Wa handles

Well, I like the idea of removing material with hand held planes. Also I should probably get a big rasp for material removing and then just to belt (3000 RPM) or disk grinder (1500 rpm) for removing the scratches. I have planty of cheap wood I could use as practice. I might do 1 or 2 and use them as file handles if they turn out good.
 
If you use Wa handles often, it is best to turn the blanks on a lathe with a tenon on the front. Then fit caps with matching holes to make the collar. Water buffalo is the classic material for the collars. The wood can be any wood you want that will work as a handle, but the classic woods are a white wood like Ho (magnolia) or holly, or a dark wood like walnut.

Here is how to turn a wa or D handle:
Cut a block of wood that is slightly larger than your rough handle shape … say, 1.3X1.1X6.5"" (33X28X165mm). Drill the end with a 3/8" (10mm) hole halfway down the block. Make a small divot on the other end for the lathe center.
Make a slightly tapered jam-peg chuck by turning a piece of hard wood in the lathe jaws to fit the hole.
Chuck the block on the peg and center it in the lathe. Turn a 3/4" to 1" (20-25mm) long tenon on the end with the jam-peg chuck.to be 5/8" (16mm). Make sure the shoulder is a prefect 90° .
Make a collar block by drilling a blind hole in a block of water buffalo (or contrasting any wood like blackwood/ebony). You want the hole to go 3/4 the way through the block. I like to drill a 1/8" (3mm) pilot hole all the way through the block first. Make the hole a good ( but not tight) fit for the tenon on the handle. Once the fit is right, trim the end of the tenon on the sander until it will seat right up to the shoulder with a perfect fit. Don't assemble the two yet unless you are making wa handles with round hole centers and wooding peg half shims. I prefer to cut the last bit of the collar to be an exact fit for the blade tang, which I make the height so it will just fit the hole in the handle block..
You can finish shaping the handle block to your desired size and take it to 400 grit. You can jam the collar block on the handle tenon with a little piece of tissue paper and sand it to a close match ( but leave the final bit for after assembly).
Once the blade is completely done (except final sharpening) put epoxy in the handle block hole and on the tenon ( I dye the epoxy black), and push the handle pieces together. After the excess epoxy squeezes out and is wiped off, align the collar/handle and slide the tang in the slot. A handle clamp make from a cheap Quick-clamp with a slot sawed in the front jaw is perfect for holding handles while drying. They cost about $10.
upload_2020-1-18_7-7-3.jpegWhen the resin has dried overnight, finish sanding the handle to a perfect shape and finish.
TIP:
Don't put the corner facets on until the very end. It is much easier to leave it a rectangle until all the rest is done.
 
Well, I like the idea of removing material with hand held planes. .
A plane may work, but i kind of like the look of metal spacers ... i suspect a hand plane would have problems with that?

stacy - nice description, thanks. Problem is i dont have a lathe. :-(. Need to work as i can with the grinder.....
 
I am in the same boat, no lathe. Maybe chucking the handle with a screw in a drill and sand on disc grinder would be good to get a round stock and then taper, do the ridge.. A lot of make dos in my shop, some kind of grinder stand and dust collection would be nice.
 
I dont know - as usual there are many ways to get to roughly the same result. the photos below are of a Wa ("D") handle I made purely as an experimental try on construction techniques. It started out as a 1" square, then was shaped on the grinder (holding the handle vertically). Not perfectly round on the "rounded" side - but I was not trying for that, as the commercial examples I have have more of an "oval" shape to them - and as I said, they vary quite a bit from knife to knife..... for now, I think I will continue with that approach...
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Is it ok to make the handle octagonal the round over the bottom ridges a bit so the bottom would be rounded and the top would still have the 45 degree angle?
I am greatly confused as to the use of a lathe in the handle making process! I thought you drilled a 1/2 inch hole and inserted a slotted dowel that fit the tang. Then drilled 1/2 part way into the bolster piece and slotted the top for the tang?
 
also has anyone ever tried solarez I can’t believe it’s not lacquer to finish handles? I saw it used as a clear on a guitar body and it looks great. I was planning on using spraymax 2k urethane to finish handles but this stuff is way less toxic
 
Is it ok to make the handle octagonal the round over the bottom ridges a bit so the bottom would be rounded and the top would still have the 45 degree angle?
I am greatly confused as to the use of a lathe in the handle making process! I thought you drilled a 1/2 inch hole and inserted a slotted dowel that fit the tang. Then drilled 1/2 part way into the bolster piece and slotted the top for the tang?
stacy is talking (I believe) about a technique used to place buffalo horn on the front end as a "bolster" where the buffalo horn (or other material) fits over a tenon at the front of the main handle. Most of the japanese commercial knives that I have use that construction technique. There are, however, other construction techniques that use a different approach (the handle I show above had all the pieces butted together at the joints, but aligned with central 3/8" dowels. I would look at the various techniques and settle on one that makes sense for you, your materials, and the equipment you have on hand......

Oh ... not sure about the rounded bottom and 45 degree shoulders on the top of the handle. to my understanding that is not traditional .... you either have octagonal or "D" shaped handles. Others here on the forum might scream at this .... but if it appeals to you, why not try it and see how it looks/feels????
 
I will thank you! The one I made is more oval and really comfortable. I don’t have big hands but not small either. The handle is quite small and both me and my wife find it comfortable. I will make one of each and see what feels better
Thanks again!
 
I watched a bunch of cool videos on turning hammer handles on a lathe very interesting. If g10 was used as a spacer would it work with the lathe or just explode?
 
I dont know - as usual there are many ways to get to roughly the same result. the photos below are of a Wa ("D") handle I made purely as an experimental try on construction techniques. It started out as a 1" square, then was shaped on the grinder (holding the handle vertically). Not perfectly round on the "rounded" side - but I was not trying for that, as the commercial examples I have have more of an "oval" shape to them - and as I said, they vary quite a bit from knife to knife..... for now, I think I will continue with that approach...
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Here is picture of D handle on my Aritsugu usuba .................
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G-10 turns fine, but the very fine dust is ultra static electricity attractive and sticks to everything around the lathe. It is also very bad for your lungs ( and can make you itch like he!!) Without excellent dust removal on your lathe, I would not recommend it.
 
Thanks I’ll skip the lathe for now! Those d handles look rather complicated to make I’ll keep it simpler for now!
 
Thanks I’ll skip the lathe for now! Those d handles look rather complicated to make I’ll keep it simpler for now!
Why ? You don t need lathe to make knife handle ........ Stacy complicates simple things too much. D handle is more simple to make then Wa handle .Do you have disk sander ?
 
If you decide to make D handle I advice you first to try which one you want ....... right handed or left handed . I have both / i have left-handed in the family / and I found that left handed D handle fits better in my right hand , much better ...weird :)

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Stacy just advised against turning g10 and on his method of WA handles.
I was asking specifically how to achieve a simmetric d handle, but it seems to be one of those freehand things. I guess lathe would be nice to achieve a nice round tapered starting position and then proceed with
1. Creating the ridge
2. Ovalising the other side
to achieve the shape you posted.
I guess slack belt with low speed and then creating the ridge on platen + dust collection would be good for most of the job, but I don't have either of these things.
 
I do have a disk sander however I haven’t used it yet as I am still waiting for the feathering adhesive to come in the mail.
 
Stacy just advised against turning g10 and on his method of WA handles.
I was asking specifically how to achieve a simmetric d handle, but it seems to be one of those freehand things. I guess lathe would be nice to achieve a nice round tapered starting position and then proceed with
1. Creating the ridge
2. Ovalising the other side
to achieve the shape you posted.
I guess slack belt with low speed and then creating the ridge on platen + dust collection would be good for most of the job, but I don't have either of these things.
What you call simmetric D handle ? Handle like on picture I post ?
 
I do have a disk sander however I haven’t used it yet as I am still waiting for the feathering adhesive to come in the mail.
Ok , if I have time , tomorrow or day after tomorrow I will make one like on picture , easy way and only on disk sander .I will take pictures how i will do that :thumbsup:
 
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