Knife #5 (first wa handle)

[Seffers93]

Hey everyone!

It has been SO long since I've been on the forum. Work decided it was time to stop working from home and brought us all back with some very odd hours. Its taken me quite a while to find time to complete this knife, but here it is! Knife #5!

My first attempt at a wa handle. It was honestly a complete fail. Each side of the octagonal shape I was going for was completely ruined and so badly angled I thought I was going to have to start over, but I ended up just rounding out the edges and calling it good lol. Thanks for looking!

 

[birdsfan]

Love the profile and the grind Seth! Really nice work. With each project, your learning and skill growth is clearly visible. The wa handles will get easier too. You obviously have a nice touch on the belt grinder. My belt sander doesnt have an angle adjustable platform, so I made a little jig to hold the handle at a 45 degree angle. I got a piece of alum angle stock, cut a 4" length, notched a piece of board at a 45 angle and epoxied the angle stock onto the board. It works pretty well.

 

[gregfisk]

Nice work! I like the profile and your logo looks great. What method did you use to etch the logo? I built a gizmo using a DC power supply but I haven’t made a template to try it with.

 

[Seffers93]

Love the profile and the grind Seth! Really nice work. With each project, your learning and skill growth is clearly visible. The wa handles will get easier too. You obviously have a nice touch on the belt grinder. My belt sander doesnt have an angle adjustable platform, so I made a little jig to hold the handle at a 45 degree angle. I got a piece of alum angle stock, cut a 4" length, notched a piece of board at a 45 angle and epoxied the angle stock onto the board. It works pretty well.

Thank you! I really appreciate your feedback. I’m hoping to see a schedule adjustment soon that allows more time to work at home.
And I didn’t even think about making a jig to shape the handle.. thanks for the tip!!

 

[Seffers93]

Nice work! I like the profile and your logo looks great. What method did you use to etch the logo? I built a gizmo using a DC power supply but I haven’t made a template to try it with.

Thank you! I built my electro chemical etcher by following Red Beard Ops video on YouTube. I just followed step by step and it works pretty well!

 

[Ericfg]

I'm confused by the handles in shots 2&3 versus 4&5; they don't look the same. Are they at different stages of finishing or are they different handles?

 

[Seffers93]

I'm confused by the handles in shots 2&3 versus 4&5; they don't look the same. Are they at different stages of finishing or are the different handles?

Before and after oiling!

 

[cotedupy]

Lovely work. K-tips for the win!

 

[cotedupy]

Love the profile and the grind Seth! Really nice work. With each project, your learning and skill growth is clearly visible. The wa handles will get easier too. You obviously have a nice touch on the belt grinder. My belt sander doesnt have an angle adjustable platform, so I made a little jig to hold the handle at a 45 degree angle. I got a piece of alum angle stock, cut a 4" length, notched a piece of board at a 45 angle and epoxied the angle stock onto the board. It works pretty well.

A special jig to hold it at a constant 45 degree angle eh? Sounds a bit like cheating to me...

No wonder they turn out so well!

 

[McMan]

Nice man! Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiin. I like how you rounded the heel--nice touch there.

 

[Seffers93]

Lovely work. K-tips for the win!

Thank you!!

 

[Seffers93]

Nice man! Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiin. I like how you rounded the heel--nice touch there.

Thanks man! Much appreciated!

 

[gregfisk]

Thank you! I built my electro chemical etcher by following Red Beard Ops video on YouTube. I just followed step by step and it works pretty well!

I basically made the same thing. I was wondering how you made the template? That’s the part that has me stuck. I’ve read about using shiny paper and a printer but haven’t tried it. The machines you can buy are kind of pricey at around $300.00 or so.

 

[Seffers93]

I basically made the same thing. I was wondering how you made the template? That’s the part that has me stuck. I’ve read about using shiny paper and a printer but haven’t tried it. The machines you can buy are kind of pricey at around $300.00 or so.

Ah, sorry! I ordered my stencils from Bo Grospitch at Big Guy Illustrations. I drew out my design on an iPad and just emailed him the photo with the desired dimensions. He took care of the rest and was super easy to work with.

 

[gregfisk]

Thank you sir, I was wondering if there were companies that you could use to custom make stencils. I think that’s the route I’ll take. Now I just have to make a logo.

 

[Seffers93]

Thank you sir, I was wondering if there were companies that you could use to custom make stencils. I think that’s the route I’ll take. Now I just have to make a logo.

I think making your own logo is a lot of fun. I doubt I’ll keep the one I’m using for very long. I was told when you’re first starting out, it’s a good idea to at least have your last name in the logo so people have something to search if they see your work and want to contact you for an order. After I get enough practice in and start selling my knives, I’d like to switch to a new design eventually. I love @Kippington logo. It’s very classy and everyone knows and recognizes the feather.

 

[gregfisk]

Coming up with a logo and deciding which one to use is tough. I’ve thought about using my name but there is a well known knife maker in the states named Jerry Fisk and he uses his last name as his logo. He doesn’t make kitchen knives but he’s won several awards and makes beautiful knives. I’ll figure out something that I like, I don’t plan on selling my work.