Snakeskin Quesion for Busse Staff

[mike biz]

I just received my first Busse, a CGFBM (OD/Snakeskin) and let me tell you that combo is SWEET! IMO it is the sickest combo available. Thanks Busse Crew.

So here's my question. Prior to receiving this blade I ordered a BATAC in the same color combo the morning they were released. Looking at the pics of the BATAC on the Busse homepage and a pic of the SJTAC (see attached pic) I'm confused as to why the handles on these two models are so pale when compared to my CGFBM. A pic of my handle scales can be seen here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=440599&page=9
POST #173

My scales are beautiful and dark contrasting extremely well with the OD blade finish. I haven't oiled them or darkened them. This is the way they came out of the box. Conversely, the slabs on the BATAC and SJTAC seem extremely pale in color. The tan shade looks almost yellow and the darkish green almost seafoam in appearance. I know that Snakeskin is rather variable in color, but would you say that the paleness is an artifact of the way the photo was taken (lighting, etc) or its reproduction on the webpage? I hope that my BATAC looks like my FBM. I don't think the pale Snakeskin will do this awesome knife and color combination justice. To be quite honest it looks pretty strange.

Thanks for your time and help. Can't wait to get some more Busses.

 

[CorporalChaos]

Snakeskin varies quite a bit. One guy bought three SS FBM's, and they were all a slightly different shade.

 

[mike biz]

I'm sure that slight variation is common, but to be honest these BATAC/SJTAC scales and my FBM scales look like two completely different things. I find that a little odd.

 

[CorporalChaos]

If I had to guess, I'd say it probably has something to do with the way it gets milled, but I admit I don't really know.:foot:

 

[Last Visible Canary]

Part of the reason why there's a pattern variance in the snakeskin micarta is becuase your cutting into different parts of a layered fabric block. If you cut it so the waved patter is dead center of the black part of the block pattern, you'll see mostly black with peices of yellow, or if you cut in the center of the yellow portion, you'll see mostly yellow with peices of red showing through.

While I'm sure that there is some color changine inherent in colored micarta that's been sun bleached, I'm not sure as to how big of a varience you could expect from the same color from knife to knife, from sheat to sheat of micarta.


It's also worth noting that photography can lie. If the white balance is off, you can make a perfectly green blade look yellow, or make the white portions of the micarta appear deep blue. Likewise, if you have a glare coming from a source of light, you will induce a "low contrast" area over the surface of your area, making it so that what would normally be deep contrastic colors show up pale and barely saturated with color.

This is mostly just topical reasons why they might appear different (but actually arent). I dont know why some tan scales different different color tones/color saturations then other tan scales on the same knife series. I think you'd have to ask the people who made the micarta more then asking jerry or anyone at the busse compound. (Unless they know the answer )