Lifespan of G-10?

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knife__bro69
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Lifespan of G-10?

#1

Post by knife__bro69 »

Do you guys have any experience with G10 over a long period of time? Or do you know how long this material should last with daily use? Id love to know! :D
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Pancake
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#2

Post by Pancake »

Do you mean like texture getting worn? Yes, it will happend in some years, it will get smoother.
But other than that, it will not rot, or corrode, or dissolve, or shrink, or vanish....
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
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knife__bro69
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#3

Post by knife__bro69 »

Pancake wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 2:20 am
Do you mean like texture getting worn? Yes, it will happend in some years, it will get smoother.
But other than that, it will not rot, or corrode, or dissolve, or shrink, or vanish....
I just mean wear, corrosion, etc. Anything that would “age” it basically.
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Pancake
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#4

Post by Pancake »

No, corrosion of liners would not affect G10.
One thing that I just think about is when you have linerless construction with washers directly on G10. That could maybe I dug some wear, but my Chief is still in perfect condition.
If you don't throw your knife into fire, I don't think there is something that could affect life of G10
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
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knife__bro69
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#5

Post by knife__bro69 »

Pancake wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 2:58 am
No, corrosion of liners would not affect G10.
One thing that I just think about is when you have linerless construction with washers directly on G10. That could maybe I dug some wear, but my Chief is still in perfect condition.
If you don't throw your knife into fire, I don't think there is something that could affect life of G10
Wow thats impressive 😯
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#6

Post by jpm2 »

Top carried and used every day for 15 years.
Bottom never carried or used.

Image
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Josh Crutchley
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#7

Post by Josh Crutchley »

knife__bro69 wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 1:13 am
Do you guys have any experience with G10 over a long period of time? Or do you know how long this material should last with daily use? Id love to know! :D
These are scales from my 7yr old Manix 2 when I cleaned them last month.

Before
20201215_180041_kindlephoto-1671397004.jpg
After
20201215_183301.jpg
Sumdumguy
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#8

Post by Sumdumguy »

G10 is like death and taxes...
"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."

-Thomas Jefferson
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#9

Post by TomAiello »

G-10 will effectively last forever. You can smooth and polish it, but unless you're taking a sander to it (which I've done quite a lot of in the past month) you're not going to wear it out. And if you like the rough texture you can rough it up with a file (or carefully with 30 grit sandpaper) again.
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#10

Post by bearfacedkiller »

It was designed for circuit boards and is mainly intended to be both heat and chemical resistant as well as having low conductivity.

The peel ply texture will wear a little and lose some bite. It can also chip or dent if dropped. In general it is fairly abrasion resistant and fairly tough though. Other than that just don’t soak it in acetone or throw it in a fire. It will resist most lesser solvents as well as most reasonable temperatures.

With reasonable care it will outlast you.
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#11

Post by JD Spydo »

If you get some "Ballistol" at a local hardware store or sporting goods store and give your G-10 handles periodic treatments with it your G-10 handled knives will last indefinitely. I've even seen scratches and dings heal up using that Ballistol. Now a lot of guys complain that the BALLISTOL has a bit of an offensive odor. And it does have a bit of a chemical smell to it. But if you store your knives properly that smell will dissipate pretty quickly.

When I accidentally discovered how good BALLISTOL is for G-10 handles back around 2005 I have never used anything else since. And I use BALLISTOL for a wide range of uses on firearms, fishing reels and several of my other toys. It's great stuff and there are websites and videos on it's uses. Also get the big bulk 16 ounce cans>> the aerosol spray cans cost about 7 times as much.

I just take a soft bristle toothbrush ( usually an Oral B) and gently brush the G-10 until it gets a nice smooth wet look to it. If you do it right your G-10 handles will look new and will be protected from the elements.
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knife__bro69
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#12

Post by knife__bro69 »

Thanks for all the awesome answers. It sounds like g10 is a pretty insane material!
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#13

Post by Bill1170 »

Prolonged exposure to unfiltered sunlight can damage the epoxy resin that forms the G-10 matrix. The ultraviolet component breaks down the plastic. Pigment, especially black pigment, will greatly extend the life of G-10 exposed to UV. It limits the damage to the top surface.
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Abyss_Fish
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#14

Post by Abyss_Fish »

The lifespan is yes.
Lightly insane.

Current spydie collection: Watu, Rhino, UKPK Salt G10 bladeswap, Yojimbo 2 Smooth G10 Cru-Wear, Manix lw “mystic” 20cv, SmallFly 2, Waterway, Ladybug k390, Caribbean
Current favorite steels: sg2/R2, lc200n/Z-FiNit, 3v
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#15

Post by Donut »

Sumdumguy wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 8:04 am
G10 is like death and taxes...
It is certain? It is a sure thing? o.O
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#16

Post by zhyla »

It doesn’t seem to shrink at all so I think it can last indefinitely if not exposed to UV constantly. Holds up to abuse pretty well too.
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Wartstein
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#17

Post by Wartstein »

knife__bro69 wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:47 pm
Thanks for all the awesome answers. It sounds like g10 is a pretty insane material!

It is! I think G10 and FRN (which I even prefer) are pretty undestructable in any only remotely realistic scenario (and discussions on which one of the two materials is even stronger, are only of theoretical value imho).
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#18

Post by JD Spydo »

Bill1170 wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 6:07 pm
Prolonged exposure to unfiltered sunlight can damage the epoxy resin that forms the G-10 matrix. The ultraviolet component breaks down the plastic. Pigment, especially black pigment, will greatly extend the life of G-10 exposed to UV. It limits the damage to the top surface.
Bill I seriously believe that a periodic treatment with Ballistol will prevent any UV damage that could occur. I've been treating all of my G-10 handled knives with it and they all look to be in great condition to this day. An old RENEGADE model I had from the early 2000s that I traded a couple of years ago looked just as new as it did the day I got it. And I attribute that to my regular treatments of Ballistol.

And I'm sure there are more products other than Ballistol that will also render UV protection for G-10 or any other materials that could be affected by UV. And typically most knife handles don't see a great deal of sunlight anyway.
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#19

Post by Sumdumguy »

Donut wrote:
Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:41 pm
Sumdumguy wrote:
Tue Jan 05, 2021 8:04 am
G10 is like death and taxes...
It is certain? It is a sure thing? o.O
An indefinite constant. :p
"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."

-Thomas Jefferson
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steelcity16
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Re: Lifespan of G-10?

#20

Post by steelcity16 »

I'm a little skeptical that G10 will last a lifetime. Same with FRCP and FRN, but especially FRCP. I used to do a lot of thrifting, garage sales, estate sales, etc. buying vintage items and reselling on eBay. Vintage rubbers and plastics being deteriorated was a VERY common occurrence. I get that these scale materials are not exactly plastics or rubbers, but I wouldn't doubt that they will suffer the same fate over time. There is a reason child car seats have an expiration date.
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