Evolution of a D Handle

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Weird. Blackwood behaves like all of the other rosewoods for me. The brittleness of ebony is why i replaced it with blackwood in the first place.
 
I use blackwood all the time, and i love it. I prefer it over ebony as it is substantially more stable. I like the new handles Marko.
 
Marko, just curious - what are your thoughts on using a synthetic material for the bolster, such as G10 or micarta, instead of wood to avoid th eissue of the exposed end grain? Cheers! mpp
 
I have always used natural materials and would like to keep it this way for as long as I can obtain them. Nothing against synthetics, just personal preference for natural materials.
 
Marko, I like your new hand but I also like your classic handle very much!! Do you consider use marble/brown horn, musk-ox horn or ivory ferrule ??
 
No elephant ivory, any horn (including musk horn) if can be procured or supplied, other ivories (tusks) unless from endangered species.

M
 
Mammoth??? Its extinct.....

JK:lolsign:

Btw love the D handle. Wish others would do them here too.
 
At this rate, elephants will be extinct soon too, hence I won't touch it, pre-ban, included.
 
chinacats said:
Good man Marko!
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I have been consistent on this for many years, and I intend on keeping it this way. I think I will be better off concentrate on quality of my blades (steel, HT, grind, etc) than on rarity of materials on my handles. Knife is a tool and should be used as one.
 
Ran into some issued with this construction that required some changes in the process. Had to stop work and only resumed it (almost a week after) once those were corrected. As a result, a couple of handles are offered as seconds. The cocobolo is actually a first quality, but I think the look with a spacer grew on me substantially, so all my handles will feature that from now on.

DSC_0493.jpg

DSC_0492.jpg

PS: Knives in the pictures are practice while handles are seconds (technically only redwood is)
 
How big are the handles? Or can you give us the length of the knives so we can figure out what they might fit. That gyuto that the cocobolo handle is on looks quite large. I would be very interested in the redwood handle if it would make an ideal fit the the 180mm shige Mukimono I just bought.
 
Marko Tsourkan said:
Ran into some issued with this construction that required some changes in the process. Had to stop work and only resumed it (almost a week after) once those were corrected. As a result, a couple of handles are offered as seconds. The cocobolo is actually a first quality, but I think the look with a spacer grew on me substantially, so all my handles will feature that from now on.

View attachment 13050

View attachment 13049

PS: Knives in the pictures are practice while handles are seconds (technically only redwood is)
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Good choice. I think the spacer balances the tip very nicely. If you remember, I was thinking about that combination for my knife at one point. Maybe next time.
 
The hekler said:
How big are the handles? Or can you give us the length of the knives so we can figure out what they might fit. That gyuto that the cocobolo handle is on looks quite large. I would be very interested in the redwood handle if it would make an ideal fit the the 180mm shige Mukimono I just bought.
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These handles are sized to (and mounted on) the knives in the picture. Both are on hold till Tuesday.
 
Sorry, forgot to name the knives

Top one 180mm long petty/short suji/utility knife in 52100 (ground super thin at the edge and above). Redwood handle with DT mokume spacer and tip.

Bottom one is 225mm gyuto in 52100 (practice knife with earlier HT and thinner than my current knife. Latest geometry). Cocobolo handle with nickel silver tip.
 
I'd like to see a photo of a knife with an old school octagonal handle, ironwood and horn, with nickel-silver spacer, for reference . .
 
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I think I prefer without the spacer myself, though both look nice.
 
Horn in yesterday, unfortunately. Horn ferrules failed on a couple of handles I made recently (one cracked while in transit to Canada after months in my dry shop and weeks at my apartment), so I am no longer wiling to take chances.

Since you guys like handles with and without spacer, I will just ask for the preference.

M
 
Makes perfect sense. Why do all the work and spend all the time when it might be in vain? Your time is too valuable. As for the spacers, great idea to give the customer what they want. Either way they'll getting a top quality beautiful knife.
 
i have recently placed an order with marko for one of his beauty-gyutos, and i am very much looking forward to it.

reading now that horn will no longer be an option for ferrule material really is a major turn-off. i understand all the quality issues, of course. but why is it so hard to get good horn material? apparently japanese makers can get it... it is possibly only a personal preference, but for me, no other material comes close to a horn ferrule...

besides, i don't want a metal tip on the handle, only a metal spacer between handle and ferrule. but the handle tip is prone to humidity/water, so horn makes sense. can stabilized material (stab. wood) offer similar water resistance?
 
to be more precise: my handle shall be d-shaped, desert ironwood, nickel silver spacer + horn ferrule. now that horn is no longer an option (no way at all???), i need some alternative black ferrule material which, when polished, will shine also. african blackwood maybe? would stabilized african blackwood be any "better" than natural blackwood?
 
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