Japanese wa-handle woods

[joshsy81]

I've got 3 or 4 burnt chestnut handles installed. I like one a lot, but generally they're my least favourite. True, the rougher grain is good for gripping, but also being rougher and burnt they're a little more rustic, and so might suit that sort of knife. I don't think they usually suit Kato (and they're not traditional where Kato's from anyway, another slight reason for me), and they definitely wouldn't suit non-KU Shigefusa. To me they're a better fit for Heiji for example, and maybe for various KU knives too, or ones with hammered finishes.

I like them a lot, good grip and aesthetic on the right knife. I have the Kochi 240 suji and 180 nakiri and they fit the style very well. Don't think they would look good at all on my Kagekiyo 240 gyuto though.

 

[DanHumphrey]

Ho - Sadly, this ubiquitous handle wood is much maligned on KKF, but I've always been happy with good ho handles and so included 2 in the shot as there seems to be some variety with the wood. I think the shiny grain pattern on the darker left ho handle is pretty nice, while the right ho handle (on a Shigehiro) is quite a different colour and much lighter than usual. Both good, I think

I think a few things contribute to people not liking the ho wood. For one, it's by far the most common, and familiarity breeds contempt. Two, it's cheapest, and so higher-end knives have a better chance of a different wood for their handles, and that makes the handles seem high-quality by association. It also seems plain to me; in fact, other than the first ho handle, these are sorted perfectly in order of my preference.

Then there are the custom handles at K&S... I wish I felt confident enough in a given knife, and wa handles, to get one. Holy crap they are pretty.

 

[youkinorn]

I don't know if this is the place to ask this, or if it has been covered before, but does anyone know what causes "the smell" that some ho wood handles have right out of the box? It seems to be most potent when they get wet, and goes away with time/oiling.

 

[aboynamedsuita]

I don't know if this is the place to ask this, or if it has been covered before, but does anyone know what causes "the smell" that some ho wood handles have right out of the box? It seems to be most potent when they get wet, and goes away with time/oiling.

Let me guess, it's your Toyama? :wink:

I've also noticed it on my mukimono and Suji. There's a thread about it here: http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/23734-Toyama-Handle-Smell

I'm not sure what it is as the handles don't appear to be old or weathered, they actually look identical to my stock Watanabe handles which don't have the smell, although the Watanabes are a bit more water resistant. My guess is since the Toyama is the grippy hō wood (IME), this may be the "antibacterial coating" smell I've read that some makers sell handles as an option (MTC kitchen offers on some tsukiji masamoto)

 

[DanHumphrey]

The wood is stabilized, right? It's probably the stuff used for that, the glue holding it to the ferrule, and probably literally everything added to the wood as it came from the tree that makes the handle. Much like "new car smell".

It's not just ho wood or wa handles, either. There was a distinct odor to my Sakai Takayuki Aoniko gyuto that arrived yesterday, and it has a western handle of... some sort of medium-dark brown wood, maybe mahogany.

 

[jessf]

I bought some rifle parts from overseas and they came coated with a foul smelling grease, the wood included. A rub down with mineral spirits removed the smell and tung oil restored a pleasant smell to the wood.

The wood is stabilized, right? It's probably the stuff used for that, the glue holding it to the ferrule, and probably literally everything added to the wood as it came from the tree that makes the handle. Much like "new car smell".

It's not just ho wood or wa handles, either. There was a distinct odor to my Sakai Takayuki Aoniko gyuto that arrived yesterday, and it has a western handle of... some sort of medium-dark brown wood, maybe mahogany.

 

[youkinorn]

Let me guess, it's your Toyama? :wink:

I've also noticed it on my mukimono and Suji. There's a thread about it here: http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/23734-Toyama-Handle-Smell

I'm not sure what it is as the handles don't appear to be old or weathered, they actually look identical to my stock Watanabe handles which don't have the smell, although the Watanabes are a bit more water resistant. My guess is since the Toyama is the grippy hō wood (IME), this may be the "antibacterial coating" smell I've read that some makers sell handles as an option (MTC kitchen offers on some tsukiji masamoto)

Haha, you got it. It's definitely not old. It's not necessarily a chemically odor, so I thought maybe it's just the smell of the wood—but I've definitely had ho wood handles that don't have it. But the anti-bacterial thing would make sense.

 

[aboynamedsuita]

I'd say it smells like moth balls, that's the closest thing I can think of

 

[MAS4T0]

I had one that smelled of stale smoke, so I sent it immediately to be re-handled.

My self-rule is no handles made of softwood.

 

[Asteger]

Hmm.. I have a couple of Toyama and a few Watanabe and haven't suffer from Stinky Handle Syndrome. I'm sure T and W use the same handlemaker, but maybe T treats them differently somehow?

 

[TheDispossessed]

Thanks for sharing Ger,
I myself really prefer wa handles made in the traditional style. Simplicity of construction with respect to the materials and brilliant utility in use is good craftsmanship. No offense to you custom handle lovers/makers but in my mind those shouldn't even be called wa handles. They may look the part but if the middle is a dowel loaded with epoxy/glue and the handle can't be removed for maintenance that's another style all together. end rant, sorry.
As for the traditional woods, I agree burnt chestnut has it's place, I do like it much myself and think it goes well on more 'rustic' knives. I tried one on a shigefusa kitaeji and the clash of textures between the handle and the steel pattern was atrocious.
Poor ho wood, much disrespected knocked off and thrown away, i think they can be quite nice, even the 'd' shaped handles, provided it's a darker or yellower piece of wood and not the super white stuff.
these days i think an ichii handle w blonde horn is about as nice as it gets for me, nothing any louder than that please.
cheers
matteo

 

[Fedusa]

About the smelly handles, I'm pretty sure its the Tsubaki oil. I have a ho wood thats untreated and it just smells like wood, almost too faint to smell. I've regularly oiled my Takeda rosewood+ebony ferrule handle and it has that smell when air dried. It wasn't pleasant at first but I've kinda gotten used to it and it doesn't bug me anymore. It didn't have any smell before I oiled it too so the oil is the culprit.

I can't really describe it well but in a way it smells musky and slightly smoky.

My ho wood handle is pretty nice, takes really sharp clean edges and looks fine grained with a little greenish tint to the brown and mottled pattern sort of like maple. The whiter stuff on cheaper knives are probably the quick grown ones.

 

[foody518]

On the smell - my Tanaka VG10 nakiri, untreated (I think) ho wood with buffalo horn handle had a pretty significant smoky smell OOTB. Have not noticed it with any of my other purchases
The darker kind of ho wood that my Ikazuchi and also an Uraku I've given out both have is quite nice

 

[guycr]

Thanks for sharing Ger,
I myself really prefer wa handles made in the traditional style. Simplicity of construction with respect to the materials and brilliant utility in use is good craftsmanship. No offense to you custom handle lovers/makers but in my mind those shouldn't even be called wa handles. They may look the part but if the middle is a dowel loaded with epoxy/glue and the handle can't be removed for maintenance that's another style all together. end rant, sorry.
As for the traditional woods, I agree burnt chestnut has it's place, I do like it much myself and think it goes well on more 'rustic' knives. I tried one on a shigefusa kitaeji and the clash of textures between the handle and the steel pattern was atrocious.
Poor ho wood, much disrespected knocked off and thrown away, i think they can be quite nice, even the 'd' shaped handles, provided it's a darker or yellower piece of wood and not the super white stuff.
these days i think an ichii handle w blonde horn is about as nice as it gets for me, nothing any louder than that please.
cheers
matteo

What alternatives to buffalo horn could be considered at least in the realm of "traditional"? For example bone. And can you suggest any good sources of information about ferrule design and fabrication. Thanks.

 

[freedom188]

Nice write up by the way!

 

[mikegriff]

Very interesting knives! I think Japanese style is unique! Nice pics too:running: