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Just curious as to the use of Micarta and any advantages to it as a handle material. What makes it so popular?

It is almost indestructible - I make knives and I can lay a piece of steel on my anvil and hit it hard and put a dent in it. When I lay a piece of Micarta on the anvil and hit it just as hard. It will not put a dent in it..... So it probably is never going to break, crack or shrink? I have had a piece discolor a little on a knife - but that had some to do with the way I had finished it? Kinda burnished it you could say?
Hope this helps?

thanks Todd

i've seen canvas Micarta or something very similar used as a wear plate between railroad locomotives and the 'trucks' (wheel/axle assemblys). 400,000# sitting directly on two 24" dia. x 5/8" wear plates with constant movement gave me new respect for this stuff. these wear plates will last longer than steel.

the new wear plates for this and similar applications are injection molded plastics though.

Super tuff and almost indestructible

Hard to destroy, acid does not affect it, will not burn , and has so many different types of material can be put in it to alter its appearance(paper,linen,canvas,burlap).

I am not trying to steal the thread, but just about the time I seemed to learn about Micarta, now knife makers are tossing around the use of G 10 scales. Anyone know about G 10?

Ya' know how micarta has layers of either paper, linen, or canvas impregnated with a resin? You can kinda think of G-10 as having layers of fiberglass instead of the above mentioned materials.

In addition to Micarta's durability, I also find certain colors attractive.

I also like wood micarta, but you seldom see it on knife handles anymore.

The wood micarta is not available any more as far as I could find. Treasure is the rag micarta.
I still have some of the old with brown two lines and blue two lines in it. Haven't seen any of that for a long time.
The old Westinghouse Ivory has resurfaced in a couple of sources but in thin scales and is very limited in supply.

When I mentioned wood micarta, I was actually talking about DymondWood. I like it is certain colors, such as WineWood and Silver/Black. I never knew anyone made any actually known as Wood Micarta.

Back in the 80's I bought some from Bob Schimshers Knife Supply. he called it Rosewood Micarta. It WAS NOT DYMONWOOD.

Back in the 80's I bought some from Bob Schimshers Knife Supply. he called it Rosewood Micarta. It WAS NOT DYMONDWOOD.