What is micarta?

G

G20

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Oct 6, 2007
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Ive noticed it seems to absorb liquids when wet and turn darker. Just wondering what it is actually made of. Is it a type of wood ?
 
What is Micarta anyway?

Micarta was developed by Westinghouse. It has a higher tensile strength than steel and is impervious to changes in temperature. It will not swell, warp, or crack, even under adverse conditions, once it is on the knife. There are three types of Micarta and several grades of these three types. They all consist of layers of either paper, linen, or canvas.

MICARTA TRIVIA BUSTER:

The inventors of Formica (kitchen counter tops) had borrowed so heavily from Micarta technology that the name "Formica" is short for the term "Formerly Micarta". Think of that the next time you drop a skillet on the kitchen counter....
Yours in layered phenolics (Micarta),
Jerry Busse

Via

http://www.bussecombat.com/handles/index.shtml


I'll try Busse trivia for $400 Alex :D
 
Cloth (maybe paper sometimes) and resin or some sort of epoxy i think. I believe it is simmilar to formica.

They have both linen and canvas varieties, probably others.
 
sirahren said:
Cloth (maybe paper sometimes) and resin or some sort of epoxy i think. I believe it is simmilar to formica.

They have both linen and canvas varieties, probably others.
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The resin is not epoxy, but phenolic. Epoxy is used in G10, as the binder for glass fabric
 
so...if it get soaked in coke or orange juice, it will turn out all bad after?
 
Depending on how much of the 'phenolic' material is mixed with either the linen, paper or canvas, it wiill absorb more or less. For example, the original custom active duty snakeskin handles have more phenolic and less exposed canvas fibers. They don't absorb much....either oils or water. The newer tiger hide canvas micarta like on the badger attack LE's have lots of exposed fibers and they look drab as a result. They will quickly absorb sweat or moisture, but still seem to clean up well and will dry out again over time.
 
G20 said:
Ive noticed it seems to absorb liquids when wet and turn darker. Just wondering what it is actually made of. Is it a type of wood ?
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What is micarta you ask? It's what Busse handle slabs used to be made out....before evil G-10 came along!:grumpy:
 
It is closely related to Formica, which is short for "formerly Micarta"
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In the nineteenth century the mineral mica was used a lot as an electrical insulator, in making capacitors, and other technical uses. Because it withstood heat and could be split into translucent flat sheets, it was used instead of glass in stoves and lanterns.

Early in the twentieth century, chemists sought to make artificial replacements for mica. One successful attempt was called micarta. Another was named for its purpose. “What’s it for?” “We use it for mica.” So they called it Formica.

I learned that derivation years before I ever heard of Jerry Busse. It still makes more sense to me than “formerly micarta.” For one thing, it just sounds like engineer-speak. For another, the two were invented at about the same time. Micarta in 1910, Formica in 1912.
 
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