A knife is about the blade and handles are additional and should complement, not dominate. Many custom handles are tacky because they are, well, tacky. Knives are tools and if nickel spacers, etc, were practical and necessary then there'd be a greater tradition of using them, but there isn't. Too much attention is paid to handles IMO.
So, a quick impromptu wa handle poll :
What is the ideal taper (ratio, degrees, or difference in mm)?
What is the ideal ratio between ferrule and body material?
Ferrule/body spacer...Y or N?
End cap...Y or N?
I usually tend toward a couple of mm max difference between nose & tail; like a 3 piece handle, so spacer or end cap; don't like overly long or short ferrules.
“Though I could not caution all, I still might warn a few; Don’t lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools.” Robert Hunter
So first off Ecchef I don't think this survey will be very successful. As far as dimensions go you should probably ask for the dimensions of everyone's' "perfect handle" and average them. So that being said here are my answers:
What is the ideal taper (ratio, degrees, or difference in mm)? Depends on the knife.
What is the ideal ratio between ferrule and body material? Depends on what the rest of the handle is composed of. Is there an end cap or middle spacer?
Ferrule/body spacer...Y or N? I like body spacers and ferrules, but it depends on the woods involved etc.
End cap...Y or N? I prefer them only on sujis and yanagis
"Sucking at something is the first step to becoming sorta good at something." -Jake the Dog
The Japanese have a term Shibui an aestheic of beauty in simplicity.Of all pre-industrial cultures nobody did it quite like Japan.
Of coarse Hello Kitty comes fr. Japan too another side of their culture.
I have big mitts so I prefer big handles. I have a full size burnt chestnut gyuto handle on my 190 Burke Catcheside which feels great to me. It would probabably feel awkward to others
The AI does not love you, nor does it hate you, but you are made out of atoms it might find useful for something else. - Eliezer Yudkowsky
I have little mitts and prefer little handles.
Now is not the time to bother me. And it's always now. Wiley Miller
If a custom handle is hideous, that's entirely on the customer as that's what they asked for, not the makers fault people want ugly sh*t
I have small hands but prefer larger handles, the pressure is distributed more surface area so.more comfort. Not a fan of strong taper but subtle at the ferrule is nice.
IMHO you really need both. You can have a great knife and every time you pick it up you hate the way it feels in the hand because the handle is too wide or too small etc. you will find you won’t be picking up that knife or sell it out right. Case in point, I like Hattori knives (I have several) their vg 10 works well enough and the price point is good for what you get. I picked up the gyuto 240 an all VG 10 JCK. Blade is great, good steel but that handle for my size 11 hands is too big and too fat. It turns me off big time. Hench I don’t it much. For me the handle is a major turn off. I control my knife with thumb and first two fingers. Like a fencing foil. Big fat handles don’t cut it!
I am not big on western handles but Randy's HHH in AEB-L is the most comfortable handle ive ever come in contact with
I couldn't agree more!
Best handles I ever had on a western style knife.
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