what is all the hype about micarta?

J

Jersey Drew

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Feb 9, 2022
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i drank the kool aid and now have my first micarta scale knife. it just arrived and i am looking at it playing with it for the first time. i have not decided to like or unlike it before i give it a fair shake but first impression out of the box is it looks like dried cardboard!
 
What is it you were expecting to happen, exactly? There's a bunch of different types of micarta and it's made in varying quality. Assuming it isn't terrible quality, it machines well and can polish nicely with an attractive grain based on the fabric used to make it. It's durable, waterproof, nonreactive.

But angels don't sing to you every time you use it.
 
It has a better feel and grip than G10 while being almost as strong and durable. It also usually has more visual interest too. It looks and feels best when contoured though, where G10 works well when textured on flat slabs.
 
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Micarta checks a lot of boxes and can come in many different forms. Personally, I find it typically better looking than 90% of the G10 out there while retaining most of the durability that G10 is famous for. It is also 'warmer' in the hand than metal scales, light weight on the order of CF, and it has good grip on your hands without being too shreddy on your pockets like some aggressively textured G10 can be. When done well it really is a fantastic scale material.
 
Jersey Drew said:
i drank the kool aid and now have my first micarta scale knife. it just arrived and i am looking at it playing with it for the first time. i have not decided to like or unlike it before i give it a fair shake but first impression out of the box is it looks like dried cardboard!
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There are plenty of handle materials that look better. There are few or none that provide a better grip when wet. Function is what it's all about!
 
Polymer, fiberglass reinforced nylon, Grivory, stabilized wood, G-10, Micarta, and others are all essentially plastic. Some are just nicer plastic. As has been mentioned, Micarta, like a lot of these materials are of varying quality. I do like nice Micarta though.
 
I like well done micarta. Example, the burlap scales on my PM2 are fantastic, my canvas ones on the Yojimbo 2 are a bit too rough. The Yo2 ones where cheap and will be replaced one of these days. I think linen and burlap are probably the best, unless you like really aggressive texture, which I do not.
 
The micarta handled knives I have just get better looking with use. In the winter cold micarta doesn’t seem to feel as cold as metal or some synthetic materials. Micarta seems to me to have more grip than g10 but that depends on the finish. It is very durable, strong and stable. And it’s been around for decades and maybe a hundred years or so, so micarta gas a lot of historical performance to go by.
 
Most of the knives I owned were G10 in the past. After handling a few Busse, I immediately changed my mind. I like the texture a lot better and the grip is still great when wet. My current favorite micarta is the Spyderco Mule scales by Halpern.
 
I like micarta but there are different qualities of micarta and I have been disappointed more than once by cheaper knives with micarta
Sometime I prefer just taking a more basic G10 version if there is a reason I doubt the quality of micarta
 
Its a spydie pm2. The blade is also not centered well. but i like the size and shape.
 
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The Grendels said:
Polymer, fiberglass reinforced nylon, Grivory, stabilized wood, G-10, Micarta, and others are all essentially plastic. Some are just nicer plastic.
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This is what I thought for a long time and it kept me from using anything but exotic hardwoods in my handles, but once I got a hold of some really nice Micarta, I fell in love. Now most of the knives I buy have Micarta scales and I intend on using a denim micarta on some of the knives I make (If I can find some for a good deal)
 
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