All About Pocket Knives

Does anyone know where you can buy the yellow composite material that is used as scales on Case knives? Also where is the source for saw cut bone? I tried Jantz and Culpepper and they don't have any. Culpepper said they did have a few pcs of saw cut, but not the honey color that you see on the old Barlow knive. Thanks for your help.

I've found that your best bet for "unique" or different handle materials is often ebay. I've hunted far and wide for yellow Delrin and if you find some, please pass the info along. I've been able to find yellow acrylic that does look like Delrin once the job is finished, but it's harder to work with and always wants to crack while that last pin is being put in. Ebay is probably your best bet for that saw-cut bone too. If it isn't there today, check back in a week.

From what little I know of the Delrin handle making at the US knife companies, I think the handles were pretty much molded to the individual knife, not cut from a sheet of material. It makes sense from a cost perspective, as there would be very little wasted material.

This pic of Delrin blocks Schrade used. They were fed into a machine that melted the blocks, dyed them and injected them into the proper molds. I understand some were then colored again later.

If this is the way most of the companies make their Delrin handles; it might explain why, in spite of looking, I have never see Delrin available in sheet form.

On ebay delrin also goes by the name of derlin. I have seen those 2 names used and really don't know which is correct. Here is an auction for some and these guys have a lot of it listed in black and white. At one time there was a big scrap lot of it at auction and they didn't get a bid on it.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Delrin-Virgin-b ... 5d2c55e5aa

Here is what I was talking about. I guess they never sold it.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-DELRIN-BAR-L ... 2313dcbb84

Delrin is of course a registered trade mark. I discovered that the trade name is acetal plastic. The place below is one of the sources I found on the Internet, by searching on acetal plastic. We have a place in town called Abbott Plastics that has scraps and they gave me a couple of blocks of that white slick plastic (I don't know what it's called) from which I made router bit racks. It wouldn't hurt to call some of the acetal plastic suppliers to ask what colors they stock, price and if they have scraps they would sell.

http://www.midlandplastics.com/srtd_acetel.htm
Midland stocks acetal plastic in homopolymer (Delrin®) and copolymer versions as well as enhanced bearing-grade formulations using Teflon® and other internal lubricants. Copolymer acetal is more resistant to hot water and hot air than the homopolymer formulation.

Acetal is available in sheet (plate), rod and custom tubular bar.

Sheets
Sizes – Available in thicknesses of .030” up to 4.5”, and in sizes from 24 inches wide to 144 inches long.

Thanks for the link Bob; I had not seen that before.


Awesome info Jerry! I didn’t realize Delrin had so many diverse uses; even used as bearings!