that flaws either extant in the material to begin with, or introduced during cutting or shaping of the material, became exacerbated through time and wash cycles.
The point of all that, I'm now even more careful to use only sharp blades and belts, and I've stopped using that piece of material- I'd say just observe your specific materials over time if possible to learn how good they are. A soak test might be in order.
 
I'm a big fan of paper. It finishes to nice gloss and has a classic look. It isn't fancy but it's tough and will work great for a kitchen knife.
 
I'm still following this thread and gaining knowledge. Salem, your comments were my concern, the "paper" is what concerned me, but the paper is totally soaked in resin..... Thanks again for all the comments. I guess it all comes down to how well made the paper micarta is, vs linen vs canvass.

Ken H>
 
Salem's description is why I prefer G10 for bolsters. sanding down a swollen handle to match the bolster is easier than cleaning up a bolster that may have grown in many directions, including toward the blade and at the ricasso. And G10 obviously won't tarnish like brass either. The bolster seems to take the brunt of moisture from use and washing. Then the rest of the handle could be whatever you want, and less likely to grow in a troublesome way. Of course for slab scales, this might be more trouble.

This one is a 3-layer G10 bolster with canvas micarta for the rest:

IMG_20160120_094309-small.jpg
 
The paper based materials tend to be more fragile than linen or canvas. This shows up for me when it breaks from machining forces similar to wood where the other micartas and G10 are much stronger. Like wood, it can split with the grain. This may be moot for your application, but I don't use it for that reason.
 
Based on all I've read from ya'll, I think I'll pass on the paper micarta, maybe stay with Linen... perhaps with G10 bolster.
 
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