I don't know what kind of martial arts did you do, however, here in Japan, we say 'When the color of your belt washes off to white, it is time to be promoted to the next level.' Please wash your knife handle.
Out of all the knives I've owned I think I've done it once. Used dish soap and a toothbrush. Worked great. Was a lighter colored micarta so you could really tell a difference.
I clean 'em, as they get slicker with oils from your hands over time, reducing micarta's wonderful grip properties. Mild cleaners such as Windex or Simple Green, a clean rag and a toothbrush are all one needs. Perhaps a light sandpaper for stubborn stains such as blood, but don't go too deep.
If you want to "seal the grain" on micarta to protects from germs and stains, I suggest taking the handle to p600 minimum and buffing on a cotton wheel with PBC compound. It will leave obviously leave a smoother finish but not allow as much dirt to stain the canvas based material and easily wipes off because of the compound. On my textured micarta handles I've made that I only take to p220-p320, they are more susceptible to collecting dirt and do not wash off as easily. Take a fine abrasive over the material to start, and if it does not remove it, go to a coarser grit and it should remove it. If you're knife isn't a collector's knife, don't be afraid to dirty it up. Hope this helps anyone interested.
Hey Tim great video. Yeah I wash my micarta with Windex, that's what I was told to do at some point. I also heard the tale of not washing a belt for fear of washing away the knowledge, I always washed them anyway. You may already know that after years of having a black belt it will become so worn that it becomes white again. I suppose you could take that as Bruce Lee said "When you begin training, a punch is just a punch. Then you learn all kinds of ways to throw punches over the years until you get to a certain point when you realize A Punch is Just a Punch". It's funny, I got back on the heavy bag this morning and at 51 I still got it!......except for head kicks and jump spinning kicks.
@@MAXCOBRALAZERFACE I’m definitely a fan of micarta, like it a lot but after using the G10 scales from The Knife Connection I can’t see me going back to micarta.
I wash all of my knives in the sink just like any other dish. I wash them first since I get D2 and want to dry it off with the towel while it's still perfectly dry. I dab soap on the knife, wet my hand, and rub any junk away, then rinse and dry. It's not rocket surgery. Plus, I have a T1 tool steel chisel that's hard as a rock and almost impossible to sharpen. I don't know if that stuff rusts, and don't want to find out. All of my stuff is Ghettocarta. It's Denim soaked in polyurethane. Not as good as actual micarta, but I just wanted to fix my old knives, so that's what I made the scales from.
Clean... I don't quite understand what that word means in this context. I don't typically get toxic or bio-hazard waste on them, so no, I don't clean them because they aren't dirty.
I couldn't agree more about the oil and things over age but our climate is wet and muddy for a lot of the year and it was totally filthy and it was impractical not to unfortunately. I'm getting an ESEE6 second hand so I'll clean that up too on arrival.
Studied martial arts myself but never heard that theory about the belts before. Very interesting. I like that as a philosophy when it comes to blade handles.
I was training in Karate in my mid teens and my instructor told me that when I washed my belt, it was disgusting and smelled like a wet dog. lol Many years later I was training in TKD and my Korean Master told me the same thing when a student was asking me about washing their belt (I was the school manager and head instructor). U suppose nowadays it's not that much a of a deal because we hand out different color belts and stripes but back in the day you got one belt and one belt only. As you know much has changed from the good old days to the current days of training, I've seen way too many horrible schools that are ruining what it's all about. Be well and stay safe my friend.
I have a brand new 12 yr old tracker I kept in a box with wd 40 now it is realy black micarta is jet black! Honest it looks dynamite why don't they make them dark black to start?
I can send you pics I never used the knife lol I would spray it every yr with wd 40 It is jet black clean looks great I only realized when I went to bye a new one and it was greenish grey I cloudnt understand how black was greenish grey lol thank s nice vedio
I can't help it. I have to clean the scales on my knives whether ESEE or any other knives that sport micarta. It doesn't take a lot of effort. A person can use a light detergent using a scrub brush or - and this works - spray a little WD40 on the handles and wipe with a cloth. Even though knives are personal tools, I think it's a good idea to keep them clean.
This is a great video!! Love it man, new sub. I am not one bit worried about germs or dirt either, and I LOVE a natural well-used patina on anything. My only problem is that my Tops knives all have a cool-looking 'grain' on their micarta that disappears after time...probably just me but I like that look so I always end up cleaning them. The good thing is, even after cleaning, they never look like new! :) But you can see the grain pattern again...
At the end of the day, I'm not living in fear of "getting caught" or "leaving behind evidence" for the police or something. I'm not crazy and I don't plan on running around with my knives looking to commit crimes or anything like that! 🤷
They do look great new and clean but a dirty knife shows knowledge and sometimes wisdom. If nothing else it shows that there where memories made and stories to tell. Than you for stopping by. Very much appreciated. Be safe out there my friend.
I carry my esse 4 on my belt EVERYDAY so it dosent really matter if I clean the micarta or not. It literally takes one day on my belt and the handle is dark and dirty again.
I clean my micarta scales often, I personally think it has better grip when clean compared to when they are soaked with oil from your skin.
I don't know what kind of martial arts did you do, however, here in Japan, we say 'When the color of your belt washes off to white, it is time to be promoted to the next level.'
Please wash your knife handle.
Out of all the knives I've owned I think I've done it once. Used dish soap and a toothbrush. Worked great. Was a lighter colored micarta so you could really tell a difference.
I clean 'em, as they get slicker with oils from your hands over time, reducing micarta's wonderful grip properties. Mild cleaners such as Windex or Simple Green, a clean rag and a toothbrush are all one needs. Perhaps a light sandpaper for stubborn stains such as blood, but don't go too deep.
I know how to clean them… I just don’t. I’ve since moved on to G10 scales from TKC and have them on all of my ESEE knives.
If you want to "seal the grain" on micarta to protects from germs and stains, I suggest taking the handle to p600 minimum and buffing on a cotton wheel with PBC compound. It will leave obviously leave a smoother finish but not allow as much dirt to stain the canvas based material and easily wipes off because of the compound. On my textured micarta handles I've made that I only take to p220-p320, they are more susceptible to collecting dirt and do not wash off as easily. Take a fine abrasive over the material to start, and if it does not remove it, go to a coarser grit and it should remove it. If you're knife isn't a collector's knife, don't be afraid to dirty it up. Hope this helps anyone interested.
Personally I prefer them dirty. However I recently bought G10 scales from TKC for all my ESEE blades. So far so good.
I'm a clean freak. I wash my handles and blades all the time. I can't stand fingerprints either. My name is mike and I've got a problem :)
Hi Mike, Thanks for stopping by. Whatever it takes to sleep well at night my friend. Be safe.
That's hilarious! I must have a problem too :)
Hi Mike. Welcome to the meeting.
SOLUTION: more knives.
Hey Tim great video. Yeah I wash my micarta with Windex, that's what I was told to do at some point. I also heard the tale of not washing a belt for fear of washing away the knowledge, I always washed them anyway. You may already know that after years of having a black belt it will become so worn that it becomes white again. I suppose you could take that as Bruce Lee said "When you begin training, a punch is just a punch. Then you learn all kinds of ways to throw punches over the years until you get to a certain point when you realize A Punch is Just a Punch". It's funny, I got back on the heavy bag this morning and at 51 I still got it!......except for head kicks and jump spinning kicks.
I got my first micarta knife (and g10 knife) recently so im curious on proper care and maintenance needed to prolong the life of my knife
Micarta feels premium but I just ordered G10 scales. lol 😂 I might use mine for food prep.
@@MAXCOBRALAZERFACE I’m definitely a fan of micarta, like it a lot but after using the G10 scales from The Knife Connection I can’t see me going back to micarta.
I wash all of my knives in the sink just like any other dish. I wash them first since I get D2 and want to dry it off with the towel while it's still perfectly dry. I dab soap on the knife, wet my hand, and rub any junk away, then rinse and dry. It's not rocket surgery. Plus, I have a T1 tool steel chisel that's hard as a rock and almost impossible to sharpen. I don't know if that stuff rusts, and don't want to find out. All of my stuff is Ghettocarta. It's Denim soaked in polyurethane. Not as good as actual micarta, but I just wanted to fix my old knives, so that's what I made the scales from.
👍👊
I'm looking for a video on how to gunk up and patina-ize my micarta handles. I'm looking into bacon grease right now.
How do you do that??
Just wet the tip of your finger with olive oil and rub it in
My esse6 is soaked in deer blood, looks cool, I left it that way.🇺🇸
Did or does it attract flies at all? Thanks for stopping by.
Clean... I don't quite understand what that word means in this context. I don't typically get toxic or bio-hazard waste on them, so no, I don't clean them because they aren't dirty.
I tried some warm water and washing up liquid on the filthy handle of my Tops BOB and it worked a treat! It was just like new.
Absolutely. They do clean up easily. I prefer mine dirty.
I couldn't agree more about the oil and things over age but our climate is wet and muddy for a lot of the year and it was totally filthy and it was impractical not to unfortunately.
I'm getting an ESEE6 second hand so I'll clean that up too on arrival.
To me not cleaning micarta handles is a little like the guy who refuses to wash his truck after going mudding.
Studied martial arts myself but never heard that theory about the belts before. Very interesting. I like that as a philosophy when it comes to blade handles.
I was training in Karate in my mid teens and my instructor told me that when I washed my belt, it was disgusting and smelled like a wet dog. lol Many years later I was training in TKD and my Korean Master told me the same thing when a student was asking me about washing their belt (I was the school manager and head instructor). U suppose nowadays it's not that much a of a deal because we hand out different color belts and stripes but back in the day you got one belt and one belt only. As you know much has changed from the good old days to the current days of training, I've seen way too many horrible schools that are ruining what it's all about. Be well and stay safe my friend.
im a massive fan of ESEE too. so simple yet so effective
Very much so. A whole lot of knife for a very fair price.
Havent got the best prices for knives over hear. £150 for the esse 6 with sheath
I have a brand new 12 yr old tracker I kept in a box with wd 40 now it is realy black micarta is jet black! Honest it looks dynamite why don't they make them dark black to start?
Not too sure my friend, but I do think black micarta looks great!
I can send you pics I never used the knife lol I would spray it every yr with wd 40
It is jet black clean looks great I only realized when I went to bye a new one and it was greenish grey
I cloudnt understand how black was greenish grey lol thank s nice vedio
Tpe means thermoplastic elastomer
Good clean dirt.
I can't help it. I have to clean the scales on my knives whether ESEE or any other knives that sport micarta. It doesn't take a lot of effort. A person can use a light detergent using a scrub brush or - and this works - spray a little WD40 on the handles and wipe with a cloth. Even though knives are personal tools, I think it's a good idea to keep them clean.
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you sharing the onfo. Be safe.
I tried cleaning mine a few times and it doesn't really get clean so I gave up lol
I prefer them dirty. Thank you for stopping by. Be safe.
lol got a Donald Trump vibe 😂
3:07
“I did reach black belt, multiple black belts” 🤣🥲
The belt story is cool. Never knew that.
Nope, never clean them unless they're absolutely filthy, but I love that worn in, darkened look they get after a while
Me too! 😁
This is a great video!! Love it man, new sub. I am not one bit worried about germs or dirt either, and I LOVE a natural well-used patina on anything. My only problem is that my Tops knives all have a cool-looking 'grain' on their micarta that disappears after time...probably just me but I like that look so I always end up cleaning them. The good thing is, even after cleaning, they never look like new! :) But you can see the grain pattern again...
At the end of the day, I'm not living in fear of "getting caught" or "leaving behind evidence" for the police or something. I'm not crazy and I don't plan on running around with my knives looking to commit crimes or anything like that! 🤷
old toothbrush and naptha light fluid cleans them right up
Thank you!
Right, if it's not sticking to you or you can't hold on to it. leave it alone.
Absolutely Buzz. Hope all is well with you and yours.
I found this video because I was going to wash my scales. After hearing the story of the martial arts belts though, I have changed my mind.
Thank you for taking the time to watch.
@@GearReviewDepot you’re welcome! I’m a huge Esee Knife fan as well. 2 of my favorites are the Esee 5 and the Esee 4 HM.
Ballistol
Windex and a toothbrush works a treat.
Are you from New York direction? Your accent sounds like The FBI files guy who was the director of the New York office.
Nope. Centrally located in Massachusetts.
Top Left, I’m claiming that as a victory!! I’m Scottish so I can’t get it precisely. I’ll keep working on it 😜.
“Is there BACTERIER on der?PROBABLY.”😂😂 jk good vid
It's definitely not clean. 😁👍
This video should be called 1001 reasons why I don't clean my knife handles but it shouldn't be called how to clean micarta handles
You must be talking about another video my friend. This video is called "Do you clean them?"
You are correct, but I think the counsel still applies! Havagoodn
I have to get the knife first, then decide whether or not to clean it..lol
They do look great new and clean but a dirty knife shows knowledge and sometimes wisdom. If nothing else it shows that there where memories made and stories to tell. Than you for stopping by. Very much appreciated. Be safe out there my friend.
@@GearReviewDepot no it doesn't. Shows lack of care about tools intended to keep you alive.
I carry my esse 4 on my belt EVERYDAY so it dosent really matter if I clean the micarta or not. It literally takes one day on my belt and the handle is dark and dirty again.
As it should be. Thanks for stopping by. Be safe.
***** thank you, your the reason I started buying ESSE knives :)
Esee- stupid siri
Never wash them they get better with age🔪
That's what she said!