Thread: Micarta for knife handle liners where are people buying ?

@Nick-D what are you using to laminate g10 to scales ?

Originally Posted by dannyb

@Nick-D what are you using to laminate g10 to scales ?

Just a good slow cure epoxy. I use West systems. G10 is often pretty slick so a good rough up and key in is essential. Obviously be careful with where you key in when making the scales as if they end up on the edge of the finished handle it you will see a void

I have been playing around making my own sheaths for myself and family... plenty of vids on YouTube on how to make them but I could only buy leather in big sheets...can get expensive unless you make several...very time consuming as I hand stitch mine saddle stitch style and use 3mm plus thick leather which involves drilling all the stitch holes on a press first unless you fork out for all the tools also. Well worth the effort tho.... I expect my sheaths to last a lifetime

Originally Posted by Ftx325

I have been playing around making my own sheaths ...

Any chance of seeing some of your work?

Excellent timing, I was wondering how to start getting into this and at the same time working up the courage to try making a knife.
My problem is that I don't have an artistic fibre in my body, leather work & knife making both appear to require a decent amount of it.
A knife made by me would look like a ruler with an edge and leather work would look like some thing the dog's swallowed and revisited.

Originally Posted by Ooops

Any chance of seeing some of your work?

Excellent timing, I was wondering how to start getting into this and at the same time working up the courage to try making a knife.
My problem is that I don't have an artistic fibre in my body, leather work & knife making both appear to require a decent amount of it.
A knife made by me would look like a ruler with an edge and leather work would look like some thing the dog's swallowed and revisited.

No problem.... I can take some photos tonight and post them here. There are a couple of photos on my introduction thread but they are more of the ammo butt holders I made for my rifles.

Originally Posted by Ooops

Any chance of seeing some of your work?

Excellent timing, I was wondering how to start getting into this and at the same time working up the courage to try making a knife.
My problem is that I don't have an artistic fibre in my body, leather work & knife making both appear to require a decent amount of it.
A knife made by me would look like a ruler with an edge and leather work would look like some thing the dog's swallowed and revisited.

To start knife making pick a simple design that you like and replicate. Take your time and keep it as close to the original as possible.

You don't need to be artistic to make a nice knife, just go slow and focus on the details. The cool thing about working with steel is its a relatively slow process and you have time to adjust tweak and smooth things out as you go.

Give it a go, really nothing to lose

Originally Posted by dannyb

Barrytown on the west coast just north of Greymouth
https://barrytownknifemaking.com/

Went past it last Friday and wondered what it would be like.

Keep us posted!

Originally Posted by Ooops

Any chance of seeing some of your work?

Excellent timing, I was wondering how to start getting into this and at the same time working up the courage to try making a knife.
My problem is that I don't have an artistic fibre in my body, leather work & knife making both appear to require a decent amount of it.
A knife made by me would look like a ruler with an edge and leather work would look like some thing the dog's swallowed and revisited.

I’m similarly ‘gifted’!

Originally Posted by Ooops

Any chance of seeing some of your work?

Excellent timing, I was wondering how to start getting into this and at the same time working up the courage to try making a knife.
My problem is that I don't have an artistic fibre in my body, leather work & knife making both appear to require a decent amount of it.
A knife made by me would look like a ruler with an edge and leather work would look like some thing the dog's swallowed and revisited.

I have done a separate thread called playing with leather under the gear and accessories section I think its called with a collection of photos. Hope nobody finds it too boring....

@Ftx325 Well let me start by saying that entitling your submission "Playing with leather" may get you the wrong sort of attention.
I'm not judging mind, live free brother

Anyhow I had a look and that is some awesome work for a beginner. Kudos to you mate.
Would you mind sharing the details for the sites that you found most useful in your leather & knife making journey.

Originally Posted by Nick-D

To start knife making pick a simple design that you like and replicate. Take your time and keep it as close to the original as possible.

You don't need to be artistic to make a nice knife, just go slow and focus on the details. The cool thing about working with steel is its a relatively slow process and you have time to adjust tweak and smooth things out as you go.

Give it a go, really nothing to lose

@Nick-D
Fair play Nick, thanks for the encouragement.

The thing is when you know absolutely f'all about some thing it's a job to know where to start. And after all it is a big subject.
Right enough there's a ton of information out there but there's so much crap to wade through to get to the gold. And as a know nothing how do you know when you've found gold?

For a while I've had it in mind to start by buying a cheap knife from the market and reshaping it with a grinder.
Presumably that would heat it up a fair bit and change the metal's nature so I'd have to heat treat it afterwards.
That would introduce me to a couple of aspects of the process and would be a way of easing into it.

Is that a reasonable way forward?

Any how hopefully FTX will be able to point me in the right direction for some quality sites

@Ooops , The thing is when you know absolutely f'all about some thing it's a job to know where to start. And after all it is a big subject.
Right enough there's a ton of information out there but there's so much crap to wade through to get to the gold. And as a know nothing how do you know when you've found gold?

There has never been so much information out there, books , Youtube , classes and more. If you are genuinely interested you put some time in and make a start.
Look at Youtube at guys like Walter Sorell's , he has clips on making a knife from the most basic hand tools and this is how I started.
Piece of steel, three hand files and a bit of sandpaper. I didn't even have a vice for the first two.

Knife making, forging, blacksmithing , leather work and many other crafts are having a big renaissance and for good reason.
Don't buy a knife and re-shape it, that's not knife making as it's already made, your just changing the shape of it .

Make a start , DO IT , don't just talk about it, post your progress and ask questions. There are some very helpful and knowledgeable people here who will help.
You will soon know if knife making is for you or not but you will never know if you don't try.

I look forward to seeing your results, good luck

I'm not 100% sure of your purpose, but G10 is basically just layered cloth pressed with fiberglass resin and heat to set, whereas micarta also incorporates heat and possibly higher pressures.... I may be getting this all wrong - might be a mix of cloth material and resin material that makes the difference.

Either way, for a knife handle you can make something perfectly suitable and acceptable yourself with cloth of your choice, fiberglass resin, some wax paper (avoids sticking to everything while setting), two pressing surfaces, and weights or clamps.
I used to use "old" style fiberglass resin that stank like crazy and gave me headaches.... then by luck tried some West System epoxy and to my surprise it didn't stink... seems to work just the same as the old stuff, but is much nicer to use. Got it from Burnsco but there are certainly other suppliers - worth asking what's best for the purpose and if any have higher odor/off-gas more than others.

Originally Posted by viper

Look at Youtube at guys like Walter Sorell's, he has clips on making a knife from the most basic hand tools and this is how I started.
Piece of steel, three hand files and a bit of sandpaper. I didn't even have a vice for the first two.

Thanks Viper that's just the sort of focused pointer that I was after.

Originally Posted by viper

..... post your progress and ask questions. There are some very helpful and knowledgeable people here who will help.

That will be most appreciated. Awesome support, many thanks

Right, so micarta is actually a brand name but it’s layered cloth set with a heat cooked glue under pressure, g10 is different iis glass (fibreglass) using the same glue and pressure.
G10 is impervious to almost anything, micarta is almost as good but the outer layers can absorb whatever they contact, so when wet they swell very slightly which increases your grip as the fibres lift a tad, after they dry they go back to Anor all.
Both are a pig to cut and shape, and the dust is noxious..Gameco sells both, I get my g10 there, and have some I can give you, not yellow though, I get my micarta in Auckland and also have a little spare, I also have rimu scales and teak scales...
If I was you I would design the knife before I went and make up the scales beforehand, make them brighter than yiu need then cut them to shape there...