What size (length and height of the blade) will the banno bunka have? I have a Koishi ko-bunka from Masakage nd it is a great little knife. Very practical blade shape.
This iteration is 170 length and 42 high at the heel. I like that BB's have a relatively flat edge profile and the tip has steep geometry which should increase strength there.
Yep, suji's have a different profile as well.
Here is some final sanding on the choil and spine of one of the 240's. In the last photo the bolster is being held in place by a jig that I made.
The bolster is stainless and will be getting red jasper recon stock spacer along with a black silky oak handle.
It's also getting a stained poplar saya with falling maple leaf engraving and a red anodized titanium saya pin.
The handle is shaped and hand sanded. I put 3-4 coats of gun stock finish and sand between each coat. This helps fill in pits and also seals everything for extra protection.
I probably do my maker's mark a little differently than most, but the concept is the same. I put down some blue masking tape and then use a laser to engrave the mark. This allows me to quickly adjust the size of the mark. Once that is complete I use a power source and electrolyte solution to get a deep etch into the blade.
This is konosuke re-handle. I had just pulled the handle off - all you need is a little heat and some patience and it slides right off. The handle thickness varies quite a bit so I will put a light taper so the thickest section is right at the shoulders.
The kono is in a house-made jig for grinding the shoulders flat and true for a clean mate between the shoulders and the bolster. This is photo is after I finished grinding/filing. The tang isn't centered in the shoulders, but it's closer to center than when I started. The slot in the bolster will be milled off-center to accommodate this.