does anyone know

[dete]

what the old Spyderco Delica's handle material is made from?

the one with volcano pattern grip and the pocket clip is part of it, in other words
the clip is nonremovable...

is it FRN?

if so, what do you guys think of FRN vs Polycarbonate vs G-10?

[Peter1960]

It is FRN, nothing else :)

I speak only for my person: Don't change the handle material for the Delica. It is low priced and works well - take a look on the Delica 4 with the liners in it. A good knife!

[The Deacon]

The Delica handles have been FRN from the beginning. Not familiar with polycarbonate as handle material for knives, am sure the glass filled version would have similar properties to FRN, perhaps even superior. My knowledge of it, as I said, is limited, but it appears to be more similar to G-10 in that it is normally machined to a final shape rather than injection molded. That has the advantage of lower "up front" costs, as a mold for FRN handles runs around $40,000. But because it has to be machined to shape, it has the disadvantage of higher per unit labor cost regardless of production volume and is more difficult to create a true monocoque handle with. No idea where it would fall in the material cost spectrum. I would also venture that G-10 and CF have the "PR" advantage over it, they are perceived as being "high end" plastics while I'm not so sure polycarbonates would be thought of that way.

As for me, if I'm going to have a plastic handle, I prefer nicely done FRN. To me G-10 (at least the way Spyderco does it) looks terrible and tends to cause more wear on pockets. Shiny CF is pretty, but just as slippery as metal, and the new "peel ply" stuff is even rougher than G-10, you could use it to remove calluses from your hands or feet.

[224477]

Its Zytel, trademarked FRN made by DuPont..

Same stuff as today, maybe just from different source..

[JD Spydo]

I used to work in the plastics field once apon a time. The materials in that field are constantly changing about like the metallurgical field.

Polycarbonate which was pioneered by General Electric some time ago is a great material. It used to go under the trade name "Lexan". I am sure it could be a great handle material. Would it be an improvement over the current FRN? Maybe not. There may be a very profound reason that FRN might even be superior for knife handles.

The one brother is right>> Zytel is a high grade of nylon put out by Dupont. From what I can remember about Zytel it had an incredibly high melt index. Plus like Polycarbonate it resists breaking or chipping very well.

I have also wondered if Polyethylene wouldn't be a great handle material. I have worked with Polyethylene material that was incredibly strong. Interesting thread.

[cobrajoe]

I used to work in the plastics field once apon a time. The materials in that field are constantly changing about like the metallurgical field.

Polycarbonate which was pioneered by General Electric some time ago is a great material. It used to go under the trade name "Lexan". I am sure it could be a great handle material. Would it be an improvement over the current FRN? Maybe not. There may be a very profound reason that FRN might even be superior for knife handles.

The one brother is right>> Zytel is a high grade of nylon put out by Dupont. From what I can remember about Zytel it had an incredibly high melt index. Plus like Polycarbonate it resists breaking or chipping very well.

I have also wondered if Polyethylene wouldn't be a great handle material. I have worked with Polyethylene material that was incredibly strong. Interesting thread.

Lexan huh? That gives me Ideas.

Most of the time I hear of Lexan for use as windows in racecars because it's stronger and safer than glass.

So how about a clear or smoke tinted handled spydie? I would definately buy a delica or dragonfly or something with a clear handle. I love to see the locks in motion. :D

[SunTzu]

Lexan huh? That gives me Ideas.

Most of the time I hear of Lexan for use as windows in racecars because it's stronger and safer than glass.

So how about a clear or smoke tinted handled spydie? I would definately buy a delica or dragonfly or something with a clear handle. I love to see the locks in motion. :D

I had the same idea a few months ago...and told spyderco about it. :D It was also done in the early eighties by some custom knife maker to show the new locking mechanism he created. I think it would be cool to be able to see the gunk and lint etc... so you know where to clean.

[dete]

thank you thank you thank you for your beautiful helpful replies!

I really like the polycarbonate material. if it is cheaper then it is a plus,
I don't need a mercedes you know what I mean?

I have no problem with a nice thick surgical stainless steel blade as well.

as long as the design is the way I want it.
everything about it has to have a good reason.

[sal]

Some info to share.

Zytel is a trademark of Dupont and refers to a nylon based material that is capable of receiving fiberglass as a reinforcement.

It seemed that everyone was calling all FRN materials "Zytel" which, while probally just ignorance, is unfair to Dupont, deceptive and illegal.

FRN stands for Fiberglasss Reinforced Nylon. It is a term that Spyderco made up some years ago to differentiate other FRN materials from Dupont's Zytel, which was a trademarked name.

Lexan has a very high strength but only for a while. In our testing, we found that age and sunlight eventually caused Lexan to become brittle.

Spyderco's USA made Native is made from Dupont Zytel. Our FRN handles made in other countries are other brands of FRN.

sal

[geoff88]

Lexan huh? That gives me Ideas.

Most of the time I hear of Lexan for use as windows in racecars because it's stronger and safer than glass.

So how about a clear or smoke tinted handled spydie? I would definately buy a delica or dragonfly or something with a clear handle. I love to see the locks in motion. :D

I think you may find that Lexan isnt very resistant to scratching.
Not a problem for racecars because they can afford to change them. A lexan handled knife would get very scratched just from being in a pocket with keys etc.

Geoff