by Colton | Dec 11, 2017 | Kitchen Tools, Knives
Shun knives are quite popular in commercial kitchens. They’re very durable and usually treated as such. This early model Shun Classic 10 inch chef knife has seen hard use and better days. The blade is pretty badly curved and has seen frequent sharpening. The resin impregnated wood part of the handle is also twisted out of it’s seat. Let’s see what kind of shape we can bring this knife back to.
I had a different idea initially but due to the design of the “tang” the plan is to re-handle this knife using the existing D shape bolster and end cap as a guide. This knife has been retired for a while now and the owner doesn’t like how high the tip has been ground over it’s life. So in addition to thinning this knife behind the edge I will also re-profile the blade.
I marked out my stock for the handle and started drilling the holes to fit the “full composite-tang.” A method of tang construction I’ve never seen before. I imagine this is how all of Shun’s knives are constructed. I roughed out the D shape of the handle before assembling with epoxy.
Using a metal file I flushed up the wood and steel of the handle. Opposed to using a sandpaper block which just grinds the metal dust into the wood. Once I was happy with how the handle felt in the hand I moved on to finishing. I’ve been trying out Boiled Linseed Oil finish on my handles and with lots of coats it seems to hold up very well. It is not a film finish so you still get the feel of the wood in your hand. Unlike mineral oil, it is a drying oil so it does cure and this particular stuff is food contact safe.
I sharpen all my knives on a progression of Naniwa Professional Stones. Followed by stropping with 0.5 micron honing compound. That’s taking it to approximately 30,000 grit. Totally unnecessary since it won’t hold it very long but does it ever sing.
-
-
Shun Classic 10 inch from 2002. This knife has had approximately 4mm removed from sharpening over the years.
-
-
-
-
If you look closely you can see the lamination line, where the damascus cladding meets the VG-10 core. Note how the tip has been ground well above the original profile grind.
-
-
Hard to make out in the picture but the blade is curved in the middle in addition to being bent at the bolster.
-
-
I believe the story of how this handle was ripped out of alignment involved a frozen turkey during the holiday season. Sometimes you just need to make it happen haha
-
-
This was my initial idea for the re-profile. Making it more of a 210mm line knife.
-
-
After some thought, it made more sense to make it 240mm (9.5″). This would bring down the tip making it more useful but still keep the extra length for crushing prep tasks.
-
-
I was unsure of how Shun constructs their handles. My first thought was incorrect so I cut a couple notches and chipped away some of the handle. I was not expecting the hardware inside.
-
-
The threaded bit of the end cap was adhered into the handle. Once that bond was broken I was able to unscrew it and disassemble the handle.
-
-
Another view of the “Full Composite Tang” featured in the Shun Classic line.
-
-
Here is the blade after re-profiling down to 240mm. White Oak handle rough-shaped and ready for assembly.
-
-
After considerable sharpening a knife will start to get thicker as the cutting edge gets closer to the spine. Thinning will reduce the wedging effect and enhance the performance of the knife.
I marked out where I would ideally thin up to, removing all the marked lines. I made it about half way up to that point and was happy with the results.
-
-
Thinned behind the edge. Looking closely you can notice the hamon line now running 4mm parallel with the cutting edge. This is approximately what it would have been originally.
-
-
The finished product. The blade has been lightly hand sanded to remove most of the scratches and give it a more uniform look. Also rounding over the spine slightly to be a little easier on the hand while in the pinch grip.
-
-
The finished product. The blade has been lightly hand sanded to remove most of the scratches and give it a more uniform look. Also rounding over the spine slightly to be a little easier on the hand while in the pinch grip.
by Colton | Nov 29, 2017 | Kitchen Tools, Knives, Saya
This Poplar saya is for a Shun Kiritsuke 8 inch. I was playing around with thicknesses on this saya to dial in exactly how thick will give good protection but not look too bulky. This is an example of the Poplar sayas I will be offering for sale.
-
-
This is before thinning out the walls with a hand plane.
-
-
Before applying boiled linseed oil finish.
-
-
-
-
by Colton | Nov 26, 2017 | Kitchen Tools, Saya
Saya is the Japanese term for a scabbard or sheath specifically for a sword or knife. While researching the design and construction of these I discovered the main complaint about them was losing the retaining pin that keeps the knife locked inside. So I came up with a way of tethering the pin to the saya. Not a new idea but it functions well and suits the style of construction.
The method of construction is lamination. For this particular saya there is three layers. Poplar on the outsides and cedar on the inside. The retaining pin is made of Arbutus. All using traditional hand tool methods. The only time a machine came into play was for drilling the holes. The finish is Boiled Linseed Oil.
by Colton | Nov 18, 2017 | Kitchen Tools, Knives, Saya
This is the Tojiro 150 mm petty that I purchased along with the 210 mm gyuto. I decided to go with a slightly different handle configuration using the same woods. The saya is constructed of Poplar and painted with black milk paint.
Milk paint is made using milk protein, lime and earth or mineral pigments. It is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. It has been used for hundreds of years on furniture and in the past families typically had their own recipe they would pass down through the generations. It is water based so it doesn’t just form a layer on top of the surface that can chip off. It gets into the pores of the wood more like a stain than modern paints.
Handle Dimensions:
Overall Length: 110 mm
Width: 15 mm
Height: 22 mm
Ferrule: 10 mm
-
-
White Oak and Ebony handle blank.
-
-
Handle blank next to 150 mm blade.
-
-
Handle blank next to 150 mm blade.
-
-
Hand planed to final hexagonal shape and drilled to fit the tang of the blade.
-
-
I always tape off the sharp cutting edge of a knife before doing any handle work.
-
-
Knife saya with a coat of black milk paint.
-
-
Finished knife. Handle has boiled linseed oil finish
-
-
Finished knife. Handle has boiled linseed oil finish
-
-
Finished knife. Handle has boiled linseed oil finish
by Colton | Nov 9, 2017 | Kitchen Tools, Knives
Working in a kitchen, I get to play with knives quite often. I also tend to buy more knives than I will ever need… This Tojiro 21cm Gyuto (Japanese Chef Knife) and 15cm Petty were my latest purchase from the friendly bunch over at Bernal Cutlery down in San Francisco. Originally I planned to treat the blades, oil the handles and put them work. That was the case for a short time… until I was inspired to try making a Saya. Saya is wooden sheath with retaining pin.
In typical fashion for me I decided hey why not make a Saya and rehandle it! I have been wanting to try rehandling a Japanese knife for a while and decided to go for it. I use the 15cm Petty more often at work so I decided to start with the Gyuto. In the next week or two I will give the Petty knife the same treatment.
The woods used are White Oak and Ebony. The Ebony is the keys from a decommissioned piano so I’m not sure what species it is. Everything is finished with boiled linseed oil.
Handle Dimensions:
Length: 135 mm
Width: 18 mm
Height: 26 mm
Ferrule: 36 mm
Ebony: 4.5 mm
-
-
Tojiro Gyuto (21cm) and Petty (15cm)
-
-
The blades after a citric acid bath. This helps kickstart a patina that resists rust.
-
-
White Oak that has been cut down for the handle.
-
-
Three Ebony piano keys planed down and ready for glue-up.
-
-
The resulting Ebony block.
-
-
Mock-up of the White Oak handle with Ebony spacer.
-
-
Ferrule is drilled. I also drilled the remaining piece of the handle. Just seemed easier to do in two pieces.
-
-
Handle assembled.
-
-
I freehanded the chamfered edges to create an octagonal shape.
-
-
Traditionally the tang would be heated red hot and fitted to the handle that way. I don’t have a torch so I opted for epoxy.
-
-
Ripping 7cm thick Oak for the sheath. The handle and sheath are from the same piece of White Oak.
-
-
Piece two of the sheath. I carved out the knife profile before lamiating the two pieces together.
-
-
The laminated sheath and Ebony retaining pin.
-
-
I finished the knife handle and sheath with boiled linseed oil.
-
-
Tojiro White #2 Carbon Steel Gyuto – 21cm. Rehandled with White Oak and Ebony.
-
-
Tojiro White #2 Carbon Steel Gyuto – 21cm. Rehandled with White Oak and Ebony. Saya made with the same woods.
-
-
Tojiro White #2 Carbon Steel Gyuto – 21cm. Rehandled with White Oak and Ebony. Saya made with the same woods.
-
-
Tojiro White #2 Carbon Steel Gyuto – 21cm. Rehandled with White Oak and Ebony. Saya made with the same woods.
