Beginner Questions - Buckeye Burl Santoku

Good morning all,

I've read the rules but please let me know if I goof up. I'm too new here for it to be easy habit yet.

I've just started handling and re-handling knives. I graduated on Friday and now I have the time to take it seriously. I'm looking to make a few kitchen knives for personal use and family gifts, and I thought I'd swing by and see how the pros do it.

I've got a few started blades picked out. I'm going with VG-10 for ease and durability since I'm not customizing steel yet. I'm here to learn, so I'd love to know if there are any problems with this choice. I'm also curious what you all have found is the best epoxy to use for kitchen knives - constant exposure to water, food, and cleansers means it requires a little more thought than, say, running to Home Depot for JB Weld.

My thought is to use double dyed buckeye burl, spaced with brass or aluminum, and plastic or vulcanized paper. My habit so far is to seal with shellac and follow with Tru Oil. I won't be using any bolsters or ferrules, and it will be shaped to a rough approximation of an angled eastern traditional style.

What are your thoughts? I really appreciate your help. Thanks!

Welcome to the forum.

There's a ton of great information on this message board - and in the shop forum section in particular - on techniques and methods. As a starting point I think you'll find a lot of your questions have already been answered or discussed in prior message threads. You'll find info on everything from epoxy (G/flex is popular but hardware store epoxies can still get the job done), construction methods (dowel or no dowel), spacers (metal is difficult and a potential point of failure if inexperienced or impatient) to handle mounting methods..to wood variety preferences.

For your project - I assume by angled eastern traditional you mean octagon shaped handles? stabilized buckeye should be relatively easy to shape (though what tools you have is always a factor). Plastic or paper spacers should be no problem (with or without dowel construction). metal is more challenging and often best with a dowel - heat in the grinding process can cause your glue to fail - I'd avoid metal spacers until you have made a couple handles you are satisfied with.

Good luck with the project. ..and welcome to the addiction.

Agree with CPD avoid metal spacers for first handles. The Buckeye Burl will have to be stabilized is very nice wood ,often has quite a few voids in it.

Thanks for the concern, guys. Those are good points. I make sure to source stabilized wood when the situation calls for it, and I've done a few with metal spacers. When things start winding down I'll post my finished projects to Handiwork.