Why are G10 handles so popular?

A

all day still

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Mar 16, 2014
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Spyderco for example uses g10 on many knives but also uses FRN and bidirectional texturing. IMO the knives with FRN and bidirectional texturing is so much more grippy than g10. My endura 4 is much easier to pull out of my pocket than my Paramilitary 2 with g10 handles. So why is g10 so much more popular than other handle materials?
 
G10 can be made to have an extremely grippy texture (ie. Cold Steel) but a lot of it is just personal preference. Some people think the FRN feels 'cheap' but others are perfectly happy with the lightweight feel. Also G10 often provides full steel liners which some folks prefer. Just depends...
 
The first time I handled a G10 knife, I thought it felt plastic-y and cheap, but I loved the knife (ZT0200). I've been carrying it probably half of the days since I got it in 2008 - it's held up tremendously to all kinds of abuse. It's also a huge plus that I can sand / file down portions of it, wipe it off, and it looks like it was made that way. I'm completely sold on the stuff.
 
In comparison to other knife handle materials, G10 is both inexpensive and very easy to work with. I find it to be one of the most durable materials out there, and compared to fine wood handles and carbon fiber, it's super low priced
 
Very durable material, can be made to pretty much any texture you want: polished/peelyply/layered/whatever, color combinations are limitless, easy to work with, readily available, no legal BS (like natural materials), not cost prohibitive... Excellent handle choice really. Ironically, much of the the same can be said about FRN.

OP, I'm perfectly happy with FRN like you... Mini Grip, Endura etc etc. Nothing's a be all end all though, I own plenty of G10, CF's too. Variety is always good. Also, the market dictates what companies offer. G10 sells plenty.
 
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I think the texturing versatility sets it apart from other materials... it can be made to feel like canvas, wood, bone, plastic, etc. FRN in my opinion only ever feels like plastic to me. I think FRN serves it's purpose as far as grip, so I'm not complaining about it, but there's at least an illusion of higher quality with G10.
 
The Griptilian series should all have G10, IMO. The FRN they use isn't good.. Spyderco FRN is significantly better.
I like G10 the best thus far over everything else I have owned.
 
For me, it's the light weight and the fact that it doesn't show up when you mod it/sand it down. Texture, like others have said. It's also a very strong material, and any grime or blood will wash off without issue. Seems like the perfect material.
 
vanslem6 said:
The Griptilian series should all have G10, IMO. The FRN they use isn't good.. Spyderco FRN is significantly better.
I like G10 the best thus far over everything else I have owned.
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Regarding BM Grips, I have to agree as far as the regular large Grips, feels hollow... the MINI Grip is perfectly fine with FRN though and it's even fully steel lined.

With that being said, the regular large Grip stands up to hard use and abuse. It's mainly the feel and stigma of plastic that throws people off.
 
Blues Bender said:
I don't think that g10 is all that popular...

Ti framelocks seem to be the latest craze now.
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They have been the craze for some time but in relative terms, I wouldn't be surprised if only 1% of all (hobby quality) knives sold is Ti. Of course, customs are a whole different planet.
 
Stays Sharp said:
They have been the craze for some time but in relative terms, I wouldn't be surprised if only 1% of all (hobby quality) knives sold is Ti. Of course, customs are a whole different planet.
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I don't know about 1%, look at ZT, they pretty much make framelocks exclusively now. They have become so popular nowadays, just about every knife company features a few framelocks. Sure they aren't the most common type of lock, but I see more of a titanium craze rather than a g10 craze as of lately.
 
Blues Bender said:
I don't know about 1%, look at ZT, they pretty much make framelocks exclusively now. They have become so popular nowadays, just about every knife company features a few framelocks. Sure they aren't the most common type of lock, but I see more of a titanium craze rather than a g10 craze as of lately.
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Craze/ the in thing vs. overall sales. Might even be less than 1%. Looking at just ZT for overall sales is only considering less than 1% of all the folders in the market. For every ZT, a hundred Kershaws are probably sold (don't take that too literal). We were looking at it different ways.
 
Stays Sharp said:
Craze/ the in thing vs. overall sales. Might even be less than 1%. Looking at just ZT for overall sales is only considering less than 1% of all the folders in the market. For every ZT, a hundred Kershaws are probably sold (don't take that too literal). We were looking at it different ways.
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A lot of the Kershaws also have framelocks, though made of steel. Leek, Chive, Scallion, Cryo, etc. Many of their models do not have g10 on the face side, and if you agree that Kershaw/ZT is one of the "big three" then it accounts for quite a lot of the market.
 
Its by far my favorite.

The biggest reason is that it isn't affected by temperature like metal handles. Yesterday the high was 19 degrees. Too cold to carry around a metal handled knife in your pocket.

As others have said, the strength and texturing options make it a really great choice.
 
RemyKaze said:
A lot of the Kershaws also have framelocks, though made of steel. Leek, Chive, Scallion, Cryo, etc. Many of their models do not have g10 on the face side, and if you agree that Kershaw/ZT is one of the "big three" then it accounts for quite a lot of the market.
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Umm ok. In the end, G10 outsells titanium. By a large margin. That was just a point I was saying.

The main point is, for a knife craze.... Ti probably account for 1% of OVERALL sales.. micarta, wood, metal, bone, G10, FRN are ever more present in what is purchased. Your example of metal Kershaws suport that even more. There are knife brands who rival and even outsell the big 3 in volume that do not even have ONE Ti folder in their lineup.
 
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FRN on a high end knife would make it seem cheaper to me since FRN is so much closer to looking like regular plastic. G-10 is also much stiffer than FRN all else being equal. I don't think there's much of a case to be made about G-10 somehow being an objectively superior material for EDC knives.
 
I'm not a fan of G10 because it fails to excel at anything in particular and is over-used (especially black G10). There is extremely little functional difference between G10 and FRN in terms of strength. G10, however, is usually heavier than FRN and has a gritty, scratchy texture that devours pockets and makes knives uncomfortable for extended use without gloves.

At the same time, G10 lacks the novelty and appeal of expensive handle materials that are equal in strength or stronger, including carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum.

Ultimately, G10 is extremely popular because it is versatile, relatively cheap to produce, and for whatever reason, leaves consumers with the impression that it is a "quality" handle material.

I'll take carbon fiber, titanium, and natural materials over G10 any day of the week.
 
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