Since, I've only owned and handled G10 that's as much knowledge I have of the subject. I handled FRN before, but I think I didn't get the hang of it, perhaps showing a bias for thicker handles, so different issue. I think I've also handled zytel from some knockoff knives in a bazaar.
CF really looks nice by the way. Maybe, it's because Amazon suggested the Sage CF to me hohoho Merry Christmas in November!
Except for the internet, no first hand knowledge of micarta either.
Input would really be appreciated :)
Pros and cons of the different handle materials
FRN (from Spyderco) has a very similar feel minus the different textures of course.
G10, Micarta, and CF can vary wildly depending how treated. I hate to say it but the best thing to do is probably find a review video just to watch/listen to the sound it makes when the person explains the scales. It's not like holding a knife but is better than a picture.
G10, Micarta, and CF can vary wildly depending how treated. I hate to say it but the best thing to do is probably find a review video just to watch/listen to the sound it makes when the person explains the scales. It's not like holding a knife but is better than a picture.
The scale material is just part of the over all experience of each knife. You'll probably have to live with each choice to decide how you truely feel about it. It's a personal choice and there are no right or wrong answers.
Peel ply CF and textured G10 tend to offer better grip than their smooth equivalents but you may enjoy the smoother finishes more for your use.
Micarta has a slightly different feel and (in Spydies) tends to be finished smooth.
TI and steel are smoother and heavier than the textured composites.
FRN can provide very good grip and lighter weight.
It all comes down to what you prefer.
Ken
Peel ply CF and textured G10 tend to offer better grip than their smooth equivalents but you may enjoy the smoother finishes more for your use.
Micarta has a slightly different feel and (in Spydies) tends to be finished smooth.
TI and steel are smoother and heavier than the textured composites.
FRN can provide very good grip and lighter weight.
It all comes down to what you prefer.
Ken
玉鋼
Different handle material makes a knife completely different: Like night & day
Handle materials can make all the difference in the world. For instance my current EDC which is the Sprint run C-60 Ayoob model with a G-10 handle. The original Ayoob model from back in the early 2000s was made with an "almite" handle. The Almite was just a bit on the slick side for me personally but I loved that particular model so much I just put up with that aspect of the knife.
But this newer C-60 Ayoob with the G-10 handle is unbelievable. The different handle material has literally made it like a brand new model. The purchase/grip factor is almost triple from what it was on the older model. It handles so well and cleans up like a dream.
But I also like FRN handles and I sure learned that you sure don't judge a book by it's cover on the first FRN Spyder I ever owned. I was not only surprised at how well it gripped and handled overall but I was also very impressed with the overall ruggedness of FRN. I can sure tell you all some stories about a Golden Colorado FRN Native model and the outright hellish abuse I put it through.
I also like Spyderco's all metal handles like Titanium and Stainless.
But this newer C-60 Ayoob with the G-10 handle is unbelievable. The different handle material has literally made it like a brand new model. The purchase/grip factor is almost triple from what it was on the older model. It handles so well and cleans up like a dream.
But I also like FRN handles and I sure learned that you sure don't judge a book by it's cover on the first FRN Spyder I ever owned. I was not only surprised at how well it gripped and handled overall but I was also very impressed with the overall ruggedness of FRN. I can sure tell you all some stories about a Golden Colorado FRN Native model and the outright hellish abuse I put it through.
I also like Spyderco's all metal handles like Titanium and Stainless.
Long Live the SPYDEREDGE Spyderco Hawkbills RULE!!
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spydie fanatic
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I am certainly in minority here.
For me, to buy a knife, I should like the look. To keep I should like the feel in my hand. IMHO, you need an extra grip, only if you use the knife wearing gloves, otherwise if knife has sufficient egros, smooth handle like micarta on original Persian should be fine.
So, here we go.
Smooth SS and Ti are too slippery if hand get wet. Not my cup of tea.
FRN: good handle material for minimalist knife, but looks good only on Cento 3 & 4.
G10. Good durability. Spydercos Peel ply is OK, but not even close to something like ZT560/561 and many others. Which are grippy and looks good at the same time. G10 on PPT and few other Taiwanese models is very nice.
CF: IMHO, in most cases is waste of money. Micarta looks much better than polished CF. Peel ply CF is not worth extra $30-40 to compare with G10. With exception of Taiwanese CF. It is grippy and looks good. Also impressed with CF on Damascus Caly3.
Micarta: good stuff, especially when is not flat. Like T2, street beat, Vieles, Hossoms
Bone, stag, wood: good stuff.
For me, to buy a knife, I should like the look. To keep I should like the feel in my hand. IMHO, you need an extra grip, only if you use the knife wearing gloves, otherwise if knife has sufficient egros, smooth handle like micarta on original Persian should be fine.
So, here we go.
Smooth SS and Ti are too slippery if hand get wet. Not my cup of tea.
FRN: good handle material for minimalist knife, but looks good only on Cento 3 & 4.
G10. Good durability. Spydercos Peel ply is OK, but not even close to something like ZT560/561 and many others. Which are grippy and looks good at the same time. G10 on PPT and few other Taiwanese models is very nice.
CF: IMHO, in most cases is waste of money. Micarta looks much better than polished CF. Peel ply CF is not worth extra $30-40 to compare with G10. With exception of Taiwanese CF. It is grippy and looks good. Also impressed with CF on Damascus Caly3.
Micarta: good stuff, especially when is not flat. Like T2, street beat, Vieles, Hossoms
Bone, stag, wood: good stuff.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf"
My top choices Natives5, Calys, C83 Persian
My top choices Natives5, Calys, C83 Persian
FRN is probably the best nonmetal material to resist chipping when dropped. It is also lightweight and affordable. FRN lacks in aesthetics but makes an ideal utilitarian handle. Micarta is pretty, grippy, and durable. I hear it stains and has issues with dimensional stability but this has not been a problem with the ones i have made. G-10 is wonderfully strong and stiff, comes in cool colors, but feels kind of "cold" to me. Metal handles are a taste I have never acquired. They are typically heavy, slippery, unfriendly in hand. Titanium also costs a lot, but it has that cool factor.
I actually became curious about Micarta because of video I saw on YouTube, really looked like the reviewer liked it with some of the reasons I've read here. The Sage series of is surely tempting. I actually found out the rationale behind it from a post from Sal here. Thanks everyone!Blerv wrote:FRN (from Spyderco) has a very similar feel minus the different textures of course.
G10, Micarta, and CF can vary wildly depending how treated. I hate to say it but the best thing to do is probably find a review video just to watch/listen to the sound it makes when the person explains the scales. It's not like holding a knife but is better than a picture.
:)
Yojimbo 2
Here's my opinion on handle materials.
G10
Pros: Great strength and grip. Looks good as long as it's done right.
Cons: It can add weight to the knife, expensive to produce.
Carbon Fiber
Pros: Looks good. Very light.
Cons: Unless it's done right, Carbon Fiber tends to lack good traction (carbon fiber handles are rarely done right for traction in my opinion.) Very expensive to produce.
Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN)
Pros: Cheap to produce. Can easily be made into different colors.
Cons: Not as strong. Scratches very easily. Has a cheap/plasticy feeling to it.
Titanium:
Pros: looks great, has a good heft to it, generally lightweight.
Cons: very expensive to produce, sometimes lack traction.
Other Metals (stainless steel, aluminum, etc.)
Pros: makes the knife very sturdy.
Cons: Expensive to produce, makes a knife heavy, generally doesn't look too good, reacts with temperature fluctuation which could cause ergonomic discomfort.
G10
Pros: Great strength and grip. Looks good as long as it's done right.
Cons: It can add weight to the knife, expensive to produce.
Carbon Fiber
Pros: Looks good. Very light.
Cons: Unless it's done right, Carbon Fiber tends to lack good traction (carbon fiber handles are rarely done right for traction in my opinion.) Very expensive to produce.
Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN)
Pros: Cheap to produce. Can easily be made into different colors.
Cons: Not as strong. Scratches very easily. Has a cheap/plasticy feeling to it.
Titanium:
Pros: looks great, has a good heft to it, generally lightweight.
Cons: very expensive to produce, sometimes lack traction.
Other Metals (stainless steel, aluminum, etc.)
Pros: makes the knife very sturdy.
Cons: Expensive to produce, makes a knife heavy, generally doesn't look too good, reacts with temperature fluctuation which could cause ergonomic discomfort.
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The Deacon
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In my opinion, assuming all three are high quality, smooth polished G-10, CF, and Micarta will all behave about the same as knife handle materials. Any differences in weight, strength, and rigidity are go to be minimal, if they exist at all. Where they differ is mostly in the "look and feel" of the surface treatments which are available, and their cost. Some of those surface treatments introduce quirks of their own. As an example, the surface "gel" layer on glossy CF is somewhat notorious for chipping easily when drilled for screws and lanyard pipes. Smooth polished Micarta can have an advantage, better grip when wet, over smooth polished G-10 and CF. But that's only true if it is made to the original formula and I'm not sure if even Norplex, the trademark holder, makes any like that anymore.
FRN will be lighter, more flexible, less heat and abrasion resistant but more resistant to chipping and cracking. It's also the least expensive, but that lower cost only comes into play on high volume models, since the injection molds needed to produce FRN handles are quite expensive. It's been a while, but the last I heard, their cost was in the $30K-$40K range. Zytel encompasses a whole family of products, but when the version used for knife scales is simply one trademarked brand of FRN. It's only advantage over generic FRN is that it will be of consistent and known quality while the generic versions can be lower, equal, or better than it, depending on the quantity and length of the glass fiber flock it contains and the type of nylon used.
As for me, I'll take wood, bone, antler, ivory, or horn over any "plastic".
FRN will be lighter, more flexible, less heat and abrasion resistant but more resistant to chipping and cracking. It's also the least expensive, but that lower cost only comes into play on high volume models, since the injection molds needed to produce FRN handles are quite expensive. It's been a while, but the last I heard, their cost was in the $30K-$40K range. Zytel encompasses a whole family of products, but when the version used for knife scales is simply one trademarked brand of FRN. It's only advantage over generic FRN is that it will be of consistent and known quality while the generic versions can be lower, equal, or better than it, depending on the quantity and length of the glass fiber flock it contains and the type of nylon used.
As for me, I'll take wood, bone, antler, ivory, or horn over any "plastic".
Paul
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
Deplorable :p
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
Deplorable :p
WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
This is where skateboard tape and a dummy cord come in to play.(no offense intended...a lanyard that keeps you from losing/dropping it)Bill1170 wrote: Metal handles are a taste I have never acquired. They are typically heavy, slippery, unfriendly in hand.
Grippy would be subjective to the type of Micarta (paper/linen/canvas/denim) and the grind/texturing of the handle. I have polished linen Micarta handles that become "squiggly" when they get wet...whereas the canvas/rag Micarta that has been ground and textured actually becomes "grippier" when wet.Micarta is pretty, grippy and durable
The other issue is the handle dynamics - too straight/too arched, too large/too small...
