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What exactly is it and what type is used in Lutherie and any lines on where to buy it for fret boards and bridges?

Micarta is a composite of linen or paper fabric in a thermosetting plastic, originally used in electrical and decorative applications. Micarta was developed by George Westinghouse at least as early as 1910 using phenolic resins invented by Dr. Leo Baekeland. These resins were used to impregnate paper and cotton fabric which were cured under pressure and high temperature to produce laminates. In later years this manufacturing method included the use of fiberglass fabric, other resin types were also used. Today micartas are produced with a wide variety of resins and fibers and the term has evolved to generically refer to most resin impregnated fibre compounds. Common uses of modern micartas are as electrical insulators, printed circuit board substrates, and knife handles. Oh and nuts and saddles I am not sure what fiber or resin specificly is used for nuts and saddles but it is pretty hard stuff yet easyy to machine

this is just one of many dealershttp://www.professionalplastics.com/MICARTA

Thanks Mike, I did read that definition from a google search and found that link. I'm not sure if they are using some stuff called G10 or not. I don't think it's the canvas type. I have an email to the Guitar Connection at Martin and ask them about it. Weather or not they answer me I have yet to see. I'm hoping someone knows what type they use.

i would suspect the stuff Martin uses is a fiber glass fiber inforcement matrix. If it was canvas I think you would see the cloth as you sanded it I have shaped a buch on saddles and nut out of this stuff and never noticed anything, So I suspect it is impregnated with micro strans of fiberglass

That sounds like the g10 glass stuff I saw then. Maybe this:

http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/G10_FR ... -250X12X24