so... what exactly IS G10?

tipoc said:
The answer to this depends on what standards one has for "Premium".

For centuries the most common material for handles on knives and scales on folding blades was horn, bone or wood. Stag or horn grips became rare and expensive. Wood and bone are still available and widely used but can be a bit more expensive, can be heavy and can react poorly to moisture and chemicals. Leather has also been used. They can shrink with age or swell with water, etc.

Various plastics were tried in the post war period but these were generally less useful than wood or bone. But the experimentation led to the use of other materials some of which are widely used today.

Zytel is a fiberglass reinforced nylon. Less expensive than wood, bone or metal it is light weight, cheap to make, easy to work with, tough, and resists moisture. Many knife companies use it today. Exposure to some chemicals will over time cause it to fall apart (acetone, certain cutting oils, etc.).

Westinghouse Micarta has gained wide acceptance as a handle material. This began some decades back on knives. Impervious to chemicals, extremely tough, inexpensive, light weight and fairly easy to machine. It is available in a number of colors and can be polished or left rough. It is a high pressure laminate made of a composite of canvas or cotton cloth, fiberglass or carbon fiber which are layered together and baked under pressure. Very durable.

G-10 is a descendant of Micarta in that it is also a laminate baked under high pressure. It is a part of the FR-4 family of materials. It is made of woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy resins. It is easy to dye the material to achieve different colors. It is as tough as Micarta.

Carbon Fiber is more recent and is made of very thin strands of woven carbon fibers in a plastic resin. It is tough and very light weight.

These are all man made materials which are less expensive to make than aluminum, steel or titanium. They are not as tough as those metals. They are today the most common though.

Look around at pics of knives and note the different types of handle materials and how they are used. It is worth it to note the different textures and colors you can get with G-10 or Micarta. Both of which, on knives, are near indestructible.

I didn't mention resin impregnated wood which is also used today. But that's a different topic, maybe.

tipoc
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Really great answer! I myself have wanted to see a breakdown like this for years. I have a basic understanding of each of these but not nearly as detailed. Thanks for the info. :thumbup:
 
Skimming through the responses, I don't think anyone has mentioned that G10 is very stiff. I'd read Mick Strider saying his frame locks with titanium with G10 scale/spacer are stiffer and more stable than all titanium.
 
Chuck Bybee said:
One important safety tip:
Always wash your hands BEFORE using the restroom. This is a mistake you will only make once!
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LOL, :eek: I'll bet!

So I'm curious, I like to work on my projects in the garage and due to the winds and how my house is located, things tend to blow through the garage and into the house instead of blowing out the garage door. And I'm not very comfortable with the idea of the dust getting into the house. It's probably a small amount at the most and am I being too paranoid?
 
Here is a bit more material from Spyderco...

http://spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/glossary.php?filter=handle

One other point I shoulda mentioned. G-10 and Carbon Fiber are very stain resistant. Over time and use they will show wear but they are both extremely wear resistant.

Micarta, due to the cotton or linen cloth that is a part of it, will show stain. The oils from your hand, certain chemicals, blood, etc. can stain it over time. Some find this attractive. Ivory colored Micarta can take on the tones of actual ivory and some versions can take on a wood like coloring. Micarta is a bit less wear resistant than G10 in my experience.

Carbon fiber is more expensive than G-10 or Micarta. Also more expensive than some metals. I was unclear on this in that earlier post.

All these materials also are used on hand gun grips.

tipoc
 
See also the sticky on the maintenance forum about modern composite handle materials. Micarta is a trade name that has grown to cover a family of related products. The original micarta materials used a phenolic resin and fibers from organic cloth or paper, two separate products with different appearance and behavior.
 
dsmegst said:
So I'm curious, I like to work on my projects in the garage and due to the winds and how my house is located, things tend to blow through the garage and into the house instead of blowing out the garage door. And I'm not very comfortable with the idea of the dust getting into the house. It's probably a small amount at the most and am I being too paranoid?
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I try very hard to clean up the tools and shop before going into the house. I do not want the dust in my house. More importantly my wife does not like the dust.

When finished working G10 I go straight into the laundry. The clothes go into the washer and I get in the shower. I'm always surprised by the quantity of dust in my hair.
 
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