Damascus Chef knife and saya mostly done

[Randydb]

Well, I think they call them sayas. The sheath. I put this maple burl handle on a Zhen Chef blank that I bought and made the saya out of spalted maple with an alder centre to keep it from dulling the knife. Still need to add a few coats of tru oil to the handle and clean up the blade. Also need to add a pin to the saya and put a finish on it.

I am unsure of what finish to use. An oil? I kind of like the colours in this wood and I know that oil will make the wood amber and hide some of the colours. Is it kosher to use water based poly on the sheath if it is going on a kitchen knife? I know that won't change the colour of the wood at all, but it doesn't make the grain pop like solvent based finishes.

Any ideas on finishes on the saya would be appreciated.

 

[Greenberg Woods]

Oil will probably help a little. It will warm up the tone of the maple without dulling the black contrast. You could use a poly coating, but that will yellow more than oil.

If you want the minium possible color change you should use an evaporative finish like spray on lacquer. They sell cans at any home improvment store. Go for the satin, not the gloss and follow the instructions on the can.

 

[Randydb]

Oil will probably help a little. It will warm up the tone of the maple without dulling the black contrast. You could use a poly coating, but that will yellow more than oil.

If you want the minium possible color change you should use an evaporative finish like spray on lacquer. They sell cans at any home improvment store. Go for the satin, not the gloss and follow the instructions on the can.

I have used lacquer a fair bit making snare drums. Both rattle cans and spray gun. I actually have half a quart of "water white lacquer" under my bench. It's gloss but I know if I build up 4 or 5 coats I can level sand to 1500 and it will be satin. I hadn't thought of lacquer.

Randy

 

[Randydb]

Making the pin and drilling a beveled hole. I can't conceive of how to create a slightly beveled hole in the saya for my pin. I can create a beveled pin, but how do I do the hole? Just tip/roll the saya a bit with the bit in the hole? Is there some sort of beveled bit? Like a step bit without the steps?