best bang for buck blade (handle doesn't matter!)

I have a friend who just started making handles as a hobby, he's not looking to make that a career (he's got plenty of money) but he's willing to make one for me. He buys $5000 knives and makes handles for them, so obviously I am not looking for that ...

My question: What's the best blade, bang for buck wise, that you would consider for a new handle? I am not talking about knives $300 plus or a $50 Tojiro ... something in between where a new handle in combination with the blade would make a killer knife.


Criteria:

Can be Gyuto, Nakiri, Kiritsuke or Santoku.

No Kurouchi

No single bevel

Tanaka Blue #2 series benefits from handle upgrades. Some of the Itinomonn too ( I like the chestnut handles though).

Often, Hiromoto users have considered handle replacement.

Another vote for Tanaka and also the Wa handled Muratas.

Sorry for offtopic, but are there any chances for a picture of 5000$ knife with custom handle? It's not often that such an expensive knives gets rehandled…

......

I rehandle all my westerns and hope to make wa someday soon.

icanhaschzbrgr said:

Sorry for offtopic, but are there any chances for a picture of 5000$ knife with custom handle? It's not often that such an expensive knives gets rehandled…

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I can certainly ask, but he's not much about publicity ... doesn't read forums, isn't on social media, keeps a low profile ... heck, he tapes over the camera in his MacBook!

Question about the Tanaka #2: You mean the Damascus or the Kurouchi? I have a Kurouchi 210mm ... I like the look of the Damascus. Certainly would look good with a custom handle!

Blue Damascus Tanaka

Gesshin Ginga. Great bang for the buck using almost any criteria. This is what one looks like wearing a Marko. Had a stupid moment and let it go. Would hold it's own on any wall.

I'm surprised how much love the tanaka 'damascus' gets. i got one on impulse and thought it was kinda well...

+1 for tanaka

The Reactivity on the cladding of the Tanaka Damascus is a bit of a pain, decent knife but it needs a etching to go w/ that new handle.

And my vote goes for those 240 Gokos w/ the Nashiji finish (think white #1) borrowed one for a bit, nice profile, steel sharpened up proper too and held it well. Handle was bunk though - plastic ferrule, cheap burnt chestnut handle not even w/ ferrule and the blade needed some rounding of choil, etc..

I'll add another vote for Murata Buho.

Marko practise if you can find , you don't have to worry about handle either that way

I'm surprised how much love the tanaka 'damascus' gets. i got one on impulse and thought it was kinda well...

Click to expand...

+1

bought one last month and the profile differed quite a bit from the one on the pictures. havent used it yet and gonna sell it soon.

I'm not a huge fan of Tanaka's profile either but the grind is fantastic, better than anything else I've owned (Itinomonn, Kochi, Shun, Hiromoto) except my Shigefusa. Surprised you guys didn't like for its cutting ability.

Old forgecrafts when the handle is is in the $75-100 range

I was just thinking of getting my JCK Carbonext rehandled -- I think it is a such a great bang for the buck, and it is a nice compromise between a laser and a more robust blade.