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

Originally Posted by Shelley

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...

Here is some more info on G10 that I gleaned of the interweb a few years back;

G10 is a designation for epoxy impregnated glass fabric. The term "G10" comes from a NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) specification, spec L1, "Industrial Laminated Thermosetting Products".
There is no Qualified Producers List for L1, it is a performance specification. Anyone can make G10, but, in order to be called G10, it has to have a specific set of properties.
Anything called G10 has to have certain minimum properties.

The military G10 laminate has its own spec, MIL-I-24768/2. The properties controlled by the MIL spec are similar to those controlled by the NEMA spec.
Its the same material and its going to be used for the same purpose, circuit boards.

Properties of G10 flat laminates per MIL-I-2478/2: (bold are applicable to use in knife making)
Dielectric breakdown voltage
Dielectric constant
Dissipation factor
Impact strength - Impact strength of a 3.175mm thick section is to be at least 7 ft-lb per inch
Flex strength - Flex strength of a 3.175mm thick section is to be a minimum of 55 KSI measured with the fabric
Water absorption.

Gxx variations

Grade CE Garolite: Compared to Grade XX Garolite, Grade CE offers higher impact strength. It's a cotton-cloth laminate with a phenolic resin binder.

Grade G-7 Garolite: A woven-glass-fabric laminate with silicone resin binder. It withstands high temperatures and is good for electrical applications.

Grade G-9 Garolite: This woven-glass fabric laminate has a melamine resin binder for superior strength. It retains its shape and size, plus is good for use in wet conditions.

Grade G-10 Garolite: A glass-cloth laminate with epoxy resin binder offering excellent strength and low water absorption.

Grade G-10/FR4 Garolite: A glass-cloth laminate with epoxy resin binder, this material is the flame-retardant version of standard G-10 Garolite. It offers excellent strength and low water absorption.

Grade G-11 Garolite: Similar to G-10 Garolite, except G-11 is stronger and can withstand higher temperatures. It's a glass-cloth laminate with epoxy resin binder.

Grade G-30 Glass Polyimide Garolite: Made of glass fabric with a polyimide resin binder.