Properties of micarta...

DH1

DH1

Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
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I got my first RAT blades today, and the RC 3 is the first knife I've owned with micarta handles. What's the general consensus on this kind of handle slabs? Do they deteriorate at all over time with exposure to moisture and dirt?

I must say the RC3 and Izula I got today are top notch knives. I did a bunch of research and pulled the trigger on these two recently and coulden't be happier.:thumbup:
 
I'm pretty sure Micarta lasts forever. If I understand it correctly, it's a base of (usually) either paper, linen, or canvas impregnated with a resin or plastic. I won't absorb water or oils. The oils from you hands may darken it, but with a little dish soap and warm water it will look like new. Congrats on your RATs!
 
The Micarta will most certainly outlast the blade, outlast the manufacturer, probably outlast us all.
 
I actually saw a guy with a little bale knife on his keychain that had micarta handles that were all chewed up on one side and shredded, but I think that falls outside the typical frame of usage. Getting constantly battered by keys does that to just about anything!
 
Micarta is a tremendously dense, stable material. Which is not subject to shrinking, craking etc.

It can be damaged by heat and pounding as well as abrasion, just like every other material out ther which must be able to formed into shape.

Under most conditions the micarta will outlast all of us put together.
 
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