what is all the hype about micarta?

Key to appreciating micarta is understanding the different types.

Paper micarta
Linen micarta
Canvas micarta

Edited to add: Burlap and denim are also options.

I’ve been told paper micarta is junky.. so I’ll comment on linen and canvas.

Linen seems to have a softer feel, but color doesn’t seem to permeate the material as uniformly as with canvas.

I prefer canvas micarta. A little stiffer touch, but color is solid and consistent.

Micarta maintains great traction even when wet, but also has a character of its own that shows over time from use due to things like the oils in your skin and hands.
 
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Micarata is been around for a LONG TIME. It is nothing new.

My favorite is the black polished micarta on some of the the early 90's Spydercos that I own, like the Calypso. I also own knives with canvas/linen micarata scales but they aren't nearly as attractive or elegant.

Zw
 
I'm interested in what kind of "hype" you encountered. I don't think there's alot of hype around micarta, there's just a real big following.

And for good reason.... when done right it's great stuff. My favorite scale material by far.
 
Jersey Drew said:
I decided to send it back because once i start carrying it and using it i own it. And at $200 i don't want to get “stuck” with it
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Say what? o_O

I don't know what IT was but that's your loss.

If it was a "good" knife to begin with, there would have been no chance of loss, beyond basic costs like PP and shipping fees that we all have to eat, if we decide to sell a knife before it has a chance to appreciate in value.
 
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Micarta can be really nice, but it is sometimes ugly too. Just like how there is nice walnut and there is plywood.
 
I have a free Micarta Squid and it's meh, Chinese, it's okay, but my PM2 Crucarta is funny. I probably wouldn't have gotten micarta otherwise, but I like it. My girlfriend says it feels like "the back of a clipboard" lol, but evidently it changes with the oils of skin and such, it's "naturey" and that fits with Cruwear and where I am most likely to use it.

I don't go crazy over it though, but I can appreciate the stuff. Don't know what is on Squid, but canvas micarta on the Cruwear PM2. I need to carry it more and see what I think! Will get pics.
 
Lesknife said:
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.
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Very true, nicely done micarta ages very well. I prefer it as well due to the extreme heat and cold we have in my climate (Las Vegas); bare titanium becomes very uncomfortable in the 115+ temps we experience.
 
shane45-1911 said:
The OP indicated "it" was a Spydie PM2, back on the first page. :)
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Looked but didn't see that.

Given the general demand for PM2's, I don't think he would have gotten "stuck" w/anything regardless of the type of material used for the scales. The blade material would probably be more important to it's resale value but scale material can also matter.
 
My preference is for matte canvas micarta on a knife I’m going to use. I like the way LT Wright and ESEE do their micarta. Wish there was a choice for micarta when I recently bought my Xancudo.
 
What can I say that hasn't been said? It's a diverse class of material that depends on what was used to make it, how it was done, and how it was finished. It can be fuzzy or smooth. Across much of the spectrum that is Micarta, I usually enjoy how it feels in hand.

Coincidentally, G-10 is similar to Micarta except that the embedded "fabric" is fiberglass. It is generally stronger than Micarta but really, any situation severe enough to test the strength between G-10 and Micarta on your knife is probably not something you should be doing with a knife in the first place. Any of these materials are rugged enough for just about any task you'd be doing with a knife (and then some).

I have the least experience with paper Micarta but I've seen it used as an attractive substitute for ivory.
 
Pretty much already stated here but what I love about micarta is the look, the feel, and the way it ages with character. Since the OP was not impressed with the first two, it is unlikely he would have come to appreciate the third.
 
It’s all been covered. But why the heck not share my opinions?

I like Micarta significantly better than G10, because of the better texture, aging, and that it doesn’t feel “plasticky”.

You guys know the cheap FRN Spyderco handle feeling? I hate that feeling. Just me, but I hate it. Micarta doesn’t have that.

It’s also, in some cases, attractive enough to make me want it over titanium. Really depends on the knife though. I have an Indiana Knives Exclusive Real Steel Megalodon with a micarta showside scale that I just love.
 
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