Black Linen Micarta instead CF/G-10 please

[Michal O]

Once it was used in models like Caly, Shabaria, Kris, Street Beat and others. It looks really good when polished and if you're following other (mostly premium Chinese) brands, they use micarta a lot, so there is demand for it.

I just would love to see and buy next ethnic Spyderco, (maybe some another Shabaria sprint run?) with this material, instead g-10 or cf. Black or brown, polished linen micarta.

I know there is PM2 cruwear in micarta, but it's not same material as in mentioned vintage models.

Also I know that g-10 can be polished to get visually similar effect as micarta, but it's not the same feel.

[Wartstein]

Just thinking of my personal preferences: I am with you.

I like Micarta a lot more than CF and also more than G10 - only FRN is an even better handle material for me in some regards (especially from a purely practical point of view)

One caveat though: As for example the Crucarta PM 2 shows: Spyderco does not do Micarta with nested liners, so any Micarta model would have to have "full" - like in exposed - liners.

[Naperville]

A heavier full / exposed / liner and black linen micarta Native Chief would be fine by me.

[Tristan_david2001]

The polished linen micarta & flush steel pins on the old seki/moki models I also much prefer to all the materials you mentioned as well. It’s probably my favorite spyderco has put into a folding knife maybe aside from the stainless bolsters and jigged bone they did on the kiwi and kopa

[Coastal]

I just would love to see and buy next ethnic Spyderco, (maybe some another Shabaria sprint run?) with this material, instead g-10 or cf. Black or brown, polished linen micarta.

Also I know that g-10 can be polished to get visually similar effect as micarta, but it's not the same feel.

I couldn't agree more. Spyderco and Benchmade pulled me into the modern folder era more than 30 years ago, and I'm now so tired of G-10 and CF that I almost won't buy a knife so embellished. Nothing functionally wrong with G-10 or CF, I'm just bored with them. Replace those scales with micarta, as I sometimes do, and I'm a happy camper. I even find myself buying lesser brands with lesser steels at lower prices, just to get micarta rather than G-10.

[spydergoat]

I would love to get a street beat micarta. I wonder what they would cost if they were in production today. They are very pricey now on secondary market.

[Fine Swine]

I agree, but I’ll also note that the polished G-10 on the Darn Dao is really nice. I’d love to see more of it.

[Michal O]

Yes, yesterday I saw polished g-10 Ouroboros on Spyderco Facebook group. Photo made by owner, David Hardigree.

[N. Brian Huegel]

Certain models might be affected by Micarta’s higher coefficient of expansion and water absorption.

Micarta:
- Water Absorption, 24 hrs (%) 2.0 (Paper), 2.5 (Canvas) 1.8 (Linen)
- Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (x 10-5 in./in./°F) – Lengthwise: 0.80 (Paper), 1.20 (Canvas) 1.10 (Linen) - Crosswise: 1.22 (Paper) 1.00 (Canvas) 1.06 (Linen)

G-10:
- Water Absorption, 24 hrs (%) 0.10
- Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (x 10-5 in./in./°F) – Lengthwise: 0.55 – Crosswise: 0.66

I seem to recall that Spyderco had issues with a linerless Micarta model in the past that necessitated making future Micarta handled model with liners. The advantages of G-10 are that it can be textured (peelply) or polished, may be used without a liner (lighter weight), and does not absorb grime like Micarta.

nb

[Tristan_david2001]

Yes, yesterday I saw polished g-10 Ouroboros on Spyderco Facebook group. Photo made by owner, David Hardigree.

Smooth g10 done like this i really love too,
The spyderco valloton is a good example

[capt.carl]

I do miss the linen micarta on the seki knives. On models like the persian it looked and felt so great. Wish I never sold them along with my micarta street beat

[chronovore]

Micarta is my favorite scale material. Sure, Micarta is actually a broad category of fabric set in resin and we often use the term more broadly in the way "Band-Aid" has come to refer to adhesive bandages in general. Each kind can also be finished in different ways, from beautiful polishing to the "fuzzy" feel that some of us prefer.

Certain models might be affected by Micarta’s higher coefficient of expansion and water absorption.

I've only been using knives with Micarta for six or seven years. I've never experienced issues with warping or damage but my knives are rarely submersed in water for prolonged periods. They might get wet during camping, fishing, hunting, etc.; but they don't stay submerged. (I have skeletal knives for dedicated aquatic activities.)

One thing I have noticed is that certain types or finishes of Micarta with a more fuzzy or fabric-like feel can pull moisture from the air in situations with very high humidity. In these situations, it only ever seems to be a surface effect. I've had no concerns about structural integrity and I've never noticed any warping, changing of size, or changes in alignment versus liners or the tangs of fixed blades. It just turns the usually nice and warm fuzzy or fabric feel to something clammy and kind of gross.

If I had to guess, I think it might be from a surface layer of exposed fibers that are not fully impregnated with resin and some kind of wicking or condensation against the resin. I notice it most at night or in the morning when camping lakeside.

[yablanowitz]

I have four C54 Calypso unlined Micarta folders. Two have straight blades, two have warped blades. They are a dream for in waistband carry, smooth and light with a ridiculous amount of cutting power. I have noticed the blade centering changing when carrying IWB in the summer heat during periods of (for us) high humidity. Not a big deal to me, but when you pull out a knife with a blade that normally touches on one side at the mid point and the other side at the tip and find it perfectly centered, it is pretty clear that something has changed and it probably isn't the blade.

I love the look and feel of that Micarta, and I love the light weight knives made with it. The C54 Sprint with full skeletonised liners weighed 50% more than the originals, which made it feel totally different to me, and pretty much killed my desire for more Micarta.

chronovore is right about one thing for certain, there is a lot of "Micarta" out there, but a lot of it is "my-carta", various materials laminated together with epoxy rather than actually being made with phenolic resin and heat cured under pressure. It makes a difference in the final product.

[Michal O]

Kapara in k390, with black, polished micarta would be great.

[ChoilsChoilsChoils]

I support the use of Black Linen Micarta in more models, because it raises the likelihood of seeing special runs with White Linen Micarta (aka The Best Micarta).

[horzuff]

Not so sure. With that slim and smooth handle it would be easy to drop or slip grip and hurt Yourself.

And fuzzy micarta is icky, so that wouldn't be a solution either

ETA: Though if it get's me a new Kapara version with an interesting steel (K390 would be awesome indeed), then let it even be with yuck-arta I'll just rescale it

[Tristan_david2001]

Smooth handles don’t bother me, even on knife handles like the spyderco harpy with a stainless steel handle, which is a fairly neutral and small handle shape, and high polished steel making it very slick, I think it still locks and stays in the hand really good. Same with a delica. But I think a smooth handle on a calypso jr or caly 3 would be even less of a problem because of the choil to extra lock your fingers and grip in place. Surface traction can be nice but often times I don’t see it necessary, it’s the overall shape of the handle that’s doing the work on getting a good grip. I tend to prefer smooth or subtly textured handles

[horzuff]

Yeah, I was especially referring to the Kapara, as it's pretty slippery (while opening and closing, not in use) with the current CF scales. That would be even more pronounced with polished micarta

[Danke]

I like the smooth and the fuzzy. I'm in for either version.

[ladybug93]

Yes, yesterday I saw polished g-10 Ouroboros on Spyderco Facebook group. Photo made by owner, David Hardigree.

i miss evil d around here. i hope all is well with him.