DavidZ
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2004
- Messages
- 4,225
This is not something I ever gave any thought to, until recently. I just received a custom from a great maker. It is a beautiful knife, and as I was admiring it, I noticed a shiny spot in the G-10 handle. Looking closer at it, it became apparent that it was embedded foreign material - and it was not little. It even showed up in the photos the maker took and sent me when it was complete. I thought it was just surface dust on the picture, but it wasn't. I looked further, and spotted more, however smaller pieces throughout the one side of the handle slab. The other side did not have any. I did mention it to the maker, but I was still happy with the knife, and after waiting over a year, was glad to get it! I intend to use it, and as I hope that this does not effect the fit, form, or function of the knife, I am over it. But I happen to be browsing a very well known high end custom knife retail site, and come across this statement describing a custom / handmade high end knife:
The blade has a semi mirror finish and a full tapered tang. The micarta is very clean, no steel in it and has a red liner.
Huh??? Is this now a feature we can expect in our handle material so regularly that they now have to call it out as special when it is not there?
What gives? What are your experiences? I have never experienced this before, and have not heard that this is a problem with production knives, so what gives? Is it now common to accept this as normal? I know that the old Westinghouse micarta is hailed in song and lore, but the new g-10 / micarta manufacturers just can't keep the material clean, and the custom knife makers just let it go? A flaw in a natural material can be considered unaviodable, and even a feature, but this is a manufactured product where it can be prevented, eliminated and avoided. I just hope that the embedded steel is stainless, so the exposed areas do not rust. 
Curious in Pennsylvania.
The blade has a semi mirror finish and a full tapered tang. The micarta is very clean, no steel in it and has a red liner.
Huh??? Is this now a feature we can expect in our handle material so regularly that they now have to call it out as special when it is not there?
What gives? What are your experiences? I have never experienced this before, and have not heard that this is a problem with production knives, so what gives? Is it now common to accept this as normal? I know that the old Westinghouse micarta is hailed in song and lore, but the new g-10 / micarta manufacturers just can't keep the material clean, and the custom knife makers just let it go? A flaw in a natural material can be considered unaviodable, and even a feature, but this is a manufactured product where it can be prevented, eliminated and avoided. I just hope that the embedded steel is stainless, so the exposed areas do not rust. Curious in Pennsylvania.
