Knife Handles

 

I want to talk now about the various components that make up knife handles. There are a lot of different kinds of knife handles, and you’re sure to find the perfect one for you out of this list. The types of knife handle compositions are: glass-reinforced nylon/GRN, aluminum, Micarta, Kraton, G-10, carbon fiber, and natural materials, like leather, bone, and wood. For myself, I like the sturdiness of a classic wood handle; I inherited a couple of beautiful knives from my late father, one of which is a Bowie knife from the 1960s/1970s that has a thick wooden handle. The other is a smaller utility knife/work knife with a shorter, thinner blade that has a leather-wrapped handle. Regarding that one, I really like the feeling of the smoothness of the leather in my hand. I will go into each one briefly for you, so you can understand the differences among them and why each is valuable to the knife enthusiast.

 

 

Glass-reinforced nylon

This material is nylon that’s been wrapped in fiberglass in order to harden it against wear-and-tear. Glass-reinforced nylon, or GRN as it’s known, is a very strong substance that is anti-abrasion, anti-impact, and it will not break down in the presence of chemicals, and also, it will not expand when exposed to heat. All these wonderful attributes make glass-reinforced nylon a popular choice for knife handles today.

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Aluminum

Aluminum is a tough and a lightweight metal that boasts great anti-scratch properties, especially when it’s been hard-anodized. Hard-anodization is a coating that’s applied to aluminum and other metals, using a process that electrocutes the metal, in order to promote a non-scratching, super-hard surface that will endure whatever strain and stress that it’s put through.

 

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G-10

G-10 is primarily fiberglass bathed in resin, and baked after these layers have been squeezed together. G-10 affords the user protection from liquids and fluids, and also, the G-10 will not contract if met with extreme heat or cold. These handles usually include a no-slip grip.

 

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Micarta

This substance, which has a trade name, is actually sheets of linen dipped in resin, and then condensed to form a beautifully smooth and solid handle.

 

Kraton

This is an artificial rubber-like material that has many strengths, including protection from heat, chemicals, and general wear-and-tear. Kraton is ductile, like real rubber, and seals well; it also won’t slip out of your hand, so you can be assured of having a firm and a constant grasp on your lovely handle.

 

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Natural

This can be any number of materials, from leather, to wood, to bone — some people prefer “authentic” components that have an organic, classic feel to them.

 

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber is a fairly recent innovation that consists of threads of carbon material braided together and then hardened using resin during a process that involves strong pressure. Carbon fiber thus becomes light and very robust from this treatment.

 

 

Knives with many of these different sorts of handles can be found at our main site:  http://www.batteryjunction.com/