Synthetic Handle Material

[Morrow]

When did synthetic material start being used for knife handles? I'm sure I could get an answer in Mr. Levine's forum but thought I would try here first.

 

[comoha]

Good question.
Would celluloid be considered synthetic? If so I have a little swayback thats closing in on 100 years old.
Or do you mean delrin, micarta, G10, and such?

 

[Morrow]

Good question.
Would celluloid be considered synthetic? If so I have a little swayback thats closing in on 100 years old.
Or do you mean delrin, micarta, G10, and such?

I mean anything man made....celluloid definitely qualifies.

 

[JD Mandrell]

Might be celluloid, but Case IIRC was also using a black synthetic handle pretty early also.

 

[wintermute]

I'd be curious to know if micarta was used at all "back in the day"

 

[Zuchus]

Anyone know if bakelite was ever used?

 

[Ice Tigre]

I remember this coming up before(probably in Mr. Levine's forum), and early rubber being mentioned, around the mid 1800s... And IIRC Celluloid followed soon after...

G.

 

[John L]

Gutta percha was early....a rubber like material

 

[FLymon]

Mummification in Egypt dates back to at least 3100 BC...

"The final step was carefully binding the body with narrow strips of cloth. The long pieces of linen were layered and glued together with a resin like solution. After twenty layers the body was entirely cocooned in what was like a fibreglass case."

I am still googling to see if they used their resin soaked linen for anything else, like knife handles, and would that be synthetic enough?

 

[DennisStrickland]

gutta percha & bakelite were used way back. gutta may date to 1800s. celluloid was 1st used on straight razors , maybe before 1870. celluloid is great if it doe'st fume. i've had many razors made with it that dated earlier than 1890.

 

[Sword and Shield]

Rubber easily goes back to the Civil War. Gutta-percha is a little earlier.

 

[Ice Tigre]

Gutta percha was early....a rubber like material

Thats the one i was remembering!

G.

 

[comoha]

Interesting history on gutta-percha here. It should be noted that it is of natural derivation, so can't really be classified as "synthetic".
http://www.bouncing-balls.com/serendipity/gutta.htm

 

[smiling-knife]

Here is a link that provides loads of information on rubber, plastics and various synthetic materials.

http://www.plastiquarian.com/index.php?id=4&osCsid=15ea42c03992923bd58716f5c471178b&pcon=

 

[Will Power]

Most informative link s-k:thumbup:

Was fascinated by some of the substances notably the Bois Durci. Made of powdered wood and blood from abbatoirsmoulded under pressure as a substitute for most organic materials. Congealed blood anyone for your next custom scales?:barf:

 

[comoha]

I'll pass on the "scab" scales. :barf: