The secret of snakeskin

moonwilson

moonwilson

Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
7,250
Howdy folks, I just received my first knife with snakeskin, a CGFBM "mudsnake" and man, is it beautiful. After looking closely at the snakeskin slabs, it looks as if it is made of alternating layers of canvas, linen and paper micarta. The "red" color that pops through so clearly, that makes the snake look so awesome, is almost certainly paper micarta. The black is clearly linen, and the tan looks to be a fine-woven canvas. Is that the secret?

Is that why snakeskin hasn't been properly duplicated? Because nobody has figured out how to get the three different kinds of micarta to work together properly? None of the tigerhide I have ever seen even comes close to the beauty of snakeskin. And I have always assumed that tigerhide was the results of one of the snakeskin-replication experiments. But tigerhide is simply alternating layers of same-type micarta, it doesn't mix it up like real snake does.

Does anyone have any insight?
 
I've heard there was an accident that involved Scotch, micarta, and a flock of emu (not confirmed). Suddenly, snakeskin started coming out of the Shop.

I don't question it. I just snatch up what I can.
 
Have you ever heard of Jerry letting us in on a secret? Unlike me he is very tightlipped.:p. Nothing a big bottle of JWB can't cure.:D
 
mike biz said:
Have you ever heard of Jerry letting us in on a secret? Unlike me he is very tightlipped.:p. Nothing a big bottle of JWB can't cure.:D
Click to expand...

There are very specific and costly (economically, chronologically and dimensionally speaking) ways to get Jerry to even give you a sliver of a peek into the goings on behind the scenes. I can't remember all the details, but it is almost like being an Alchemist, instead of gold you hope to yield insight.
 
For that matter, is anyone brave enough to cut up a piece of snakeskin and see the layers? It would seem like you could make a reasonable approximation if you knew the layer composition and thicknesses. Then again, Jerry said a few professionals tried and couldn't get it to come out....

May be one of the long-standing Busse mysteries, along with the release date for the folder and the actual length of "two weeks" in earth standard time.
 
Hi Tohatchi, nobody needs to cut the snakeskin, it's already been cut! You can see the layers pretty clearly, at least on my mudsnake. In the raptor pattern, it is easy to see the layer composition, which you can follow down the side and literally count what is what.

On my slabs, the pattern goes:

RP, BL
RP, TC
RP, BL x3
RP, TC
RP, BL x3

(RP= red paper, BL= black linen, TC= tan canvas)

There appears to be a layer of red paper in between each layer of linen or canvas. The red only "pops" when you get to the layer in between the black paper and the tan linen- ie: the lighter color of the tan canvas shows through and makes it pop. The red linen is somewhat translucent.

If I had access to the proper equipment, I'd like to see if I could make a super-snakeskin G10 hybrid. Since G10 and micarta use the same polymer in their construction, (phenolic resin) why not throw layers of fiberglass cloth into the mix, and make the stuff really pop? That would be nice. If you could mix the best properties of G10 and micarta, that would be an amazing handle material. The warm, organic feel of micarta plus the intense colors of G10 in alternating rows. Mmmmmm. Nice.
 
jerry sent me a few peices of snakeskin, so i can try to match it..... still loking for one color of the canvas.... but i am fairly sure i have it down.

as far as i know the shop is just about out of snakeskin.... i hope to have a batch ready by march
 
gimmejr said:
Snakeskin, the limited supply that actually never runs out. :D
Click to expand...

You know, there has been less and less snakeskin coming out of the shop. LE's used to be snake. Now, they're tiger hide.

Not even offered as an option on the ASH-1.

I had a chance to replace the tan/snake SJTAC I sold to JohnTheTexican (probably my only INFI regret), but funds were stretched for other INFI at the time. One of these days... maybe I'll even find one of the DC/snake versions.
 
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