How are Japanese knife handles made?

Z

zhyla

Joined
Sep 11, 2011
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Can someone point me at something that would explain how this style of handle is constructed? I read something in passing about heating the tang up and shoving it into the handle or something like that. A couple work-in-progress pictures would be really helpful. Thanks!

Kuromori_Sashimi_700.jpg

Octagon-Magnolia-Handle.jpg
 
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1021775-Japanese-kitchen-knife-style-handles
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1060943-wa-handle-construction
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/939866-Sujihiki-WIP
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/916522-Yanagi-ba-BBQ-WIP?p=10392229#post10392229 ( handle is page 3&4 in several steps with close up photos of some general tips)


The only real trick is to cut the hole in the main block with plenty of room, and cut the slot in the bolster block like you are fitting a guard. I usometimes glue on the front block first, and then slip on the main block with the hole filled with epoxy and clamp. Other times, I assemble and shape the whole handle off the knife and install it as one finished piece. Both methods work, depending on the tang size.

Shaping is simple. :
Make the handle a rectangle...slightly tapered if desired, or straight.
Once the rectangle is perfect and sanded to its final grit, carefully knock off the corners to make it eight sided.

For uniquely different Japanese handles look at some of Don Nguyen's knives.
 
Thanks, Stacy, that clears up everything. It looks fairly straight forward from a woodworking point of view.

bladsmth said:
Once the rectangle is perfect and sanded to its final grit, carefully knock off the corners to make it eight sided.
Click to expand...

Curious, why do final sanding on the rectangle before making it an octogon?
 
zhyla said:
Thanks, Stacy, that clears up everything. It looks fairly straight forward from a woodworking point of view.



Curious, why do final sanding on the rectangle before making it an octogon?
Click to expand...

So you don't round off the corners, I expect.
 
Ah, ok. I would probably use a scraper for finish work on an octagonal handle so it naturally makes clean corners.
 
You have to facet the four corners carefully and at a fine grit. You don't want to go back and have to do any more work on the flats if at all possible,..... or things will shift and/or get rounded.

I don't think a scraper would work for doing a wa handle. but I haven't tried, either.
 
Another question came to mind... in the WIP you linked to, is there some purpose to the brass pins or is that purely decorative? It seems like the tang and epoxy are enough to keep that from separating from the main handle but you went to the trouble of driving the pins all the way into the main handle rather than just inlaying them into the caps.
 
Zhyla- If I may: The pins are installed as alignment guides between guard, spacer, and handle pieces. They allow the builder to fit and remove the pieces repeatedly as you go through the shaping process, all the while maintaining perfect alignment.

I hope that helps.

-Peter
 
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