Two CruCartas, Two Shades of Tan

[Jerome Howard]

Such a difference in scale color. One is darker tan that accents the texture of the canvas micarta. The other is lighter and looks pale. Hard to get an accurate photo of the colors. The lighter one looks almost white in the photo. It's still tan, but a real light tan.

Has anyone tried oiling or staining theirs? I'm thinking of darkening the lighter one.

[Evil D]

I really like the splotchy chalky looking ones. I guess others don't but those are my favorites.

[Jerome Howard]

I guess I could splotch it up if my hands are dirty.

[Wandering_About]

I sanded mine down to get rid of the fuzz, and bring out the resin color a bit better.

[Traditional.Sharpening]

This is normal with many makers tan or natural canvas, some vary from yellow to brownish or even just a sand tan. Over time they all should darken with oils and UV exposure.

[riclaw]

They both look great!

Do you think we'll ever see micarta with a different steel?

[Brock O Lee]

I oiled this one. Mineral oil. It dries out over time and reverts back to a chalky light brown.

[jmj3esq]

I used a clear shoe wax on canvas micarta with excellent results.

[Jerome Howard]

I got the lighter one two days ago. I am sending it back for an exchange. It has the slightest bit of side to side play. If I tighten the pivot just enough to make it go away, the action is too stiff to drop the blade. The darker one has the best action I've ever felt on a Paramilitary 2. And had it right out of the box. Hopefully so will the replacement. I will have it tomorrow.

[Jerome Howard]

I got the replacement one today. It's light colored like the one I sent back, but the lockup is like it should be. Tight.

[Mrj]

Such a difference in scale color. One is darker tan that accents the texture of the canvas micarta. The other is lighter and looks pale. Hard to get an accurate photo of the colors. The lighter one looks almost white in the photo. It's still tan, but a real light tan.

Has anyone tried oiling or staining theirs? I'm thinking of darkening the lighter one.

New/used with oil/ dryed used with oil

[Scandi Grind]

I have micarta on a fixed blade that looks very different than the product pictures, less orange and darker. It also changes all the time depending on what I use it for, getting darker over time, then I wash it when it gets too dirty and it turns more pale. I tried mineral oil which made it nice and dark, but it evaporated or got absorbed? Then it looked pretty pale again. I've come to accept that micarta is somewhat unpredictable and always changing, but that's part of it's charm. I might try beeswax on it next.

[elena86]

How could one clean the scales when they get dark over time ? Just wash them ?

[Ramonade]

In 4 months of occasionnal use (it's bound to be a main carry, but other steels have been tested before that), it took a bit of patina on the "show" scale, but not really on the other scale.

[cjk]

How could one clean the scales when they get dark over time ? Just wash them ?

rubbing alcohol and a paper towel will get you most of the way there. some folks even use dish soap.

[z1r]

How could one clean the scales when they get dark over time ? Just wash them ?

rubbing alcohol and a paper towel will get you most of the way there. some folks even use dish soap.

This is what I did with one of mine. I was wearing a pretty new pair of jeans, new enough that the dye left a blue stain on one of the scales. It was time to change the brush on my Sonicare so a little Dawn soap and a little "brushing" and it came off. But eth scale was noticeably lighter that the other scale. It is slowly darkening.