ivory mycarta

I've just welded and profiled my first damascus blade and would realy like to set it off with ivory mycarta or antique ivory mycarta.

The problem is, the one time I worked with it before, it was full of dirt spects.

I'm thinking that I should hand sand every thing down to about 800 grit and tape handle and polish gaurd seperatly, then tape gaurd and polish handle on clean wheel with white rouge.

Any ideas?

Doesn't do any good on the paper micarta. I have given up working with it because of the little cracks and crevices that trap the dirt. Linnen micarta is better.

Me too. I hate the stuff. A couple of times I have been forced to use it, and had some success filling the pits with super glue before final sanding, but it was way more trouble than it was worth. If there is a "next time", I will charge an extra $100 for the material.

I used ivory Micarta a bit several years ago. I had good success cleaning it with Topol Smoker's Tooth Polish (a toothpaste for tobacco stains). I just put a little on my finger and rubbed it onto the Micarta in a circular motion, then gave it a vigorous rub with toilet paper. Then I carefully rinsed it with tap water and dried it off. It cleaned out all the little dark specs.

Thanks guys,

I think I'll try the tooth polish and then seal with supper glue, don't know for sure, just ground blade today and had a couple of minor flaws. May just use piece of elk antler.

Well, I don't know if they changed the mix or what, but this stuff worked great!

I just kept it wiped clean and worked by hand to 600grit, then used a clean wheel and white rouge, the handle appeared dirty at first, but every thing wiped clean on a rag, didn't even have to wash under tap or anything.

Last time I tried it, it wound up looking like concreat!

Will post a pick when I get a chance, I love this stuff!

finaly got the pic up, think I will be ordering more ivory mycarta

Looks like you got it figured out, William. I'd be interested to know if you still like it in a few months- the last knife I handled with it does duty in my kitchen, and the handle handle material has seriously shunk back from the pins.

Is ivory micarta even still available? I haven't seen it in years. I've used an antique white paper micarta, available from Sheffield Knifemaker's Supply out of Florida, which has afforded me none of the problems any of you have been experiencing. It has been about two years since I've purchased any, so I guess quality could have gone down. But what I bought and used was fine. Sorry to hear you guys have had problems. It's pretty frustrating to have your handle material mess up.

Many years ago, I had put an oak veneer dymond wood handle on a knife. It was a nice piece, forged blade, brass guard, etc. I was down to the finish sanding after the handles had been mounted. I was hand sanding, when I felt something grab the sand paper. Upon close inspection, there was a piece of electronics wire "in" the wood. I guess it had fallen in between two of the plies during its construction. I tried to gently remove it, but the one scale was scarred. I repaired it as best I could and evantually sold it for a quarter of its original price to an outdoorsman friend, as a "factory second." But it's a horrible feeling nonetheless.

The first knife I made with ivory micarta was a fatory blade and I kept it. I'ts been a couple of years now and havent had a problem with shrinkedge. Only thing wrong with it was the dirt spects from shaping and polishing. I tried the whiting toothpaste and it helped some, but now has light specks instead of dark specks.

This batch I didn't work any diferent, and came out great. The old batch seamed to be rather poris and this seams to be more solid.

I got the first batch from Texas Knife Makers supply and this last batch from Sheffields.

I don't know, maybe they get ivory mycarta from differnt suppliers?