Recent content by Nick_Hall

+1 VCI paper. If you want double security, you can put a VCI tab in the box they're stored in. That's how I store my Iwasaki Tamahagane Western straight, and it still looks brand new after 2 decades of humid bathroom storage.

I think it's fine if you are very careful, and you have a prosthetic thumb, or want one...

Tojiro Dp paring knife for $50. I don't use a paring knife often so there is no point dropping a fortune, but it's handy every now and then, and plenty sharp to boot.

I have never thrown knives in an Air BNB, but I know that some guests will. Therefore I would recommend cheap serrated knives with blunt, rounded tips. A ready supply of spackle and matching paint is a good idea too.

My favorite silly tomato trick is to put a knife on a cutting board and drop a cherry tomato onto the blade starting from 2" high or so, and then seeing how high I have to drop it from before the tomato cuts through the skin. C'mon, you guys know you play with tomatoes after you sharpen...:biggrin:

Amazing! It's like it was made of lasers!

Interesting that they're Naniwa. Obviously an entry level stone, but a lot of bang for the buck at $30 for a 1000/3000 combo. They should be a decent set of starter stones for her. People make fun of Tojiro, but I'd take a Tojiro gyuto sharpened on a entry level Naniwa combo-stone over about...

Thanks! She'll be glad to know that she hasn't been under-soaking it.

My friend got this Japanese waterstone as a gift, and she's teaching herself how to sharpen her knives. I mentioned to her that soaking time is highly variable: some stones are splash-and-go, some are 15 minute soakers, and some are happiest living in a bucket of water. She doesn't know the...

I just checked out your WIP post on balsa saya construction and it's fantastic! Thanks a bunch for sharing the idea and such great pics of your process. I don't really need a saya, but after seeing your tutorial I'm awfully tempted to make one!

Interesting idea. Presumably you'd be doing a 3 layer balsa "sandwich" with the shape of the of the blade cut out of the middle piece. The softness and impact resistance of the balsa might be an issue for a gyuto, but for a petty it might be strong enough if it was finished with epoxy rather...

Great idea! The only tricky thing will be if the saya has a distal taper. A well made 210 yanagi saya might start out with the slot at 5mm (at the heel), and taper to 3.5mm at the 150mm mark where you would be cutting it to length. Come to think of it though, an off the shelf saya will likely...

It's tough to beat that Korin blade guard from $2.95 from a utilitarian standpoint! It'll get the job done. Your only real option for finding an "economical" saya will be buying one off the shelf, but that may be a bit tricky in your case. I think the challenge that you're going to have is...

The Watanabe 150 yanagi looks very promising! Does anyone own one (right or left handed)? If the blade geometry is right, that could solve my problem and give me an excuse to buy a watanabe... :)