Stefan's News from the shop

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oh ... and if i were to have a blue one made, i'd totally go for blue bakelite, a marbled brown-white horn, and use mokume that's a 50:50 mix of M3's "copper" and "gunsmoke" (without the sparkles). the problem: i don't have a knife for it to go on!!

(the red one is headed for an konosuke HD ... unless i find something cooler)
 
Thanks guys! Yep, I have some bakelite in red, 2 different blues and the brown & black swirl. But my source has dried up and that stuff is really pricy, so I am trying to use it more for accents, spacers, ferrules etc. I have a few of those on the table right now, but there is a chance that Dave will rip them out of my hands...

Stefan

P.S. Clearly not extensive on the buffalo horn. In fact, I am starting to run out of the deep black stuff and money is a bit tight for a large order right now. Maybe next month...
 
The blue bakelite and copper would be awesome. I normally don't like mokume, but as spacers (and maybe without the sparkle) they work for me. The lack of manliness isn't that big of an issue for me, I actually have a Stefan handle made from wood dyed red but ended up pink. It also has a mother of pearl endcap. Hopefully its appearance will keep my fellow line cooks from picking it up, haha! Mine actually has horn very similar to yours, maybe a little darker gray, but it has some white streaks in it.
 
Stefan,
I got my handle (The large one in the pic with the black horn ferrule, red coral spacer and black locust burl) Your pics don't do it justice and size wise its almost a perfect match to the handle on my 270mm Suisin Honyaki Wa Gyuto. Both the handle and the knife are enroute to Dave's and I'm sure he'll post a pic as soon as he gets done.

Great looking handle and superb fit and finish.

Now I need some ideas for a 240 Aritsugu Type A Gyuto....
 
Slow times in the shop, just went by the shop to finish setting up the dust collector, but no time to do any work tonight. Just in case anybody was wondering: I was looking forward to some more woodworking now that the semester is coming to an end, but I have an opportunity to submit a grant proposal at work, and I really need to persue that, can't risk my day job for the knife handles as much as I hate letting people wait as long as I often do. the grantnis going in June 15 and then I will power through for a week or so, and I am sure there will be a few evenings and weekend days before that also.

On a different note, I got an email from one of my Hawaiian wood providers a few days ago, saying something like 'I cut open that log of spalted mango and it looked so great, I immediately had to think of you - do you want any?' That has been my dream, that some of the wood guys put their good stuff aside for me :) the wood came in today and really looks great! Btw, he cut it so wide for me, that it will also work for Western handles, so some of it may go out to Dave. But we are talking August/september, it needs to dry more and then goes for stabilizing. There is also some more signature wood in the box, but I am still waiting for another piece like the one that Sean just showed again on his Watanabe knife in another thread...

Stefan
 
apicius9 said:
On a different note, I got an email from one of my Hawaiian wood providers a few days ago, saying something like 'I cut open that log of spalted mango and it looked so great, I immediately had to think of you - do you want any?' That has been my dream, that some of the wood guys put their good stuff aside for me :) the wood came in today and really looks great! Btw, he cut it so wide for me, that it will also work for Western handles, so some of it may go out to Dave. But we are talking August/september, it needs to dry more and then goes for stabilizing. There is also some more signature wood in the box, but I am still waiting for another piece like the one that Sean just showed again on his Watanabe knife in another thread...

Stefan
Click to expand...

You're such a tease!
 
apicius9 said:
Slow times in the shop, just went by the shop to finish setting up the dust collector, but no time to do any work tonight. Just in case anybody was wondering: I was looking forward to some more woodworking now that the semester is coming to an end, but I have an opportunity to submit a grant proposal at work, and I really need to persue that, can't risk my day job for the knife handles as much as I hate letting people wait as long as I often do. the grantnis going in June 15 and then I will power through for a week or so, and I am sure there will be a few evenings and weekend days before that also.

On a different note, I got an email from one of my Hawaiian wood providers a few days ago, saying something like 'I cut open that log of spalted mango and it looked so great, I immediately had to think of you - do you want any?' That has been my dream, that some of the wood guys put their good stuff aside for me :) the wood came in today and really looks great! Btw, he cut it so wide for me, that it will also work for Western handles, so some of it may go out to Dave. But we are talking August/september, it needs to dry more and then goes for stabilizing. There is also some more signature wood in the box, but I am still waiting for another piece like the one that Sean just showed again on his Watanabe knife in another thread...

Stefan
Click to expand...


Sounds interesting!:viking::whistling::jumpy:
 
Woohoo, got my grant submitted today. :dance:


Now it's time to clean up a bit and this weekend I will try to remember the way to my wood shop - haven't been there in too long. Hope to catch up soon.

Stefan
 
Looks like I keep making the same mistake again. I start new handles and think can finish the other ones later in the evening. I get tired and go home. After a few weeks, I have a few dozen handes started but none finished while people are waiting and getting annoyed. I guess I should try working more sequentially instead of parallel :bashhead: Anyway, that's what I was dealing with tonight:


P1020288.jpg


That's not even all of them :scratchhead: The good news is, there will be a whole bunch of them ready at the same time which is good because I am broke :scared4: . Just spent tons on wood, band saw, band saw blades, belts, stabilizing etc. Oh, and while most are ordered, there will be a few extras for sale in a couple of weeks.

Stefan
 
Something slightly different: I had made a knife for my Mom but she was afraid of it - too sharp :tooth: - so I made these two for her. Kept the style just like my knife handles because she had seen and liked them (what else would she say, she's my Mom...).


P1020317.jpg


P1020320.jpg
 
wowee, those look great, Stefan! Its, um, like Christmas in August or something like that. Truly impressive - you are excellent at what you do... just hope I get my hands on at least one of those:happymug:

And those pie spats are awesome. kudos
 
That is a lot of handles.
and a ton of work nice going.
 
Very cool way to use your handles! That's a great way for your mom to have some of your handiwork around the house :)
 
Thanks guys. I spent a few hours today, sanding some of them a bit further on the belts, it's all hand sanding from here on. Killed two of them in the process - I over-sanded a small one, i.e. by the time I had it symmetrical, there wasn't much handle left... The other one didn't pass the breakage test. Cross-cut woods are not as strong as others, so I usually try to break them with reasonable force to make sure they will hold up and don't have hidden cracks. The black palm handle (5th from left in top row) didn't make it. I may give up on that stuff in cross-cut. It's brittle to begin with and this is not the first one that dies.

Stefan
 
apicius9 said:
Looks like I keep making the same mistake again. I start new handles and think can finish the other ones later in the evening. I get tired and go home. After a few weeks, I have a few dozen handes started but none finished while people are waiting and getting annoyed. I guess I should try working more sequentially instead of parallel :bashhead: Anyway, that's what I was dealing with tonight:


P1020288.jpg
Click to expand...

I have to tell you, Stefan, that it's so amazing to see a Longs Drugs Sunday adbook in your pictures. I keep forgetting that you hand craft your work right here in town.

If you need an apprentice, I'll volunteer myself - but unfortunately I can only work on the weekends (I work downtown). But if I'm able to watch your handiwork, it'll be an honor.

I'm sure ANY of the members here on these boards would love to live here and watch you firsthand. So, I'll volunteer myself with enthusiasm. Please let me know
 
apicius9 said:
Looks like I keep making the same mistake again. I start new handles and think can finish the other ones later in the evening. I get tired and go home. After a few weeks, I have a few dozen handes started but none finished while people are waiting and getting annoyed. I guess I should try working more sequentially instead of parallel :bashhead: Anyway, that's what I was dealing with tonight:


P1020288.jpg


That's not even all of them :scratchhead: The good news is, there will be a whole bunch of them ready at the same time which is good because I am broke :scared4: . Just spent tons on wood, band saw, band saw blades, belts, stabilizing etc. Oh, and while most are ordered, there will be a few extras for sale in a couple of weeks.

Stefan
Click to expand...

Damn Stefan, That is alot of work. It would take me a 100 years to make that many handles. I like the Black palm handle that stuff is really hard to work with. I would like to see some finished pics please
 
Well, looks like it is taking me a hundred years also, but I am making progress. Hope to have some pics early next week. But guess which of the handles was the first one to break? Cross-cut palm is a nuisance...

What I learned in the shop totay:

- even slow running buffer wheels can send a handle across the whole shop with enough energy to chip it badly if it hits a metal edge.

- don't take a piece out of the drill press while the drill is still running out.

- if you have a small wound because you took a piece out of the drill press before the drill was running out, don't pour any acetone in your wound.

- use CA glue only when you are wide awake, high on caffeine and ready to work fast, really fast...

- the fence on the band saw is useless if you ignore the instructions reg. adjusting the guide rails for the saw blade. Your pieces will be crooked - badly.

- keep track of your sand paper so you don't run out of the grits you need in the middle of your work.

- spending more time to keep the work space clean makes it more fun to come in and work. - This one is still hypothetical, I have to verify it first and cleah up the dang mess in my shop right now. Dust, wood pieces, and sand paper all over the place...

Stefan
 
Hahaha. I love it Stefan!
Sounds like a voice of experience (I know it is).
I pushed some work off, yesterday because I wasn't high on caffeine. I agree with that one 100%!
 
I shouldn't laugh but a couple of those things you learned are so very relate-able to me that they're funny. :D
 
LOL.I have a variation on one of your rules. Done even bother with most of the wood cutting bandsaws sold at the big box stores today.
 
apicius9 said:
Well, looks like it is taking me a hundred years also, but I am making progress. Hope to have some pics early next week. But guess which of the handles was the first one to break? Cross-cut palm is a nuisance...

What I learned in the shop totay:

- even slow running buffer wheels can send a handle across the whole shop with enough energy to chip it badly if it hits a metal edge.

- don't take a piece out of the drill press while the drill is still running out.

- if you have a small wound because you took a piece out of the drill press before the drill was running out, don't pour any acetone in your wound.

- use CA glue only when you are wide awake, high on caffeine and ready to work fast, really fast...

- the fence on the band saw is useless if you ignore the instructions reg. adjusting the guide rails for the saw blade. Your pieces will be crooked - badly.

- keep track of your sand paper so you don't run out of the grits you need in the middle of your work.

- spending more time to keep the work space clean makes it more fun to come in and work. - This one is still hypothetical, I have to verify it first and cleah up the dang mess in my shop right now. Dust, wood pieces, and sand paper all over the place...

Stefan
Click to expand...

So, I am not the only one using his buffer as a handle launcher
 
I'm getting closer, I can feel it! :hula:
 
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