Micarta Knife Handle - MHSCUTLERY

Micarta

What Is Micarta?

If you find yourself asking that what is micarta and you notice colorful fabric material on your knife and when you touch and feel the handle you get a feeling of denim. You are halfway there. Micarta is a material made by compressing layers of denim in your required color by using epoxy and then applying huge amount of weight on it using a piston or a press. When it comes to outdoor use, it is perfect material for knife handles as it gives a strong grip when wet and also has a nice look. Micarta was developed by George Westinghouse at least as early as 1910 using phenolic resins invented by Leo Baekeland. These resins were used to impregnate paper and cotton fabric which were cured under pressure and high temperature to produce laminates.

 

How is micarta made?

Micarta industrial laminate sheet is a hard, dense material made by applying heat and pressure to layers of prepreg. These layers of lamination usually consist of cellulose paper, cotton fabrics, synthetic yarn fabrics, glass fabrics, or unwoven fabrics.

 

Maintenance and Cleaning

Micarta knife handles will stand up to most scratches and impacts, so you do not need to be especially careful. Hot water and soap are usually enough to clean dirty or stained micarta handles.

Benefits of Micarta

The benefits of these materials are that they can be manufactured in virtually any color, depending on their formula. It is strong and durable and has become a favorite to use in heavy-duty survival knives.

Micarta is a thermoset plastic that can withstand extremes in heat and cold, resists moisture, and does not become brittle with age. Knife handles made of Micarta are durable and last a long time. mhscutlery uses micarta to highlight a classic look and feel on his knives.

This type of knife handle material is very strong and hard, as well as lightweight. It does not easily pick up scratches or dings. However, it has no texturization, which makes it very slippery and difficult to use. Some knife makers may add etching or other texturization to improve grip, usually increasing the knife’s price.

 

Some Micarta Handle Knives

 

 

Back to blog

Leave a comment