micarta vs G10?!

[forrestdweller]

hi!

recently i posted a thread about getting a new knife, and my favorite so far is a blank of the "brisa trapper". i'm planning to put on the scales myself to give it some individual touch -- so far i'm not sure between micarta and G10... which one is better?! (i'm currently living in a tropical rainforest but hopefully one day i'll be able to breathe the sweet air of the australian desert again...)

also: in the olden days scales were straight riveted onto the blade, but nowadays people often put liners between the blade and the scales -- does this have a practical reason or just for better looks?!

thanks

 

[Bearmont]

G10 is basically a fibreglass laminate with epoxy, while micarta is a linen, denim, canvas or paper laminate with epoxy phenolic resin. G10 is noticeably heavier, usually polished smooth, unaffected by water. Micarta is lighter, can be more coarse, grippy, and can soak some water, sweat or body oils. After years of use, micarta can look like well-used leather. G10 tends to not change at all. Paper micarta is its own animal and is usually polished very smooth, also called "ivory". Micarta strikes me as slightly tougher, but harder to keep clean. Wouldn't use it for prepping game, for example.

In case of the Trapper, the liners also widen the handle a bit which is a boon, as the various Brisa handle pre-cuts are on the slim side without using the liners.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I am in agreement with what Beaumont says.

A good comparison on weight effect can be had by looking at Lion Steel M4 or B41 where there are Micarta, G10, and wood versions of the same knife. A M4 might be 160g with Micarta and 180g with G10. I have made same pattern knives with both and I do notice the weight difference in hand. On a non-skeletonise full tang I would have a hard time wanting to use G10 because of weight.

I have no concerns using my self made Micarta and linen Tufnol handled knives for game prep. I have not noticed blood to stain them.

Micarta is grippier. Cnc style fluting can make G10 grippy enough, but if I was working in the wet doing food or game prep I would be much more choosy about shape and texture on a G10 handle than on a linen Micarta one.

Micarta is also harder, as in phenolic resin is harder than epoxy, but glass fibre has more dulling effect on saws, drills and files than cotton. I really don’t like the dust from working G10.

G10 is available in bright colours so it has that going for it if you want the knife to be difficult to lose.

 

[TLM]

I don't like glassfiber/thermoset laminates because if it gets battered one can get a fairly nasty scratch wound. That is a lot less likely to happen with cellulose fibers though possible.

I have not tried it but polyester fiber reinforced vinylester laminate would be by numbers a good candidate for scales. Weightwise on par with paper micarta but mechanically tougher, vinylesters are chemically stable and have good heat stability and do not have the nasty hardeners of phenolic resins.

 

[Sebc]

From my experience micarta is just generally nicer but will change a bit over time.

 

[forrestdweller]

thanks for everyone's reply , ill go with micarta scales, then.
i once made micarta myself, but the result wasn't that great which might be for several reasons...

 

[Nice65]

I love micarta, but it does soak up liquids, which may be a problem in your environment. I wouldn’t use a micarta handled knife for food prep, well not in the long term anyway.

Spyderco Military rehandled in green canvas micarta and wetted. I could see the water disappear into the canvas, it soaks it in.

 

[Stew]

Yeah, I think I’m your environment I would go g10.

 

[gra_farmer]

I love micarta, but it does soak up liquids, which may be a problem in your environment. I wouldn’t use a micarta handled knife for food prep, well not in the long term anyway.

Spyderco Military rehandled in green canvas micarta and wetted. I could see the water disappear into the canvas, it soaks it in.

View attachment 79010

Agreed with Rich, I actually prefer micarta as a handle material, but around food or wet environments it has to be G10

 

[Nice65]

Having read the original post about the usage, it’s not going to be a food knife, but a hard user. Micarta should be fine in this case.

Thread 'quest for a new knife'
https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/quest-for-a-new-knife.162924/

 

[Murat_Cyp]

I think all micarta is not created equally. The ones I have do not soak anything. That being said, I still believe G10 might slightly more resistant against wet conditions. But I do not think a high quality micarta would cause a problem.

I think most of the times micarta looks better unless you need really bright orange or other vivid colours.

Apart from the look, for me the biggest difference is how it feels in hand. G10 feels very plastic/dead whereas micarta is pleasant and more lively. Almost as nice to touch as wood.

 

[forrestdweller]

Agreed with Rich, I actually prefer micarta as a handle material, but around food or wet environments it has to be G10

i'm afraid it's too late as i already told my friend to put two micarta blanks into the shopping basket, but according to the email i received from brisa it should be o.k. (now i just hope my friend follows my instructions and doesn't mess it up...)