No Longer Using Fiber Liners

Fiddleback

Fiddleback

Knifemaker
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Oct 19, 2005
Messages
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Folks, due to the unbelievable sorry-itude/shitbagituity of vulcanized fibre (standard knife liner material), I have decided to upgrade to micarta and g-10 liners only. The expense of these is between 2x more and 8x more. It is worth it because these materials are tough and stable.

A while back I started a thread to complain/comiserate with other makers about this problem. The consensus was that this material (again, standard in the business) is shit.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=707280

The switch has actually already happened. This will mean you see a lot more Fiddleback knives with no liner at all. Also, from now on, choosing a liner on an order will incur an upcharge, and an upcharge will be charged on knives posted for sale with this superior material.

Let me give you an example of what I'm dealing with here. Vulcanized fiber is available to me for ~$2 a square foot for any color. Now I'm paying $4 for a sq ft of black paper micarta, $6 for an 11.5 x 8.5 piece of red g-10, and up to $16 for a 12x12 piece of white g-10. White is rare and expensive because its so easy to contaminate whole batches with dirty equipment and make it look like trash.

The good news is the look.

White g-10/nat canvas micarta/white g-10

March100_1774-vi.jpg


Nat canvas micarta:

March100_1784-vi.jpg


Black Paper Micarta:

March100_1788-vi.jpg


Nat Canvas Micarta:

March100_1807-vi.jpg
 
"sorry-itude/shitbagituity" I'm going to have to remember those.

I like the new liners...but the spalted maple done stole the show!
 
What spalted Maple? All I see is 0.031" of nat canvas micarta.
 
Very interesting. The things I learn here...

Props to you for being an anal retentive maker. :D
 
CarpScot said:
Aha! I suspected as much. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

You had some tang you could feel? If so, take the knife and submerge the handle in mineral oil. Let it sit, Dave Rishar recomends overnight, and I follow his lead. Then let it drain, and wipe it off. Its good for blade, handle, sheath, and hands. I've had exposed tang disapear after this.
 
I agree. I recently cleaned up and old Edge Mark for a friend, and I didn't realize how porous(fiberous) that material is. I wound up loading the white liner with buffing compound and changing the color. Oh well, back to the sanding block.
 
Fiddleback said:
You had some tang you could feel?
Click to expand...

No problems here, all my Fiddlebacks are doing great. :D

I just remembered the old thread where you complained about vulcanized fiber. When I saw these recent knives I figured you must have made the switch. Plus, G-10 looks a tad different than vulcanized fiber and the red stuff has a pretty unique color. I had asked if you switched in a different thread but I think it got lost in the shuffle. :thumbup:
 
Good idea, and thanks for the heads-up. Do you still have as much variety with the micarta and G10 as you did with the fiber?
 
I think it's a wise decision, Andy. I'm trying to do the same thing but it's hard convincing customers.
I guess I'll have to take your lead and just make it happen.
Iz
 
CarpScot said:
No problems here, all my Fiddlebacks are doing great. :D

I just remembered the old thread where you complained about vulcanized fiber. When I saw these recent knives I figured you must have made the switch. Plus, G-10 looks a tad different than vulcanized fiber and the red stuff has a pretty unique color. I had asked if you switched in a different thread but I think it got lost in the shuffle. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Man, I was hoping someone would just notice it too. Sorry I missed your post!

BarberFobic1992 said:
Good idea, and thanks for the heads-up. Do you still have as much variety with the micarta and G10 as you did with the fiber?
Click to expand...

No. And I've heard (in the thread I linked to) that the red is kinda light.

bindlestitch said:
I think it's a wise decision, Andy. I'm trying to do the same thing but it's hard convincing customers.
I guess I'll have to take your lead and just make it happen.
Iz
Click to expand...

Well, the customer is always right. But the damage I recently saw to one of my knives that was sent back for a refurb was so bad that I just scrapped the knife and made a new knife instead of sending out the old one. So now I'm worried that folks won't think I know how to glue up a knife, and I won't have that.
 
That's real interesting.

I think the liners look cool but honestly the ones I've put handles on it seemed the ones I did without the liners actually stayed put more and had less gaps than the ones WITH the liners :rolleyes:

I always wondered if there really was any true utilitarian value to them or whether it was just aesthetic.

The line was always they improved the fit of the scales but that never entirely matched up with my personal experience:eek:
 
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