Design question need help quick (handle)

[Khorax]

Greetings.
I am getting a gyuto made for my wife as a surprise. I've been on the waitlist for a while with a maker here in Manitoba, Canada. Well it's finally my turn and we are discussing the handle specifications.

My wife is native and she's from the Prairies so I am trying to capture that theme in the knife. The steel is from repurposed saw blades (local to the region), local maple burl handle (dyed green to represent grass hills) with a deer antler ferrule (as she hunts deer).

I'm struggling with the handle design. I can either do:

1. Ferrule as the end of the handle and the blade comes out of that. So from butt to blade it would be: handle > spacer > ferrule > blade.

2. Or he's also offering to put another thinner peice of green maple (about half an inch) after the ferrule. So it would be handle > spacer > ferrule > spacer > handle > blade.

I guess I have 2 questions.
First, is there a functional reason that you would NOT want wood at the end of the handle? Most knifes i see have the horn ferrule as the last thing before the blade. Or is it purely esthetic?

Second, what would you chose? I gotta get back to him real quick.

PS - I'd love to upload pics but not sure how...

 

[dwalker]

Totally aesthetic. Do what you think looks best. If the wood has been treated correctly, you'll never have a problem. Do what looks best to you. Horn ferule is traditional, which I like, but my favorite handle I own might be one with wood ferule.

 

[McMan]

I like option #1 because it keeps it simple and lets the symbolism/meaning 'speak' for itself.

Are there any dark local woods? You could go green maple (representing grass), thin dark brown local wood spacer (representing deer body), and then antler (representing, well, antler)...

 

[Khorax]

Hey guys, hopefully this link works. Let me know if you can get to the pics.
If it does you will notice the 2 different setups I was mentioning. Also the option for green, white or orange spacers. That's another decision I gotta make.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/159036741@N07/16iB4X

 

[McMan]

Hey guys, hopefully this link works. Let me know if you can get to the pics.
If it does you will notice the 2 different setups I was mentioning. Also the option for green, white or orange spacers. That's another decision I gotta make.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/159036741@N07/16iB4X

I like option #1. The antler seems out of place (too low on the handle) for me in option #2.

 

[chinacats]

I was always under the impression that horn was used at the blade end because it was less likely to crack.

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

I was always under the impression that horn was used at the blade end because it was less likely to crack.

+1

 

[valgard]

wood is more likely to fail with prolonged exposure to humidity than horn (I've actually had stabilized wood ferrule fail due to excessive moisture from a couple prolonged thinning sessions).

 

[Barmoley]

I like "simple" I would do the first picture. There is a lot going on in the green maple burl already, spiting it in two would be too much. I think having a longer piece of maple would be best. So antler ferule, thin white or orange ferule, green maple burl. Or dump the spacer, could work too.

 

[ThEoRy]

Personally I would put a piece of the antler at the butt as an end cap. So it would go end cap - spacer - handle - spacer - ferrule - blade. At least that's how I like to make them sometimes.

Some examples I've made in that style.

 

[Xenif]

#1 simple is best imho. But what Theory suggested is also sounds/looks very nice!

 

[Khorax]

Thanks for all the replies gents. Theory, I asked if he could put a cap on the end and my request was somewhat last minute since he's making it today, and he has never done it before and doesn't really want to test it out in case it backfires. So I settled for option 1. Apparently the orange in the handle will almost be completely gone once sanded down and stained, so I went with black/white/black spacer. Also going octagonal handle. Can't wait! Thanks for the advice.

 

[DitmasPork]

Hey guys, hopefully this link works. Let me know if you can get to the pics.
If it does you will notice the 2 different setups I was mentioning. Also the option for green, white or orange spacers. That's another decision I gotta make.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/159036741@N07/16iB4X

All up to you, all are good! Personally I like the green ferrule, light collar, green body—but that's just me. What do you like? Another approach is to be totally honest and ask the knife maker's opinion, telling him/her that you don't know what you want and need an opinion, nothing wrong with being honest. He/she's probably reading this thread.

 

[Khorax]

All up to you, all are good! Personally I like the green ferrule, light collar, green body—but that's just me. What do you like? Another approach is to be totally honest and ask the knife maker's opinion, telling him/her that you don't know what you want and need an opinion, nothing wrong with being honest. He/she's probably reading this thread.

For sure, I asked him his opinion. At the end of the day I think they would all look nice. He did the handle today and showed me a picture. It's more awesome then I could have ever hoped for. My wife will love it... now I just have to avoid using it all the time or else it will be like when Homer got Marge a bowling ball with his name on it for her birthday.

I'll ask him if I can post pictures of his work on here for you guys so stay tuned.

 

[parbaked]

I would have chosen the same configuration...sure it will look sweet and that your wife will let you use it...if you do the dishes...