Richlite - Knife Handle Materials

Posted by Steven Tuckey on

Richlite was initially developed as a pattern-making tool in the United States in 1943. It is an established brand and a top pick for good kitchen knife handles (although it has only grown in popularity recently). With over 70 years in the industry, Richlite has solidified its brand and qualities to be durable, versatile, and tactile. 

It is made of a heated, pressed stack of 100% recycled paper in ethanol or methanol resin. The resin system mixture specifically was chosen to avoid high energy emissions during the maturation process. This process is part of the brand's effort to minimise gas usage and reduce carbon footprint through emission tracking. 

Physically, it appears in warm colour in a smooth and mottled finish, giving it a natural aesthetic. Due to its variety of colours and wide selection of sizes and thicknesses, top designers, developers, and manufacturers recommend the Richlite kitchen knife handle. 

Richlite kitchen knife handle is a versatile material that can easily be shaped, cut, sanded, and combined. Knife Makers such as Chef's Series use maple Richlite with blue lining in its handle for their Chef's, Santoku, and Nakiri knives.

Moreover, Richlite has been certified by other ecological and environmental organisations such as GREEN GUARD, WE Technology, Declare, and HPD Open Standard due to its continuous effort towards sustainability and preventive measures for the environment.


Pros: 

  • There are a lot of advantages to choosing a Richlite kitchen knife handle. One of these is its range of choice when it comes to colours. Richlite has four colour collections:
    • Northwest Collection is inspired by the nearest landmark of Richlites headquarters (Black Diamond, Blue Canyon, Browns Point, Chocolate Glacier, Grays Harbor, Maple Vallery, Restone, and Rosedale)
    • Heritage includes their original colors (Natural, Slate, R50)
    • Cascade is a layered line color inspired by Cascade Range (Little Tahoma & Rainier) 
    • Stratum Birch Ply
  • Richlite is dense, durable, and tactile. With water- and heat-resistant properties up to 350˚F (176˚C), it’s the perfect handle for a knife in a hot and greasy kitchen.
    • Moreover, Richlite is sanitary, safe, and cheaper than other handle materials made of carbon fiber. It qualifies the NSF-51 standards for food requirements and is easy to sanitise and clean with its natural antimicrobial properties (JIS 2801)

    Cons: 

    • Like Micarta, the composition of Richlite Kitchen Knife Handle includes thermoset resin. Therefore, colours may change over time. If you're a knife collector, this may be disadvantageous to your expectations and preference. 
    • Burn and spots may also occur during the sanding of the handle. 
    • You do need some maintenance knowledge to keep the grip good as new. Use a Richlite-created spray care-and-maintain polish. It is a natural emulsified formula of vegetable-based ingredients that enriches the patina of the Richlite Kitchen Knife handles.

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