how do you treat your handles...

[Asteger]

... Here you go. Just to add to the above, I went and took a photo. Various handles/woods I've got in/through Japan. All of them here but one (sakura wood):

L-R are: Makassar ebony (Indonesian I presume; couldn't be grown in Japan), burnt chestnut, shitan (rosewood), ichii (yew), keyaki ('Japanese elm'), Japanese walnut, ho handle, ho handle again, and a second example of ichii (yew) with the saya below

Of course it doesn't look the same in real life. The far-right ho handle is duller looking, but really grippy and great for wetness and the 2nd ho handle from right, is shinier and pattered and nicer in looks and smoothness than the 'avg ho'; the keyaki's colour is also slightly subdued in the photo

 

[Dave Martell]

... Here you go. Just to add to the above, I went and took a photo. Various handles/woods I've got in/through Japan. All of them here but one (sakura wood):

L-R are: Makassar ebony (Indonesian I presume; couldn't be grown in Japan), burnt chestnut, shitan (rosewood), ichii (yew), keyaki ('Japanese elm'), Japanese walnut, ho handle, ho handle again, and a second example of ichii (yew) with the saya below

Of course it doesn't look the same in real life. The far-right ho handle is duller looking, but really grippy and great for wetness and the 2nd ho handle from right, is shinier and pattered and nicer in looks and smoothness than the 'avg ho'; the keyaki's colour is also slightly subdued in the photo

This is a great picture to show the differences of the wood types used on handles from Japan. Would you mind posting this in the "Kitchen Knife Knowledge" sub-forum as it's own thread? I think this could help a lot of new users.

Thanks for sharing it!

Dave

 

[Asteger]

This is a great picture to show the differences of the wood types used on handles from Japan. Would you mind posting this in the "Kitchen Knife Knowledge" sub-forum as it's own thread? I think this could help a lot of new users. Thanks for sharing it! Dave

Sure. As far as I know these are all the normal woods that you see for handle wood in Japan, so maybe it's useful. Does anyone know of another? (Maybe unburnt chestnut. I don't have that...)

As said before, however, I have a sakura one too which isn't included in the photo (though it's not strikingly different) so maybe I can take a new photo to show the full array.

 

[_PixelNinja]

Asteger,

Thank you for taking the time to write a rather elaborate answer to my question and taking that photo. I also apologize for not getting back to you.

Reading your feedback and looking at the photo, keyaki comes off to me as an interesting wood. It seems like a nice middle ground between looks (subdued/not taking away from the blade while having a nice color and grain) and feel (between ho and ichii if I understand correctly).

 

[CowichanBay]

Wow, what a timely thread, I haven't been on the forum much in the last year and was just wondering about some of my handles. Fantastic info, thanks all!

 

[Asteger]

I'll post something new related to the above in the Kitchen Knife Knowledge thread sometime soon.

 

[Asteger]

This is a great picture to show the differences of the wood types used on handles from Japan. Would you mind posting this in the "Kitchen Knife Knowledge" sub-forum as it's own thread? I think this could help a lot of new users.

Just to follow up, I finally got around to it: http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/26355-Japanese-wa-handle-woods?p=402412#post402412

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Can only speak from my own experience. Have noticed most Sushi Chefs do not treat their handles. They clean yanagiba blade & handle after shift. Often over time the handles get worn down from scrubbing. I got my first quality Yanagiba years ago because was cutting Brunch and Banquet sashimi and sushi topping. I would scrub handle after work because fish would get on it.

After my first fish blade was showing wear bought another quality blade used it a while then had a Stefan handle put on it. I preferred the feel of the larger handle. Did not worry at all about grip even with heavy use. It was easy to clean, just wipe it down. Found that the handle could be spiffed up again with a little buffing.

Now I use Stefan's mix to treat Ho handles. Works for Saya's too which can get dirty & funky in a production kitchen.

 

[koikeeper]

Thanks to everyone. Wonderful responses to my question. Great forum for getting questions answered. Regards from Lakewood, Ca.

 

[Lucretia]

You can put a little bit of mineral oil (maybe a couple Tbsp) in a plastic bag, put it around your knife handle, squeeze the air out and put a twist tie on it rather than putting your handle in a glass overnight. It works pretty well. You might get a little leakage where the tie is, but it's not nearly as bad as knocking over a glass of mineral oil...

 

[spoiledbroth]

Also much more economical. Yay money!

 

[koikeeper]

Now I will only need only 65 bags. :rofl2:

 

[Tanalasta]

Has anyone tried using silicone? As in the scuba diving silicone grease that comes in a small tub in the area between the tang and the handle? Just a thought...

 

[lowercasebill]

I do not treat all my handles.. some of my knives came with instructions to seal the wa handle.
I use Behlen's salad bowl finish.. I put the knife handle down in a tall narrow glass vase making sure it wont fall over and fill the vase till the handle is covered and let it soak for an hour.. remove knife and hang it handle down over a towel and let it drip and cure .. I use magnet or clamp or tape depending on the knife and my mood to hang the knife .
silicone will trap dirt and dust. I have used epoxy to seal the tang handle junction.