PM2 scales becoming less grippy over time.

[Big Nick]

Hi fellow Spyderco fans,

I have an observation, I remember when I first got my camo handled PM2 the scales were very grippy, somewhat like a “nail file” in texture.
It almost had a “sticky” feel to it, I loved it!!!. Provided a great deal of traction and thus confidence in not slipping when using the knife under extreme conditions.

However over time the scales have “lost” that feeling. I suspect this is due to minute particles (such as dust) becoming embedded in the scales combined with oil/sweat from the hands. It almost feels smooth now in comparison to when I first got it.

Recently I got a Military with camo handles, and because it’s newer that my PM2 it had the same extremely grippy feel as my PM2 used to have.

This is by no means a complaint, but rather a request for help please.

Has anyone experienced this before? And is there any way to clean the scales (I don’t want to take the knife apart) perhaps with a nail/tooth brush and mild detergent/soap with water?

Many kind thanks, BN.

[Cliff Stamp]

All materials wear, however a really nice scrubbing is likely to bring it back somewhat.

[Able Dog]

The peel-ply texture used on G10 is, basically, an epoxy-like resin that had a patterned fabric pressed against it during curing and then peeled away. Hence the name peel-ply. While being fairly hard, having the grippiness wear over time is entirely to be expected.

I choose to enjoy the worn in look of used G10, at a certain point it becomes comfortable like an old pair of jeans. As far as making it grippy again, I don't know of any easy solutions.

Cleaning with soap and warm water should clean out dead skin and other junk that can accumulate.

[bearfacedkiller]

I personally LOVE the feel of pocket worn G10. It's like and old pair of slippers. mmm...

[Evil D]

It's just wear unfortunately, not a lot you can do about it. I'm torn between the two... I do love that new sticky grippy feeling, but I also love a nice worn, long term carried G10. It's like your favorite old pair of jeans. The good news is most Spyderco knives are designed with good enough ergonomics that the scales could be slick as glass and you still get a pretty secure grip in most cases.

[Zenith]

I have not bought a new G10 knife in some time so at this stage all my G10 user knives have worn smooth. It is unfortunately part of the process. Even something with aggressive G10 such as Cold Steel has worn smoother over time. Enjoy it.

[Michael Janich]

This is the nature of the beast with medium and fine texture G-10--especially if you wear jeans or other pants made with somewhat abrasive cloth. Basically, the "points" of the pyramids in the G-10's texture matrix wear down and it becomes smoother. Knives that use coarse-textured G-10 will resist this for a much longer time, but many of them require that their clips be adjusted to loosen the tension. Otherwise the pressure of the clip and the coarse texture grab the pocket too aggressively and make a smooth draw extremely difficult.

For this reason, my favorite grips are actually FRN with Bi-Directional Texturing. Both the scale and the direction of the textured steps allow it to remain almost impervious to wear and the use of the escutcheon (the flat oval with the knife name) as the contact point for the clip tip guarantees a smooth draw.

For G-10, the best long-wearing option is the "corrugated" texture like that found on the PPT. Again, the size of the texture elements doesn't allow them to wear down and the crest where the pattern converges provides a great high point for the clip's bearing point.

With all this said, some soft scrub and a soft toothbrush can "open" the pores of work G-10 and restore some grippiness. You can also try a little bit of sports grip wax to make the handle tackier.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

[bearfacedkiller]

Good point! This is definitely one area where frn shines. It doesn't lose any grip over time in my experience.

[wrdwrght]

Part of it is a wearing away of material, but another part is accumulating oils (body and otherwise). As Cliff said and I can attest, a good emulsifying soap will remove the oils and restore some of the grippiness.

[Johnnie1801]

My Pm2 was very grippy at the beginning but smoothed out over time however other g10 knives I have like the Manix cruwear were much smoother.

I don't know why but it always annoyed me when I would read about people sandpapering their PM2's so that they wouldn't damage their jeans :eek:

[SpeedHoles]

Yeah, I made a few brief posts about this same topic a month or so ago. I have a very well worn PM2 that I carried often, and it wasn't until I recently got another new PM2 to add to the rotation that I realized first-hand just how polished the old one had become! Still feels and works great, but man, that new one is so crisp and grippy in comparison!

[twinboysdad]

Screw that man, enjoy it as is. My BM 705 (my only non Spydie and a wedding gift) came with G10 so smooth that I doubted it was G10. Less grippy but worn in is where it is at. Try Emerson G10 if you want so grippy it shreds your pants grippy.

[dreadpirate]

G10 scales.

[78lilred]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or knockoff variants. Get it damp and scrub away.

[mastiff]

This is the nature of the beast with medium and fine texture G-10--especially if you wear jeans or other pants made with somewhat abrasive cloth. Basically, the "points" of the pyramids in the G-10's texture matrix wear down and it becomes smoother. Knives that use coarse-textured G-10 will resist this for a much longer time, but many of them require that their clips be adjusted to loosen the tension. Otherwise the pressure of the clip and the coarse texture grab the pocket too aggressively and make a smooth draw extremely difficult.

For this reason, my favorite grips are actually FRN with Bi-Directional Texturing. Both the scale and the direction of the textured steps allow it to remain almost impervious to wear and the use of the escutcheon (the flat oval with the knife name) as the contact point for the clip tip guarantees a smooth draw.

For G-10, the best long-wearing option is the "corrugated" texture like that found on the PPT. Again, the size of the texture elements doesn't allow them to wear down and the crest where the pattern converges provides a great high point for the clip's bearing point.

With all this said, some soft scrub and a soft toothbrush can "open" the pores of work G-10 and restore some grippiness. You can also try a little bit of sports grip wax to make the handle tackier.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

I feel the same, the Bi-Directional FRN or FRCP are my favorite. That texture just locks into your hand. I started a thread with a poll about interest in a FRN PM2 and it came in around 40% for, 50% against, with 10% undecided. I still think it would do great considering how the PM2 is perpetually sold out. It's already a nested liner design so it already has that going for it. It might also be quicker to make considering how fast they can pump out FRN handles for Enduras and Delicas.

[jmh58]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or knockoff variants. Get it damp and scrub away.

Yep!! Works wonders!! John :cool:

[Holland]

my caly3 is almost polished worn :D

if you want to bring some grip back you could give it a quick sand with 200 grit or 400 grit paper. I wouldn't sand for too long though