custom knife making
How to attach a tang to a wa handle of Japanese kitchen knives
Most of Japanese kitchen knife manufacturers a burned tang into a handle and then hammer the end of a handle. Inside of a handle burns by a heated tang, then resin comes out of the wood. It provides as adhesive function so that it won’t come off easily. However, it can cause tempering or cracking handle, furthermore, it is hard to take the tang out once it attached. It is difficult to attach properly. A recommended way for beginners are to make a hole as a shape of a tang, and then attach a tang with adhesives. As Japanese kitchen knives...
How to make a hole in a wa handle of Japanese kitchen knife
How to make a hole in a wa handle of Japanese kitchen knifeThe tang of Japanese kitchen knives are called push tang, narrowing tang or concealed tang which are not full tang of western kitchen knives. There is not a drill to make a straight and deep hole in a handle in the ancient times. It used to be making by concealed tang, putting tang between two piece of woods which has hole for tang.Saya of Japanese Kogatana, a small knife with wooden saya is still made with this way. As a disadvantage, a craftsman needs a time to carve a...
How to fix curve of Japanese kitchen knives
How to fix curve of Japanese kitchen knives Nowadays Honyaki kitchen knives(made of one sheet steel) are rare, but most Japanese kitchen knives are made of combining hard and soft iron steel. Combining sort iron steel to the base blade provides flexibility and easy to sharpen, as a disadvantage, the blade curve slightly after many years of use as it pulls from both sides of steel. To sheathe a kitchen knife in wooden saya prevents from curving. Japanese sword generally slightly curving from blade end to blade top. Although there are few kitchen knives which is uncurved, you can fix...
What does the bolster of wa handle for?
What does the bolster of wa handle for? Japanese kitchen knives generally have a bolster(a part of wa handle) made of buffalo-horn, plastic or plywood for bolster which material is harder than its wooden handle. These days, there are Japanese kitchen knives without bolster. So what does the bolster for? To prevent from cracking When you attach the knife blank to wa handle, some might have experienced, the handle may crack or break. Even a skilled craftman carefully attach it, especially for deba knife (pointed carver) which tang is thick. Also, it might crack or break by pressing the...