scales sanitiary for camp use?

I

ipm

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Feb 26, 2009
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Are canvas micarta (or similar) scales sanitiary for camp use in general?

I am interested in particular in RAT/ESEE scales.

Are they porous (retain/soak up liquid - and bacteria) and can they be sanatized for food use via boiling etc?

Is boiling the way to think about this or is there a better way?
 
Canvas micarta will definitely soak up liquids, but I've never let that keep me from cutting a sandwich with a micarta handled blade. I'm not exactly what you'd call a germophobe, though.
 
I don't think this is your hobby if you ARE a germophobe, but I personally have never got sick from preparing a meal with micarta or G10 scaled knives. They are pretty easy to keep relatively clean, you can wash them with soap and water. I wouldn't boil micarta, not sure how that would affect it...
 
There are some makers who seem to seal or buff out their micarta handles. But G10 is primo as it is non-porous.

Alcohol wipes will work.

I would think that snythetic materials would be more resistant to germs, etc then organic materials???
 
nobody got dead from using knife in kitchen duty.

Screw the microbes. We're higher on the evolutionary chain...well, most of us.
 
wash it in the same water as the rest of your kitchenware - dawn dish soap and an old toothbrush will bring grungy micarta back to life.
 
Knife handle of frequently used one is covered with bacterias those are good for health.
Those bacterias never allow other malicious bacterias to grow.

Knives neglected will grow bad bacterias :D
 
12345678910 said:
If that scales are epoxied on , the boiling will release the epoxy.
Click to expand...

Really? I never thought that epoxy was that bad on temperature resistance. All the info I can find on a google search suggests that epoxy is good to over 170deg celcius or higher - depending on the particular epoxy. I don't think that the temperature of boiling water (100deg C) is going to cause a problem - but if anyone has information that suggests otherwise then they should let the forum know before someone wrecks a knife.
 
Gadgetaholic said:
Really? I never thought that epoxy was that bad on temperature resistance. All the info I can find on a google search suggests that epoxy is good to over 170deg celcius or higher - depending on the particular epoxy. I don't think that the temperature of boiling water (100deg C) is going to cause a problem - but if anyone has information that suggests otherwise then they should let the forum know before someone wrecks a knife.
Click to expand...

I have boiled knives to release the epoxy when re-handling and refurbishing on a number of occasions. Ten minutes at a roiling boil usually allows me to pull the scales off with a pair of pliers.

Depends on the epoxy type, though. Some are more heat resistant than others.

Best,

- Mike
 
Any moisture absorption on micarta will likely be just a surface issue with the exposed canvas or linen fibers, the resin that bonds the fibers is impervious. Simple soap and water or alcohol wipes, as already mentioned, will work fine to keep the handle clean...at least as clean as the hands of the user :-) Boiling is not recommended as was also pointed out, it will soften most of the common epoxies and it's unnecessary.
 
not much to worry about with g10, that's correct. fabric based micarta variants , depends on what you are up to.

I've never had a problem with any of them.

options:

1: a linseed oil soak for several hours, followed by a light wipe down and 3-5 days of curing time will help with other liquids soaking in.

2: don't boil.

3: soap and water, as with first aid, are your best tools

4: if you are really worried about contamination, gritty stuff stuck to the corners of the blade/handle junction, or in the grind corners or whatever- much bigger worry.

5: Yuji is right- sterility isn't gonna happen, so keep the balance healthy by just using the knife with regular, normal wipedowns. And don't let the guts of your last deer rot on the handle :D
 
In my experience properly made laminates will not allow anything to soak in and with proper care will be perfectly food safe. Even more so than unsealed wood.

(BTW, Micarta and G10 being tradenames for a particular product, I could no sooner make micarta than I could make tissue paper and call it Kleenex or make copy machines and call them Xeroxes)

In general, the micartas and other laminates are essentially reinforced blocks of cured resins*, much like concrete by itself is somewhat brittle, so is epoxy.

By adding various substrates, the mechanical properties of cured resins are improved dramatically. Just like adding rebar or wire mesh to concrete.

That being said, most resins when cured are perfectly food safe. A block of cured resin will not allow anything to soak in. Properly made composites will not allow anything to soak in either. This is simply because the resin will fully saturate, then completely encapsulate all the fibers of the substrate (whatever cloth or fibers are used). If a material (eg; cotton fibers) allows a liquid to "wick" into it, the epoxy* resin will fill it when liquid and seal those fibers when cured. Some fibers will not "wick" liquids at all: an example of these would be fiberglass or carbon fiber.

Keep in mind, when a knife maker wants to remove a handle without damaging the steel or slabs they will boil it to soften the epoxy holding the pins and scales in place. So I recommend strongly against boiling your knives or putting them in the dishwasher.

*(or polyester or vinylester or other resins)


So, This was a lot to say that it is a non-issue for the most part. Just keep your handles clean like you would any other cooking tools
 
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