Post Your Sayas!

[cooktocut]

It occurred to me today that I've never seen a dedicated thread for sayas. Sayas don't get any credit! It's awesome when a knife comes with one, but some makers don't even make them so a lot of us are forced to go hunting for what we want. Any of us who have sent a knife across the country just for work or a saya to be made know how stressful this can be. There are a ton of very skilled woodworkers who deserve more recognition and who produce some of the most beautiful work, with some of the most amazing materials... but even maker's get to show their creativity and flair when they are occasionally coaxed into making us one (or offered one already). So, I will start, because I have quite a few interesting and unique sayas that frankly don't get enough credit!

First up, the big beautiful rectangles

 

[instantramen]

Here's a padauk saya for my Kobayashi (needs oiling) and the included lacquer saya for my Kagekiyo that's often overlooked

 

[cooktocut]

This one was made by Isasmedjan and was commissioned along with the cleaver in conjunction with Modern Cooking. I imagine it was one of the harder ones to make... birch bark or any bark for that matter seems hard to tame. Super super cool result though.

Next up is one made by @common_trade out of beautiful crotch feather walnut. A great example of how the material and craftsmanship just speak for themselves. I believe the pin is lignum vitae, to match the handle material.

Oatley made this one with the cleaver I ordered from him directly. Not sure of the wood material but the effect achieved with the dying and stabilization is really neat, tons of chatoyance, almost looks holgraphic.

Another one from Oatley, which was made for a damasteel cleaver which was originally made for DCI if I'm not mistaken. Arapaima is definitely the most unique material I have on any of my sayas, and it holds up surprisingly well. It really is just like a heavily textured leather.

Next is this friction fit bad boy from the wonderful Graydon Decollibus. Marble cake turkish walnut (the names alone of these materials!!) with what I can only describe as a demon trapped inside of it.

 

[cooktocut]

Next is the forever classy Lasuer, which accomplishes the feat of feeling extremely well made and high quality, while also feeling very durable. I have to say no matter how many times I put a knife or especially cleaver into a wooden saya, it always gives me a slightly uncomfortable feeling. I hate the idea that the edge I worked so hard to maintain is being needlessly bumped and dulled, which is surely dramatic and not usually the case, but leather makes me feel so much better

Last but far from least, my Kamon cleaver saya. A saya that you can confidently run over with your car knowing it will come out the other end unscathed. Kamon consistently nails this, a highly functional, simple, and extremely durable made to outlast you and your entire bloodline... saya. If a latina mom were to get her hands on this, heads would come off.

That just leaves my Nguyen that is without a saya... but that will soon be changing! Will post that when it's done, as well as some of my gyuto sayas later. Can't wait to see everyone else's!

 

[Rideon66]

This one was made by Isasmedjan and was commissioned along with the cleaver in conjunction with Modern Cooking. I imagine it was one of the harder ones to make... birch bark or any bark for that matter seems hard to tame. Super super cool result though.

View attachment 327065
View attachment 327066

Next up is one made by @common_trade out of beautiful crotch feather walnut. A great example of how the material and craftsmanship just speak for themselves. I believe the pin is lignum vitae, to match the handle material.

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View attachment 327074

Oatley made this one with the cleaver I ordered from him directly. Not sure of the wood material but the effect achieved with the dying and stabilization is really neat, tons of chatoyance, almost looks holgraphic.

View attachment 327078

View attachment 327080

Another one from Oatley, which was made for a damasteel cleaver which was originally made for DCI if I'm not mistaken. Arapaima is definitely the most unique material I have on any of my sayas, and it holds up surprisingly well. It really is just like a heavily textured leather.

View attachment 327083
View attachment 327085

Next is this friction fit bad boy from the wonderful Graydon Decollibus. Marble cake turkish walnut (the names alone of these materials!!) with what I can only describe as a demon trapped inside of it.

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View attachment 327088

So you have a saya made out of fish skin? Is it wood with the skin wrapped over it? I have thought of trying this with sturgeon skin. Seen it on some self bows and it looks really cool.

Nice Birch bark saya from Jonas. I have its more rustic brother.

 

[parbaked]

I don’t have nearly the craft skills of @tostadas but I’ve made a handful.

 

[M1k3]

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/cardboard-saya-guide.69266/

 

[cooktocut]

So you have a saya made out of fish skin? Is it wood with the skin wrapped over it? I have thought of trying this with sturgeon skin. Seen it on some self bows and it looks really cool.

Nice Birch bark saya from Jonas. I have its more rustic brother.
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yeah the skin is wrapped around a core material, not sure what he used specifically but it’s some kind of wood.

 

[cooktocut]

I have thought of trying this with sturgeon skin.

Please do it and post your results!! I just looked it up and the pattern would be super cool. Hope you do it with a rectangle so we can see as much of the material as possible

 

[Rideon66]

Please do it and post your results!! I just looked it up and the pattern would be super cool. Hope you do it with a rectangle so we can see as much of the material as possible

Problem for a cleaver is finding a wide enough pieces at a decent price.

 

[SABOL BROTHERS]

For us, sayas are the least enjoyable part of knife making, but we usually make Sayas for custom knives, for example this Zebrano saya for a custom full-tang K390 slicer.

 

[JustAnotherJoe]

Just a quick shop made one. More lasers, masonite and shellac. The pin is just a little tapered wedge that will be common to all of my future sayas (big brain momemt right there!).

 

[cooktocut]

Been sick the past couple days so haven’t gotten around to posting the rest of mine yet, but I might as well show my favorite! Got this one made for my damascus Billipp by the one and only Sean Porter. I looked long and hard for the perfect piece of desert ironwood… by far one the fanciest sayas I’ve ever seen, plus it has such a satisfying heft to it.

 

[romanjanos]

Takedas...

 

[cooktocut]

Wow those are so cool. Who painted them? He/she did a marvelous job.

 

[tostadas]

I do cardboard saya for all my cleavers to be able to store them more efficiently in my drawer laying flat. They're generally friction fit made from shipping boxes. My kid's knives got some fancier ones.

 

[cooktocut]

I do cardboard saya for all my cleavers to be able to store them more efficiently in my drawer laying flat. They're generally friction fit made from shipping boxes. My kid's knives got some fancier ones.

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What’s the length on the big boy? Looks like fun

 

[tostadas]

What’s the length on the big boy? Looks like fun

224x91mm. Looks extra long in the photo cuz the kid cleaver is like 140mm

 

[cooktocut]

224x91mm. Looks extra long in the photo cuz the kid cleaver is like 140mm

I think it’s the height too. I expected the other two were smaller, but I’ve never tried a sub 100mm height on that long of a cleaver

 

[Jack TSEF]

stabilized wood handmade

 

[Tekkz]

Newham butcher sword. Saya is Amboyna burl. I love.

 

[cooktocut]

Next batch!

Another beautiful piece by Sean Porter with quarter sewn bog oak that I sourced during COVID. I saw some chunks of it on instagram and just knew I had to have some. This is for my #270 270 jiro, with a matching handle. I love how from an angle it looks like you could decode a secret message.

I believe this one was also made my Porter, some beautiful two tone desert ironwood burl for a 240 Yanick

This one is by Paul Long, fits the theme of my Lisch c-lock very nicely. Just wish I could figure out what I need to do to fix the discoloration. Any suggestions?

Last up a little Brazilian leatherwork by Franco

 

[cooktocut]

Starting off with this very special one, made by Xerxes from 200-year-old cherry wood from a piece of Biedermeier furniture. He used iron from a wall anchor of a German church dated to 1450 for the pin. Jannis did such an amazing job matching materials for this custom… it’s truly a work of art down to every last detail. Another example of the wood can be found here. Somehow the saya is so simple but still manages to be one of my favorites.

A little guy for my “gold” clad oatley, somehow didn’t get his makers mark. Wonder if he forgot?

Another one from Sean Porter, this one for my Burke. I asked for a material that would compliment the natural horn of the handle, and he nailed it. This spalted wood is untreated and even still has the bore holes from whatever insect used to live in it. So so cool and perfect compliment to the horn.

End it off with another special one… one of the only sayas I’ve seen made by Yanick! Back when he still did that. Simple and beautiful.

 

[Hockey3081]

Turns out I had a few more sayas than I thought.

10 Mazakis

 

[Michael Browning]

I'm a big fan of owl xD

 

[cooktocut]

 

[cooktocut]

Martin Carswell strikes me as one of the leaders in the field when it comes to leatherwork, so I figured I’d post his progress pictures since it does a good job showcasing his process and attention to detail. Can’t wait for the finished product, oh and did I mention he’s making it without the cleaver in his possession? Just a tracing and a few measurements.

 

[luuogle]

Extremely long saya on the Ashi.

 

[cooktocut]

My finished Carswell leather saya for my Nguyen

 

[YumYumSauce]

Beautiful sayas guys. I don't have anything beautiful, most of mine are cardboard. Maybe when my collection is "done" Ill find nicer sayas for them. Got my gesshin ginga saya signed by Guy Savoy tho.