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[Bruce Thomas]

I do a virtual ton of knife restoration, and have ariy where from 250-500 Japanese handmade knives from Seki, that have been picked up for 5-10 dollars each, in that sample after removing all the debries and rust with dry compound and getting to a smooth finish, clear imprint stamp loosy handle but those I will replace 100 came out to be Honyaki knives with definate clay marks. The only manufacturers book I have seen is very expensive around 250.00 to list all the marks, it is flip by page, thousands of marks, but any PDF versions availabe or programs for searching a database. Is there a reference that is not so painful. It is very common for chef's in Japan to take very expensive blades and slap on the least expensive handle they can get to use as the way the maker does it, is very detailed, and they are using it to cook. So I under up with a bunch of

Masamoto Sohonten blades, but the white steel #1's always need a buffalo bone, Ebony, ringed 1/2 inch solid brass handle made.​

But I have a host of others that in order redo as original I have to ID and have to issues, where do you get reliable guide, and where do you a good but more inexpensive rockwell tester they can quite high and honestly I am too cheap.