What's Stronger?

[USAFSP]

I thought I would try a new knife related thread. So my question is what is stronger and more resistant for handle material? G-10, Micarta, Carbon Fiber, Stabalized Wood (Ironwood, Bloodwood, Walnut and the like) or Zytel (and its equivelants)? I am refering more towards abrasion, cracking under lateral bending, and resistance to liquids and chemicals.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

You've probably listed them in order of overall strength right there.

 

[barrabas74]

I agree thats a right good order right there ya got, cept I might replace teh micarta with the carbon fiber spot.

 

[db]

They are all pretty much the same I'd guess. If I had to guess I'd put Zytel after G10 on your list and keep the rest of the order the same. I wonder if anyone really knows?

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

I would say you nailed it pretty well, and IMO, G10 and Micarta are vastly superior to any of the others.

You could add kraton to the very last place spot

 

[JWBirch]

Well, it looks like the question has been answered pretty well, with G-10 being marginally the strongest. So I'll mention that while G-10 can initially be made much sharper and grippier than Micarta (at least all the stuff I've seen), over time it will smooth out, whereas a dingy/hairy looking canvas micarta will mainain its good grip throughout its substantial life. Another issue, if a canvas micarta and g-10 handle are equal dry, the canvas micarta will usually have more grip when wet.

I figured their overal strengths are so close that I'd mention some other characteristics that may be important to someone in your shoes.

 

[USAFSP]

Thanks for the replies. I listed them just out of memory, which is the funny part. I didn't try to figure the strength out on my own. The mind is a crazy thing.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Funny thing is that if you're talking about abrasion and resistance against lateral bending I would say G10 and then Zytel/FRN.

FRN resists abrasion way better than Micarta does and way better than wood does. Zytel/FRN can handle big time abuse when compared to brittle G10 and Micarta.

The only reason knives with G10 handles are strong are due to their liners.

There's a reason they don't make the entire handle out of G10. It's too brittle.

Just go ahead and try to break the Benchmade Griptilian handles. I bet you'd be there all day.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Funny thing is that if you're talking about abrasion and resistance against lateral bending I would say G10 and then Zytel/FRN.

FRN resists abrasion way better than Micarta does and way better than wood does. Zytel/FRN can handle big time abuse when compared to brittle G10 and Micarta.

The only reason knives with G10 handles are strong are due to their liners.

There's a reason they don't make the entire handle out of G10. It's too brittle.

Just go ahead and try to break the Benchmade Griptilian handles. I bet you'd be there all day.

you must have never had G10 or Micarta.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Had Plenty of G10 and Micarta handled knives.

I bet a G10 handled Paramilitary would break/chip/crack if dropped off of a 5 story building and a Griptilian or older FRN Endura would not.

FRN/Zytel is strong man.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Had Plenty of G10 and Micarta handled knives.
I bet a G10 handled Paramilitary would break/chip/crack if dropped off of a 5 story building and a Griptilian or older FRN Endura would not.

FRN/Zytel is strong man.

Name them, and specify how they failed.

So what you have is a silly theory you invented about what you imagine would happen if you dropped your knives off a building?

I'm convinced

 

[psy-ops]

I have also had lots of G10 and Micarta and wood. Zytel is more resistant to chemicals and abrasions.

My money is on Zytel; though asethetically Micarta is great, G10 has great grip retention.
Over all Zytel is more durable to the normal wears and tears of EDC.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Name them, and specify how they failed.

So what you have is a silly theory you invented about what you imagine would happen if you dropped your knives off a building?

I'm convinced

Wow, be a bigger cock.

I've seen you be a huge cock over on the Benchmade forums and now also here. Great job.

 

[USAFSP]

Blah blah blah, stay on topic. So although FRN is bendable, you guys think it is really strong? Is this because it isn't brittle? I personally like FRN and have no issue with it, but many guys automatically think cheap! I like CF the least actually, but it does look cool.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I think too many people assume that because something costs more or has more "exotic" material it's stronger/better.

I think people would be surprised at how strong FRN / Zytel is.

I would love to have someone take an FRN/Zytel handled knife and also a G10/Micarta handled knife and drop them both from say 5 stories with the blades closed.



Here's a thread where someone hammered knives into wood. The FRN one seems like it was the least dammaged.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218253&highlight=handle+strength

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Wow, be a bigger cock.

I've seen you be a huge cock over on the Benchmade forums and now also here. Great job.

Personal attacks are not welcome here.
I also have never been to any benchmade forum.

I have zytel handled knives, and in some cases it chipped with impact (there are many forms of zytel, and some are harder than others). It is also not abrasion resistant, as it scuffs easily, deforms readily.
I can pound on Micarta or G10 with little or no damage, when Zytel would be mashed and deformed. I still use Zytel handled knives, but they are nowhere close to as tough as the other two materials.

 

[USAFSP]

Is there any chart out there with tensil strength figures? Like how many lbs. per Sq. In. each can take before snapping, deforming and melting?

 

[Joe Dirt]

Personal attacks are not welcome here.
I also have never been to any benchmade forum.

I have zytel handled knives, and in some cases it chipped with impact (there are many forms of zytel, and some are harder than others). It is also not abrasion resistant, as it scuffs easily, deforms readily.
I can pound on Micarta or G10 with little or no damage, when Zytel would be mashed and deformed. I still use Zytel handled knives, but they are nowhere close to as tough as the other two materials.

Yeah, I'm not making a personal attack. I'm making on observation. My opinion is that you are being a cock.

You're mistaking toughness for the fact that the G10 or Micarta knives have liners.

Take the liners out and then hammer away. They are very brittle. Zytel/FRN is not.

 

[allenC]

Name them, and specify how they failed.

So what you have is a silly theory you invented about what you imagine would happen if you dropped your knives off a building?

Rat, here is a thread that you might find interesting:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=352994

And I agree that Joe's remarks were way over the line for this forum.
Take it to "whine and cheese" if you want to make remarks like that.

As for what is stronger....

G-10, Micarta, Carbon Fiber, Stabalized Wood (Ironwood, Bloodwood, Walnut and the like) or Zytel (and its equivelants)? I am refering more towards abrasion, cracking under lateral bending, and resistance to liquids and chemicals.

When it comes to abrasion and liquid/chemical resistance, (IMO) micarta and carbon fiber are probably the best, followed by G-10, then zytel, and finally stabalized wood.
When it comes to cracking under bending however, zytel is hard to beat.
And zytel performs very well when dropped--probably due to its greater elasticity (more bounce so to speak).

From Joe:

There's a reason they don't make the entire handle out of G10. It's too brittle.

Actually, Spyderco made quite a few models out of unlined micarta and G-10 and they worked very well.
Even in my torture test thread, the Calypso Jr's micarta slabs performed fairly well.

Allen.

 

[3Guardsmen]

The clip (barrel-bolt) on my USA, Earth Spyderco Native, which sits in a cut-out which is molded into the FRN, has started to bend and shear the FRN. I don't think the same would happen with G10.

I think it all comes down to a tradeoff. If you want a knife you can drop from the 5th floor of a building :jerkit: without chipping or cracking, FRN would make sense. If you want a knife with a great grip, that won't shear under extreme pressure, G10 or the like seems to be the way to go. Personally, I just can't see my knife ever falling from a tall building, so I'm not too concerned with that aspect of knife handle performance.

Joe Dirt,
Your personal attack on RatF was unwarranted!:thumbdn:

Best wishes,
3G