Making Micarta

[Mortblanc]

Winter has arrived and boredom has set in.

I am going to give making micarta a try. I have a couple of friends that make it and I have one custom knife with Micarta scales and I think I am going to give it a go.

I already have a press device made, all of the supplies on hand and several blades that need a way for the human hand to deal with them.

I have always been restricted to wood as a knife scale material but some knives beg for a more durable material. If you go a bit too far with wood scales they are going to split. That is even a limitation on my tried and true Moras. I might just re-handle one of my "Clippers" with a fist full of denim micarta.

[Straight Shooter]

Just had a look on YT ....did not have a clue ......parchment paper seems to be the best for the wrap ! The method looks easy enough and the quality looks excellent .....so long as you get all the air out , but best of all you can truly personalise the scales with what you have at hand .....send us a pic when you finish a blade MB .

[bigpaul]

never heard of Micarta before, had to look it up.
I prefer wood for knife handles it feels so natural in the hand.

[Talon]

Micarta is brilliant stuff . I re handled my Condor kukri in denim micarta . It was meant to be blue denim but looks more green . I also made micarta scales for my Enzo Elver . I’ve thought about giving making it a try but it’s so rare that I either make or buy a new fixed blade that I’ve not bothered yet . Looking forward to seeing the results . I sand mine to 120 grit on large knives .Doesn’t look the best ashetically but it gives a lovely grip . I was always a fan of traditional wood but for large camp knives , or knives that need to do a lot of heavy work Micarta is hard to beat . I have a Von Tempsky Bowie that I’m planning on rehandling when I get round to it . Should be a fun project for you Mort .

[Mortblanc]

well, I ran myself out of the house for the afternoon by mixing up a batch of resin.

The stuff stinks so that I can't stand it. I can't put it outside or it will not cure and I can't stay inside with it!

I have to declare this not a winter project if you have a spouse, relative, dog, cat or goldfish.

Still waiting on the finished product though. I have used this stuff to repair boats and canoes in the past but that was always outside during warm weather and the greatest problem was having it set up on you before you could smooth the glassing out.

This batch done as a lump is still tacky after 4 hours. I did cut back on the amount of hardener to slow the curing so we will see how long it takes, or if it poisons me during the night.

[Pete Grey]

(9 December 2021, 22:19)Mortblanc Wrote: ........I have used this stuff to repair boats and canoes in the past but that was always outside during warm weather and the greatest problem was having it set up on you before you could smooth the glassing out.

This batch done as a lump is still tacky after 4 hours. I did cut back on the amount of hardener to slow the curing so we will see how long it takes, or if it poisons me during the night.

I built a boat many years ago, plywood stitched together with copper wire glass fibre tape along the seams, then resined all over.

I’ve used GRP many times over the years, and MB you’re right in cold weather its sticky for days and the resin stinks.

My question is how did the project end ?.

[Mortblanc]

Micarta is on the back burner at the moment. I am going through 2 week long stretches where the temps never reach zero interspaced by a day at 10C returning to below zero for another two weeks.

It is too cold to cure micarta in the shop and the fumes are overwhelming inside the house. I will get on it when spring breaks.

I now have several blades to rehandle since I have been attacked by some insect that consumes horn. Horn is one of my favorite handle materials and I discovered two of my knives completely without handles a few days ago. One handle was completely gone and two more had tunnels chewed through several places. Some kind of insect larvae present so moth balls went into the knife bin.

I had not been into that bin in several months and there were more than 75 blades present. Fortunately these critters do not like antler or bone.

They have not traveled to the knives in the rest of the house or the good ones I keep in the safe.