Tiger Hide Handle

DavidZ

DavidZ

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2004
Messages
4,284
I have a FBMLE with the Tiger hide handle. When it is wet from rain, or when I am washing it, the handle looks better. The "grain" of the Micarta is more visible. After drying, it fades back out. I have never had this happen to any of my other micarta handles. Does anyone seal their handle with something that would keep the color showing, and keep the water out? It almost looks like the water it actually penetrating the Micarta. Which I always thought was impossible.
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks,
 
Shaolin said:
I hear mineral, vegetable, or baby oil is also good.
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Mineral oil :thumbup: It won't go rancid on you, its food safe... and its not permanent, so it will fade over time or with a quick wash in soap & water.

Veggie oil will go rancid and stink... and baby oil has fragrance.
But if you like your knives to have that baby fresh sent, well. ;)

Or... you could use it and with time it will take on a really nice coloration from the oils in your hand. :)

.
 
You mean like this:

Busse-LE_4a.jpg


(thanks to Jaxx for the pic)

Check this: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=539278
 
Thanks for the recommendations. I want to seal it as well, so my hand sweat, oils, salt etc. doesn't affect it.
 
If I'm not mistaken, New (a member here who hasn't been around too much lately) did just that to his FBMLE. He found a way to seal the oil into the slabs, but I don't remember what he used. You might be able to find it if you do a search.
 
Thanks - I have mineral oil, so I will do that first. Then I will get some silicone.
Dave.
 
If you oil the micarta then wipe it with an absorbent cloth or paper towel it stays nice and grippy like micarta should. If you go and put silicone on it it'll be super slick, perhaps dangerous when wet. Just something to think about.
 
JWBirch said:
If you oil the micarta then wipe it with an absorbent cloth or paper towel it stays nice and grippy like micarta should. If you go and put silicone on it it'll be super slick, perhaps dangerous when wet. Just something to think about.
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I would agree with this as well.
 
I believe that mineral oil reacts with the micarta and releases dangerous carcinogens. I have a sanitary landfill that I've set aside for people to dispose of this hazardous waste. I think you should immediately send me your knives for proper disposal.

TC
 
I tried the mineral oil. You were correct, it doesn't last. Time to try something else.
Maybe a tung oil, or Danish oil.
 
I'd be careful with tung oil, it likely won't penetrate the micarta as well as wood and could polymerize on the surface of the micarta. It would be a pain in the neck to keep up with wiping the beads off for the first 24hrs if you didn't want to end up with a rough finish, and tung oil usually leaves a tacky finish. Danish oil, I believe, has some eurathane in it, which makes it a good sealer, and brings me to my next thought: Why not seal it with what we use to seal everything else: Polyeurathane? Only downside is it's not a natural material and it will slowly rub off onto your hands, but it cures pretty stable and would degrade slowly. If going that route, I would do three coats of mineral oil with 24hrs between each coat, really soaking the handle with lots of oil each time. Once the handle is fully saturated, (and after a final 24 hr drying period), apply two coats of polyeurathane. Personally, I wouldn't use eurathane myself as I don't like a toxic plastic rubbing off on my hands, but that's just me, I like to be very natural about things.
 
Balislinger said:
I'd be careful with tung oil, it likely won't penetrate the micarta as well as wood and could polymerize on the surface of the micarta. It would be a pain in the neck to keep up with wiping the beads off for the first 24hrs if you didn't want to end up with a rough finish, and tung oil usually leaves a tacky finish.
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If you were to thin the tung oil 1/1 with mineral spirits it would probably soak in nicely.
 
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