Pearl Mica Knife Scales

[HOE3]

Hello All,

I am not a knifemaker, just a collector. I have come across some folders that are advertised as having "pearl mica" scales. Is this some kind of manmade material akin to "for-mica"? I researched "mica" and now know that it is a mineral used in many applications including eye shadow for our pretty ladies. I just want to know if these knives made with a quality scale material because they are priced at a premium for sure!

thanks!!

 

[Whoever Wherever]

Pearl, abalone, and mop are all made into composite sheets that are easier to work with and alot cheaper. Even a sheet of abalone composite is not cheap. A real piece of top quality abalone would be a ton of money. They knives in question seem to have the composite. This in itself is not a bad thing but if they are priced in the 4 digit range I would be looking for real handle mats. If it is a 300-400 dollar maker made knife with a damascus blade or great design and the fit and finish is high then thats not unreasonable to be using the composites for ablone in that range IMO. If the handle is just cultured pearls ground up and mixed into a composite it shouldnt be a very expensive handle mat though. Hope this helped some.