G10 or Micarta?

[ijohnson]

I guess micarta can be different depending on the maker, but I thought I would like micarta more than I do. I've bought two micarta handled knives ( Lion Steel and Brisa) and probably wouldn't buy another. YMMV.

If practical I would always go for wood now, but for your use case I would opt for the orange G10 and Kydex same as @shaggystu

 

[Nice65]

Any change of how the grip feels? A wet canvas micarta handle can feel a bit grippier for me in the wet if the fibres lift.

Probably grippier wet, though there’s not much in it with the canvas. The linen and paper probably differ more but I don’t have knives with it. If all the handles, I think a smooth hardwood, or stabilised stuff it the most prone to a sudden slip. If you lose control of a G10 handle then it’s the wrong shape not the wrong material.

 

[Stew]

Agreed. Design it right and the material doesn’t matter.

 

[FIU]

I like both G10 and Micarta. I have a slight preference for micarta but I am ambivalent about the burlap micarta coming out of China.

Both Micarta and G10 are good products. In my hand, micarta has a more organic quality to it whereas the G10 seems to less affected by high humidity or oils, like hand oils, bacon grease, etc.

 

[KnOeFz]

I've asked myself the same question with new knife purchaces many times Don't think there's a wrong choice,

I (slightly) prefer the feeling in the hand of canvas micarta over G10. G10 cleans easier... Both are pretty indestructable in my experience. With G10 your knife keeps the same look. Micarta handles darken with use (scrubs clean with soap and water to go back to it's original color)

 

[HorseGuy]

I've just looked at the results of the poll and it says 52.4% of people prefer Micarta and the other 52.4% prefer G10. Okay...

 

[C_Claycomb]

Apparently Chris is/are the problem and the answer to how there are 21 voters and 22 votes.

 

[Chris]

Apparently Chris is/are the problem and the answer to how there are 21 voters and 22 votes.

View attachment 105890

Well he allowed multiple options!

Updated though, as Canvas Micarta is definitely better (no subjectivity here…)

 

[ijohnson]

I know it wasn't an option but I really like the FRN (fibre re-enforced nylon) scales on my Buck 112 slim select. It's supposed to be the 'cheaper' option when G10 is too upmarket but it has a nicer feel than G10 or micarta to me, but should be just as impervious to blood and grime. I don't think there are any makers doing quality fixed blades with this as an option though sadly.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I know it wasn't an option but I really like the FRN (fibre re-enforced nylon) scales on my Buck 112 slim select. It's supposed to be the 'cheaper' option when G10 is too upmarket but it has a nicer feel than G10 or micarta to me, but should be just as impervious to blood and grime. I don't think there are any makers doing quality fixed blades with this as an option though sadly.

FRN is a moulding material and is used in large scale production. Significant investment in tooling is required to use it, it is not something that can be bought in plates like Micarta or G10 and ground to shape. Spyderco use FRN on many of their fixed blades. SOG and Gerber also use it. It is not considered a premium material, rather it is economical if you make enough of that model and performs well.

 

[HorseGuy]

Here are some photos of the TBS Lynx Compact. As you can see I went for the canvas micarta option. Nice and grippy material. It almost feels like it has too much friction sometimes but I expect this will be a benefit when using it with wet or greasy hands so I quite like that.

The knife itself is tiny. A bit smaller than expected but that’s fine as I was after a compact knife. It has a very snug and tight grip even with my small hands but it’s comfortable to hold. I think anyone with average or large sized hands would probably struggle with it though.

The blade is a really nice slicer and came razor sharp. It’s a useful shape. I will need to be extra careful with it though because the knife is so small my forefinger sits right next to the blade just a few millimeters away. While this should be good for fine control it does mean that it's easy to accidentally catch my finger on the edge when changing grip or passing the knife from one hand to the other so extra care and attention is required.

I also bought a Brisa universal belt clip from TBS to go with it as I prefer using a vertical dangler sheath to the horizontal scout style mounting option which it comes with as standard. I needed to add a couple of rubber washer spacers to the clip (not supplied) to get it to sit at a comfortable angle for unsheathing. It works fine now though as it can be adjusted to any angle I want now that it has the rubber spacers.

When experimenting with the different mounting options I discovered that the best way to carry it is to simply leave all of the clips, bands and other bits off and just put the naked sheathed knife in my pocket. It fits perfectly in either trouser or jacket pockets and is small and light enough to feel more comfortable than a phone. It’s also really easy to unsheathe and remove from a pocket with just one hand. Unexpected but perfect! Weight wise the naked sheath and knife without any clips or other bits weighs the same as a Mora Companion with its sheath.

After trying out a few different knives over the years I spent a long time considering options before selecting this knife. Time will tell but I am pleased with it so far and expect it will likely come in very useful. Maybe one day I might get a custom Stuart Mitchell knife made to my own specification but until then this seems to be as close to perfect for me as I am likely to find.





A comparison with the Mora and a SAK for scale.

 

[Chris]

That’s a great looking knife, nice. I quite like the smaller blades like that for day-to-day utility.

 

[HorseGuy]

After handling and using this knife a bit more over the past couple of days I absolutely love it! It fits my hand so perfectly. Nice and tight when using it in a 'hammer grip' with force yet perfectly shaped and comfortable for using in a more common 'handshake grip' for slicing.

After a few years of trial and error and a several hundred pounds buying and trying different knives I think I've finally found my one perfect forever knife which does everything I need (there are more suitable tools available for battoning or chopping and I wouldn't want to use a knife for that anyway).

In fact I like it so much I've decided to buy a second one in G10 to keep at home while the micarta one can live at the field. It will have to wait a while though as I have a few other expenses which must take priority first but a Linx Compact in G10 is now on the near term wish list. The only question now is should I go for the bright orange or black...?

 

[JonathanD]

It does look like a very ergonomic and useful design.

 

[HorseGuy]

It does look like a very ergonomic and useful design.

It is. The only faults I which I can think of are that the TBS name isn't a well known cool brand and that my forefinger sits close to the blade so it would be easy to catch it on the edge if I'm not careful. Other than that it seems perfect for my small hands.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Orange.
Harder to lose if you put it down. Looks more emergency tool, less tactical, if you ever have to justify having it with you. Also, good orange handle knives are rarer than good black handled knives, so when you find one that you like that comes in orange, it is well worth serious consideration because the chance to have another orange knife you like, later, may not materialise. I myself have only one in orange, and it isn't quite what I want, I will have to make one myself to get what I want in orange.

 

[HorseGuy]

My heart says black but my head says orange .
Orange is the sensible logical option. Black looks cool.