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I suppose you could use a nikiri with a pinch grip, but it is normally held full hand.

You could easily change the handle to a wa. Grind the spine straight back along the tang. Grind up from the bottom to create the wa tang.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I suppose you could use a nikiri with a pinch grip, but it is normally held full hand.

You could easily change the handle to a wa. Grind the spine straight back along the tang. Grind up from the bottom to create the wa tang.
Click to expand...
and voila! Now you're a member of the wa tang clan!
 
2 chefs knives I finished recently. The blades are AEBL. The scales are red micarta with black liners and black pins.
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I usually pinch grip my Nakiri's when I use them? You lose some blade length doing so, but for most product it doesn't really effect things much. You can also do a western shaped handle for a Wa tang, too. I do those a lot!
 
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I didn't really want to get into Wa handles because I have all the gear to make perfect tapered hexagon or octagon handles, just a lot of messing about on the milling machine setting up.
I like steel. :)
Thank you for advices and necessity is the mother of invention.
 
Use a piece of G10 or micarta (or steel if you want the weight, or aluminum if you want it lighter) the same thickness as the tang or slightly thicker, trace the tang onto that piece and cut out. Attach scales to the tang piece, shape as a western, epoxy onto tang. You can use pins if you want, but I have Jb Kwik Welded handles onto stick/wa tangs and cannot hammer them off without breaking the handle apart. Most use hot melt glue so the handle can be removed by the customer to clean up or refinish the blade or swap them out. The JB Kwik Weld is basically a permanent install and can't be readily removed/swapped, but it does seal the opening for the tang!
 
Lovin this hardness tester.
Some data that I thought was interesting. Austenitise at 802c for 10 mins

sample surface 4 Thou 7thou 10 thou 15 thou

1.................45.6...............65.5
2.........................................63,4...........65.6
3..............................................................62.4........64.4
4................................................................................63.7...........66.9

conclusions
repeated HT cycles increase the depth of the decarb layer, I will need to think more about behind the edge thickness before HT. I wish I had gone another measure at each stage instead of stopping where I thought I was in the ball park.
 
This was a custom order for a guy I play soccer with, 2 identical butcher knives in 1/8" NitroV and about .007" BTE, 7 3/8" blade and 12" overall. We collaborated on the profile and he gave me free rein on the materials. So since they aren't knife people I went the stainless route with black and natural micarta, pretty bulletproof. I told him he could cut a cow in half with them, he said he might~I don't think he was kidding, he said they had butchered pigs for pit BBQ's before.

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A nikiri has a tall blade to allow knuckle clearance. 2" is about as small as you can get away with. At that size a pinch grip becomes necessary.

Here is a good video on using a nikiri showing both grips and how to cut and chop with one.
 
First two blades utilizing 14C28N. Paul Bos heat treat ~62Rc. All grinding done post HT, another first for me.
7” Chef 12” OAL. 2” at heel of blade
.130” thick stock. 180 grit finish at time of post. I’ll hand sand to 800-1200 grit.
One will get a Dymalux handle and other Micarta. I’ll post when completed.
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Haven't used it yet, but made a platen for my carbide I got from RD_knives RD_knives

The top right handle/knob covers a slot for minor angle adjustments. The left knob is clearance for pivot only.

I milled a stop for the carbide to rest against on the aluminum angle mounting bracket. I held it down with strips of Gorilla Glue double sided tape.

I haven't radiused the edges yet. I want to try it out first to see what it's like?









 
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