Westinghouse Micarta, Ivorite, other vintage phenolics, etc.

Hey guys I'm actually having a knife made right now and am looking for some old Westinghouse Paper micarta. I'd be open to other varieties as well! Like that lined Micarta, etc! If someone wants to help me out (this is my first custom, and in incredibly pumped!!) I sure would appreciate it!

I'll pay a fair price! Please pm me or email me at mmcdowell@una.edu if your willing to help me out with a couple sets. Thanks in advance!
 
Memcdowe said:
Hey guys I'm actually having a knife made right now and am looking for some old Westinghouse Paper micarta. I'd be open to other varieties as well! Like that lined Micarta, etc! If someone wants to help me out (this is my first custom, and in incredibly pumped!!) I sure would appreciate it!

I'll pay a fair price! Please pm me or email me at mmcdowell@una.edu if your willing to help me out with a couple sets. Thanks in advance!
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What size piece are you looking for?
 
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Honestly this stuff looks like rag micarta, and it's tougher than bakelite (I sent a piece flying off the buffer and it didn't chip), and kind of smells like micarta when grinding but it's from big round balls, not sheet.
 
Ok yeah, I think this is actually rag micarta and not bakelite, it's sort of fibrous, and smells different than the other catalin/bakelite items I've got. Absorbs a bit of WD-40 on the surface like micarta.
 
The antique looking paper micarta is such a classic look. It's one of my favorite "classy" materials.
 
Went to Big Dan Warren's place tonight, needed his help on something and gave him some of the butterscotch micarta I got from John. He was working on a frame handle:

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You can't tell from the photos but the frame is tapered:

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He verified what I thought, that the material I just acquired was definitely rag micarta, and he sent me home with some more rag micarta:

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Also, some more old canvas micarta, this stuff is 1.5" thick:

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Great thread!

I have a knife being made by JD Ware (not the one below) using some lovely vintage micarta. This was ivory when it was purchased over 40 years ago from Angus Campbell. Gorgeous stuff.

JD's pics, not mine...




 
I've got some unique stuff that looks like little bits of material-similar to rag micarta, but its all the same color. Kind of a yellow color. It was a really odd shape and i managed to get a block out of it. I've never seen material like it. I'll try and find it over the weekend for a pic.

Tad
 
Here's one I'm finishing up using that vintage natural canvas material from Ray Kirk:


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Here's some unique stuff I've had laying around. Kind of a rag look to it. Don't know who made it, it's really heavy. If I remember correctly it was used in packing airplane parts for shipment. It was in a really odd, curvy form but I was able to get a usable pc.

Tad

1438039522.jpg
 
Lorien said:
what are the concerns, typically, of using more or less unknown material? By that I mean material whose constituents aren't listed.
would there be any dangerous ingredients, say like asbestos or somesuch, in some of these types of composites?
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Alpha Knife Supply said:
Why do people think they have "Westinghouse" micarta? :confused: Westinghouse has not made micarta for 20 years.

Many of the pieces of micarta shown in this thread are natural. Natural micarta is yellow when first made or cut. It gradually turns brown as it ages. You can get natural canvas, natural linen and natural paper micarta. Micarta type phenolic composites are currently made by a few companies. Norplex owns the Micarta® trademark.

I personally would not believe a piece of micarta was made by Westinghouse unless I could verify it was more than twenty years old. Appearance is not a good indicator of age. Caveat Emptor.

Chuck
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I agree with Chuck having had a large stock of "True" Westinghouse Micarta that I purchased from Angus Campbell in 97-98. I have Blus with white stripes and Brown with white stripes and several square feet of Imation Ivory in various thickness. I had Paper, Linen & Canvas Micarta up the wazoo!:)

My reason for commenting here is that ALL Micarta that I know of Westinghouse or otherwise releases Formaldehyde when you get it hot. Exactly how hot is up for debate but I can tell you that I became so sensitized to it that I got really bad headaches and had to stop using it and sold and mostly gave away to a few makers everything I had left. Now I am a bit on the sensitive side when it comes to chemicals. I just want to let you newer guys know that this stuff may catch up with you and to use a proper respirator & sharp belts when working this stuff.

Formaldehyde is an embalming agent. When you see those sweet little old ladies that have been doing Ladies Perms for 20 years, they talk a little on the slow side and have the highest rates of Alihemiers & dementia of any profession/trade. They have been breathing Formaldehyde fumes !:eek:

Just a few facts I wanted to share with everyone.
 
Tad Lynch said:
Here's some unique stuff I've had laying around. Kind of a rag look to it. Don't know who made it, it's really heavy. If I remember correctly it was used in packing airplane parts for shipment. It was in a really odd, curvy form but I was able to get a usable pc.

Tad

1438039522.jpg
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That's an amazing piece. Let me know if you e got an extra piece lying around! That's awesome!
 
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