All About Pocket Knives

I’m considering some micarta knife handles for an upcoming project knife. I haven’t worked with it before. Is it similar to working with acrylic materials?
Any advice on working with this material would be appreciated.
Thanks

Hi Jeff. I understand the dust from either micarta or G10 is very hazardous to your health. Some of the stuff I have read about it is so scary that I rarely use it any more. But, when I do use either, I wear a good quality respirator and I do it outside, in the front of my garage with a fan blowing from behind me so the dust is blown away from me as I work. I like G10 better, but both are very tough materials and make great knife scales. Other than that, I use the same tools for cutting and sanding that I use with wood or bone. Good luck! Herb

Micarta works much better than acrylic. Acrylic tends to melt under any heat, fuzzing and rolling on the edges.
The stability of micarta keeps it from chipping when cutting, as well. I have not used acrylic for scales, but have turned many pens from it. It tends to “blow up” in the swirls and color variations.
Micarta is easy to cut, sand, file, shape, and polish.

For working knives, my thought is, that it is more stable than wood, bone, or acrylic.

Jeff, micarta is far more forgiving and easier to work with, than bone. You can shape and peen pins in it, without worrying about it cracking, like bone.
Seeing your work in bone...it should be a "piece of cake".

Micarta is a great tough material and I use it to make jigs that I use in my shop. When I am drilling a hole in a piece of Micarta I find it is important to back the bit out frequently and allow the chips to clear the hole. Otherwise you will hear a little foomp in the hole and see some smoke come out. I believe the bit gets warm enough to cause a miniature explosion inside the hole.

It shouldn't be a problem on the thinner pieces you use for slab knife handles, but if you are drilling out a piece of Micarta for a hidden tang knife, if might become an issue there

Micarta can produce formaldehyde fumes if overheated when grinding. Otherwise, the dust is not particularly hazardous.
G10, on the otherhand, is made with fiberglass and the dust is very harmful.
Both are easily worked- but are tougher than other handle materials.

Thanks everyone! I’ll give it a try.

There are several providers of this material these days. I have had great customer support and service from Masecraft.

http://masecraftsupply-com.3dcartstores.com/