Where to find end cut canvas micarta?

B

Brian.Evans

Registered Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
3,267
Guys, I have a customer requesting either black burlap micarta or end cut canvas micarta. I need two pieces about 1"x3 1/2". The end cut micarta looks like the fibers are vertical on the tang. I've seen pieces cut from blocks where the pieces were cut from the side and make the micarta look like wood, which is cool but not the look I'm after in this instance.

If anyone has a lead on either end cut black canvas micarta or black burlap scales, let me know. I can order a whole sheet of burlap from Shadetree, but I don't need $100 worth of black burlap scales right this minute!

Thanks all.
 
Agreed with BronnyB. Just buy a block of 1" thick canvas Micarta, and use it sideways. Micarta would be end grain on all four sides.
 
I'll draw a picture when I get home. I'm not explaining it very well, or maybe I'm completely confused about how micarta is laid up.
 
Right, now stand the bundle on the long end with the short end vertical. See how the lines go up and down? He wants that for a handle. Which means I'd have to have a piece cut off a super thick chunk. If he wanted horizontal lines it wouldn't be a problem, I could just buy a block.
 
Brian,

If your customer wants the layers or "grain" to run vertically, he may just be out of luck. I don't recall ever seeing a block of micarta 3 1/2" thick, which is what you would need if I'm understanding you correctly. Personally, I would try to talk them into a horizontal "grain" if possible. I don't care for the look of micarta at all myself, unless it's been bias cut, which I think looks quite handsome on a knife handle.
 
Thanks Adam. Yeah, the picture he showed me was on a bark river knife, so who knows how they got it.
 
Micarta will split easily if used that way. It's strength is in the layers. Anything you do to seperate those layers weakens it.
 
Yes, Micarta can be compared to a sleeve of copier paper. If you look at the sleeve from all sides, each will be identical except the top and bottom. Micarta is layered canvas. Because the weave grain is equal in either direction, the pattern would be the same on any of the four sides. I believe you are thinking of it like wood, which has a grain in only one direction. Grab a 1.25"X1.5"X5" handle block of black canvas Micarta and you will see what I am saying. Any of the 1" wide sides will have the same pattern....end grain. If you slice it into 1.25X5X.25" slices, you will have enough for two knives ( you loose some in the kerf). If you think the end grain is different on any side, then you can always get a slab of 1.25X5X10" Micarta and cut it on any side you like. Jantz, TKS, and most places sell it in blocks and in slabs. A block is about $12 and a slab is about $50, so the slab is a better deal if you use Micarta regularly.

I have used this side on some fillet knives for the fine wiggly line look. On those fairly flat scales, the random side normally used may look a bit blah. Theoretically, it is less strong on the end grain sides, but I doubt it really matters in Micarta.
 
If I follow you right, AKS has the closest size for you. I have a few chunks at home that are very near 3" "wide", which would be "height" in your arrangement of it I think.

EDIT:

Like this?
CE.jpg
 
Last edited:
The end grain of wood is the tips of the fibers, arranged in bands that are the rings of the tree.

The end grain of micarta is the tips of either the warp or weft of the cotton threads, arranged in bands that are the layers of fabric. The bands are also the weft of the weave, if you are looking at the cut off warp thread ends. It looks like this:
HMM%20(8).jpg


Bronyblacksmith is entirely correct:

If you buy Sheffield's MP107 Black Canvas Micarta, you will receive two block of micarta that are 5"x1.5"x1.125". If you leave lay the block on the saw so the 5x1.5 surface is up, and cut the block into 5x.25 strips, you'll end up with pieces that are 5x.25x1.125 that show end grain on the 5x1.125 surface, as in the picture I posted. Those blocks are $7.50.


I think that's what your customer wants.

The only other possibility that occurs to me is if you took a big block of micarta and cut the strips at a 45 degree angle to both the fibers, then you'd see the cut off tips of both the warp and weft threads. This is what the rounded corner of a micarta scale looks like, and it does just look like little dots with no real directionality. That would mean buying a the 5x12x1.125 block and having a lot of waste, which would be expensive.


A picture of what the client saw is worth a thousand words.
 
RX-79G,

Unless I'm just way off the mark here, Brian is asking for the layers to run vertically, or perpendicular to the length of the block required (in this case 3 1/2"), not horizontally. In his case, to achieve the look requested would require the thickness of the purchased micarta to equal the length of the finished block desired. Again, that would require a 3 1/2" thick block, not a 1 1/8" thick block. Cutting the end grain for the presentation side is what I refer to as bias cut and many makers have done it, but I've never seen bias cut micarta knife scales with the layers running vertically or perpendicular to the length of the handle. Likely, because of the block thickness required. I also don't think it would look very good running the layers vertically like that.

BTW Brian, if I'm way off here just say so and I'll shut up. :D
 
Adam Buttry said:
RX-79G,

Unless I'm just way off the mark here, Brian is asking for the layers to run vertically, or perpendicular to the length of the block required (in this case 3 1/2"), not horizontally. In his case, to achieve the look requested would require the thickness of the purchased micarta to equal the length of the finished block desired. Again, that would require a 3 1/2" thick block, not a 1 1/8" thick block. Cutting the end grain for the presentation side is what I refer to as bias cut and many makers have done it, but I've never seen bias cut micarta knife scales with the layers running vertically or perpendicular to the length of the handle. Likely, because of the block thickness required. I also don't think it would look very good running the layers vertically like that.

BTW Brian, if I'm way off here just say so and I'll shut up. :D
Click to expand...

I didn't understand "vertical on the tang" to be perpendicular. If it is, the only real way to do that is to rough sand and epoxy a couple of chunks to form a column 3.5" inches high. I've joined layers of micarta like that before and it can come out looking like one continuous lay up, but sometime small lines will show because of the pattern interruption. I would be inclined to use thin (1/8") micarta so these possible lines become a part of the pattern, rather than an obvious join every inch or so.
 
Nothing wrong with having the customer buy the material they want and send it to you.
 
Adam Buttry said:
RX-79G,

Unless I'm just way off the mark here, Brian is asking for the layers to run vertically, or perpendicular to the length of the block required (in this case 3 1/2"), not horizontally. In his case, to achieve the look requested would require the thickness of the purchased micarta to equal the length of the finished block desired. Again, that would require a 3 1/2" thick block, not a 1 1/8" thick block. Cutting the end grain for the presentation side is what I refer to as bias cut and many makers have done it, but I've never seen bias cut micarta knife scales with the layers running vertically or perpendicular to the length of the handle. Likely, because of the block thickness required. I also don't think it would look very good running the layers vertically like that.

BTW Brian, if I'm way off here just say so and I'll shut up. :D
Click to expand...
Adam, I think you're the only one that does understand what I mean. I think the consensus is though, that it's going to probably not going to be easy to find.
He originally wanted black burlap, but I don't want to buy an entire sheet of it. Looks like he's getting regular black micarta. Lol
 
Brian.Evans said:
Adam, I think you're the only one that does understand what I mean. I think the consensus is though, that it's going to probably not going to be easy to find.
He originally wanted black burlap, but I don't want to buy an entire sheet of it. Looks like he's getting regular black micarta. Lol
Click to expand...

But you can assemble it, as I described.
 
Brian.Evans said:
Yep, but not on something I'm going to have to warranty if it fails.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, micarta laminates are just layers of resin and cloth. Epoxy forms a perfect bond with those chemically similar phenolics, and the resulting joined piece is pretty much as strong as a piece of micarta made in a factory.

Side grain micarta isn't going to be as strong as the regular way, and maybe you have reservations about that, but micarta bonded to micarta is solid stuff.
 
I got the piece for this one from Chuck at AKS. I don't think it's something he has all the time, but it would be worth asking him about. This one started as a block that was 1.75" thick! :)

large.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top