Watanabe Yanagiba Snakewood handle - first picture

[Oded]

Finding myself out of a job for awhile, I finally got thetime to complete the never ending project of building a snakewood handle to my Watanabe Yanagiba blade.

The picture is an absolute disaster but I could not resist sending it anyway.
I think you can get an idea even if the handle is under-exposed and the picture is blured.

I will try to get better pictures in the following days so watch this space.

[Fred]

Very nice. Are you worried about splitting without a ferrule?

[Oded]

To a degree, yes, Snakewood is notorious for splitting and cracking.
However, the tang is fixed and secure in the handle with epoxy. No pressure needed to insert the tang into the handle because the hole drilled is bigger then the tang. Not having a lathe, I used a drill press. What can I tell you; it is not an easy thing to bore a totally vertical 130mm deep rectangular cross section hole in one the hardest and most dense timber in the world (SG is 1.3, about the same as Lignum Vitae; it makes Cocobolo feel soft in comparison). It is not even the same rectangle along the length because the tang is tapered. This is why I had to just bore a large hole and trust the epoxy to do the job.

Time will tell if I am right...

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Is that the kintaro-ame steel? Beautiful, I have a weakness for snakewood as well, right now I have two lead hardened Sheffield steel straight razors with snakewood handles on them, stunning, and great shavers to boot!!! I would think you could just drill the hole large enough to allow a snug fit, then just epoxy it??
Lee

[Oded]

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Is that the kintaro-ame steel

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Yes.

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I would think you could just drill the hole large enough to allow a snug fit, then just epoxy it??

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Yes, in theory and some practice maybe. Because the hole is rectangular I ended up with one which was slightly too large for snug fit but the West System epoxy handled that. In fact, epoxy likes being in a thick layer rather the thin. The exothermic process of hardening is working better this way. At least that is what they told me in the tech support of Essex Resins.

[bkrownd]

What is the thickness and length of the blade?

[RETREVR]

The steel and the wood look like they came from common ancestry. They really complement each other.

I had an idea last night after our thread.
It is neither here not there. I was thinking about the silver bands on high-end yanagi and also your comment about prefering no bone on your handle or prefering no ferrule. I am not sure which, or your reasons for wanting jsut wood. Anyway, I started thinking of alternatives. Of course you could use a less brittle wood for a ferrul. What popped into my head was the damascus rings I have seen on some of the knife sites. You could inlay one of those for decoration. Hell, you could even get one of those guys to make you a damascus ferrul or collar for a handle.
Anyway. You may just want the wood to speak for itself. I could understand that...especially with the wood that is on there now.

[RETREVR]

http://www.geocities.com/rock65cc/ringpage.html

[Oded]

Nice ... must have one... must have one... grrr!!!

On a more serious note, I was investigating a custom made Silver or White gold ring. I have been deterred by few reasons:
- Price, which was nearly the price of the blade itself.
- Balance - I did not know how much it will take it backward.
- I could not think of a practical way to rebate the blade side of the handle in order to mount the ring. I do not have a lathe and even if I had, it is not so simple o get a tapering piece of wood totally axial. And if I do not get it absolutely true, it will oscillate.

But these rings are absolutely gorgeous. I wonder if he can make an octagon. He might not because you can make it on a lathe…

[RETREVR]

I am no blacksmith, but I would think that with a big enough round, a guy could grind eight sides around. It would probably have to be re-dipped in an etching bath afterward.
I really don't know how you would get a ring part way down the handle without haveing it but up to a horn bolster.
This may be a brainstorm for your next handle.

By the way...several people make the rings. Price and abbility differ. I think they even make them in precious metal damascus, but I like the steel...especially for a knife.

[Peter]

Oded, personally I believe you better save your money for your Maserati.

But of course it's a knife forum. German Mastersmith Markus Balbach (http://www.schmiede-balbach.de/ind_kuns.htm) forges Damast blades for Guede and he also has made a replika of an ancient (Viking) sword blade for the Solingen blade museum. His reputation is excellent. You might contact him, he also forges damast rings. I don't know if he speaks English, do you speak German?

Peter

[Oded]

I can read the menu in German, no doubt because I used to 'eat in German' whenever visiting my grandma (she was Austrian). Alas, that about it...

Anyway, the more I look at the handle the more I am inclined to let it speak for itself. The Snakewood figure and the Kintaro-Ame steel offer all the ornamentation this knife need.

[Peter]

Personally I don't think your knife needs a ferrule.

Peter

[Oded]

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What is the thickness and length of the blade?

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Appologies bkrownd. I was just showing the thread to my girlfriend and realised that I did not answer.
The blade is 300mm long.
I cannot remember the thickness and I do not have the knife right now. I forgot it at JKC (dow!). I rang them today and they did not see it. They are rather upset with me because of the Usuba thread so I'll wait a couple of days and try again. Right now I am crossing my fingers that the knife is there and was not taken by a customer without them noticing or something like that.

If you are still interested I will post the thickness when I get the knife back.