Tom (TAH) and Peter (Litch)

Thanks for the kind words about the Bear Camp. I wish I could clone that knife, as I could have sold it about 10 times.

More pics in a few hours.

I don't think Rod mentioned the fact that his Bearcamp is serial #1 of that special!!!

Cool knife!

Rod, great thread.... I look forward to this conversation.

I took some pics (loose term in my case) for the three knives and mailed them to the Cap. We will await his verdict.

Just to confuse myself more, I found an "ivorite" handled Model 24, which I bought used in 2001. I did not email this pic to him, just added it for "color".

This may be rehashing old information, but there are three (and probably more) types of micarta. Paper has the finest "grain", followed by linen and canvas is the coarsest grain. The "grain" may not be detectable in good paper micarta, but it can easily be seen in linen and canvas.
Exactly how this relates to Westinghouse, "ivorite", yellow or gold micarta as used for Randall knife handle is not clear to me.
I told Rod in a private conversation that I thought the color changes seen with some micartas are probably due to differences in the chemicals used and/or the exact process by which the stuff is formed.
Certainly, some colors do not change and some change quite rapidly. For instance, the so-called Westinghouse yellow micarta that was being sold on eBay a couple years ago. That stuff has been discussed here before and changed from yellow to brown quite quickly.

- - - -Buckspen

Speaking of Ivory (linen) Micarta.............

I picked this model 8-4 up a few weeks ago.

Is anyone familiar with the scrimshaw artist, Bruce Paxton?

The scrimshaw was done in 1987. The name sounds familiar, but I just can't place it.

Rod, Buck and everyone,
Buck: Your Model #8
Rod: Your knives in ivorite
ALL of these knives are Westinghouse, Ivorite Micarta. ALL of these knives are, what is commonly referred to, "Old Yeller".
ALL of these knives (Yes Buck...Yours too) are "not" linen. Westinghouse Ivorite is a "paper micarta". As far as "Grain"..."Color"..."Darkening"...Etc., Etc.: It varies like the wind! Different cuts, length or bias, etc. along with exposure to: Heat...Cold...Atmosphere...and, most importantly..."LIGHT" are all causes for these variants.
Newer Ivorite, Ivorite micarta, AI, White lineal, etc. vary in formula and base (linen or paper)..."None" are canvas-based...(at least none I have dealt with). The ivory stuff that the shop used after Old Yeller" would check and crack, almost like ivory. I have never seen the severity in their cracking as I have in ivory, but it still happened.
Hope this helps, Capt. Chris
PS: I was at the Randall shop a good portion of the day (closed the joint). It was agreed on amongst "us'ns" there today that my accessment of the handles on Rod's knives (along with Bucks...though later) is correct.
CCS
Just for comparison
#10-3 in White Lineal
#10-3 in Ant. Gold Mic.
#10-3 in Bone Linen
#10-3 in Elephant Ivory

It's not often that this Forum gets "Two Bucks "worth of postings in the same thread.

Chris, it had been my understanding that the ivory micarta that showed what I called, "contour lines" in the micarta, as in my model 8-4", is/was linen micarta.

But, you're saying, "close but no cigar". Correct?

I guess I'm getting my ivory linen(?) micarta confused with ivory lineal micarta.

I am, by no means, the final authority on Old Yeller, but all research and conversations I have done and had with quite a few different sources have concurred that the shop-supplied Westinghouse Ivorite was all paper. All examples posted within this thread and subject certainly look 100% shop made.
Just sayin, Capt. Chris
PS: I have not researched the white lineal but it looks (to me anyway) to "not" be paper, i.e. linen.

Buck, could the canvas micarta you're thinking of be the old phenolic resin impregnated canvas used to make helmet liners, before the K-pots? You could see the folds of canvas in that stuff.

My feeble memory tells me all old Westinghouse micarta...... what I call "Old Yellow" is paper micarta.

The big trigger on this is that I read that the original was paper micarta which could be scrimshawed..... canvas micarta could not. Canvas micarta frayed when it was scratched.

Just a memory..... maybe some Bourbon involved. Your milage may vary....