Wa handle smells bad *help*

[Sas]

Hi,
I hope this is the right place to ask, if not please let me know!

I just got a brand new tsunehisa as migaki 210mm gyuto (stainless clad)
The handle really smells terrible, and the smell transfers to my hand as well.
The wood is rather dry so I will have to oil it, right now i’m considering tung oil but I’m open to suggestions.
However, is there something I can do to the wood before oiling it to reduce the smell even more? I read about rubbing it with lemons but am sceptical and would like to have more (founded) opinion/suggestions.

Thanks a lot!

Ps. The knife does not cut as smoothly (through onion and carrot and tomato) as I expected, which im putting on the fact that its the ootb grind. Do you think thats possible? Or more likely to be geometry? Also onions still tear me up.

 

[captaincaed]

What type of wood? What smell?

A picture will help as well. Lots of variables when it comes to wood. But we'll lend a hand.

Poor performance in hard produce is likely grind related. Poor performance in tomatoes is likely edge/apex related. New knives may need touch ups in both areas but the edge is the easiest to tackle.

“Grind” and “geometry” are synonyms.

 

[Sas]

What type of wood? What smell?

A picture will help as well. Lots of variables when it comes to wood. But we'll lend a hand.

Poor performance in hard produce is likely grind related. Poor performance in tomatoes is likely edge/apex related. New knives may need touch ups in both areas but the edge is the easiest to tackle.

“Grind” and “geometry” are synonyms.

It’s rosewood! The smell reminds a bit of cat litterbox, so between poop and pee? Lol
But also just like ‘something new’ like plasticky if that makes sense?
And yes I meant the ootb edge not grind.
I would be very sad if the grind needs some work, since I bought it off the recommendation of many users in the chefknives discord for being one of the best within its price range.
Anyways, here is a picture

 

[Matt Jacobs]

I don't notice it as much in these pictures but in your other post the edge looks pretty rough to me. That's pretty normal for a new Japanese knife. I'm not sure what you have for equipment but if I were you I would take it to some stones and put a new edge on it. As far as the handle, without knowing what it smells like, I'm not really sure what to say. Maybe wipe it down with some vinegar. If it were me, I'd probably give it a good wash with soap and water. Let it dry at least overnight and then I just like to use cutting board oil or something like axe wax with some beeswax in it that you can kind of let it harden and buff to a polish

 

[Heckel7302]

Some woods just have an unpleasant smell. I seem to remember people complaining about the Rosewood handle Victorinox smelling terrible. I think it would dissipate after a while, but maybe not. I think your only option would be to seal it with something. If using something non food safe like tung or boiled linseed oil, make sure you let it fully cure before using it with food, like 2 to 4 weeks.

 

[refcast]

Only if you're willing to damage it . . . Soak in hot soapy water, the handle only. I did this to a really old mildewy smelling handle and the smell basically dissolved into the water. Like a hot shower or hot water cleans stuff? Works like that. Soap helps a bit, but the hot water is necessary. I used boiling water, but you do what works. As for the container ... A tall glass or bottle type thing is what I put the handle in. I was next to it checking. I also did this to bend warped handle scales back a bit

 

[captaincaed]

Many knives come from the maker or factory with a sub-par edge. For 9/10 knives I’ll put my own edge on right away, usually 1-4k grit. Most knives with hold an edge in that range quite well.

The wood is trickier. I would try washing and drying with various cleaners starting from mild dish soap, then baking soda/vinegar, then simple green or a somewhat stronger degreaser. If 2-3 rounds of that doesn’t help then consider moving up to alcohol or acetone. Alcohol is safe on most modern finishes but will dissolve shellac. I doubt that’s what is on your handle. Acetone is more of a risk. These sometimes harm wood finish so be comfortable refinishing if you go here. A sealing finish like a gun stock oil may help.

But if it’s got an awful smell you can’t remove fairly easily, may be something to return and ask the retailer about.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

It’s rosewood! The smell reminds a bit of cat litterbox, so between poop and pee? Lol
But also just like ‘something new’ like plasticky if that makes sense?

That sounds like an outgassing synthetic resin to me. Something incorrectly mixed perhaps that isn't fully hardened. I don't know which kind specifically but I have pulled apart imported (Chinese) goods and been hit with a smell I would describe about like that. Heat should speed outgassing and possibly help something to finish hardening if that is the case. Can you put it somewhere warm but not hot, with good ventilation, and leave it for a week?

 

[refcast]

Oh! Yeah also . . . It could be an epoxy or sealant that bonds the handle to the tang. One knife I had, had that, and the bonder smelled like turpentine and farts, was kinda elasticish material

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I would have to lean to epoxy or handle finish that is just fresh and still outgassing. Unless it's been exposed to something, especially before sealing, I'm not sure what else it would be. These are OEM knives so more of a controlled factory process.

I'd just give it some time and some soapy washes and see what happens.

 

[panda]

chop up some tic tacs with it and give it a listerine bath

 

[Jville]

Where did you buy it from?

 

[chiffonodd]

chop up some tic tacs with it and give it a listerine bath

will this work for my clothes as well?

 

[Mr Kooby Shemayrew]

The Japanese urushi like Cashew lacquer has a urine / ammonia smell. If I use this on my knife handles or for sealing whetstones, I will let it sit in my shed outside for 1 to 2 weeks for the smell to dissipate. Not sure if your knife handle has Japanese lacquer on it or not.

This brought back a funny memory. One of the first knife handles I made was for a knife for my wife. I used zebra wood. That was a mistake and I didn’t hear the end of it for a while. Between the zebra wood and Cashew lacquer my humble beginnings were not well received at home.

 

[Sas]

Hi,
I hope this is the right place to ask, if not please let me know!

I just got a brand new tsunehisa as migaki 210mm gyuto (stainless clad)
The handle really smells terrible, and the smell transfers to my hand as well.
The wood is rather dry so I will have to oil it, right now i’m considering tung oil but I’m open to suggestions.
However, is there something I can do to the wood before oiling it to reduce the smell even more? I read about rubbing it with lemons but am sceptical and would like to have more (founded) opinion/suggestions.

Thanks a lot!

Ps. The knife does not cut as smoothly (through onion and carrot and tomato) as I expected, which im putting on the fact that its the ootb grind. Do you think thats possible? Or more likely to be geometry? Also onions still tear me up.

Hey yall thanks for all the replies so far

For now i will try airing it for a while, i’ve done soapy water already a few times so lets see if it gets better slowly.
I don’t have a warm-but-not-hot room that’s well ventilated so lets see, would a hairdryer be an idea??
It’s more of a poop than a pee smell actually.
Im also pretty sure the blade had no laquer

Also, i thought pure tung oil was foodsafe?
I hate reading your suggestions that require me to not use the knife for so long!! (
Any suggestions for which wax/mineral oil/mix i can use on the handle?
I’m based in EU btw.

I will order a shapton 1k soon to touch up the edge but first i need to get confident in sharpening on my beaters though.

 

[Sas]

Where did you buy it from?

Meesterslijpers

 

[jaydee]

If the wood is really dry (and actually in general) i would try not to drench/soak the handle.
It will absorb lots of moisture and can swell/crack depending on the wood.
Same goes for the hairdryer. Let it dry slowly and evenly! Put it upright if possible.

Ideally you would just lightly spray it with vinegar/water solution. No soak!

Same goes for cutting boards. Wash and dry evenly (but not overly) , otherwise it will warp and can crack.

Tung oil (not all brands though, it must be pure) is food safe once properly dried.
It will smell until its dried but chances are, the other smell is gone by then.

 

[captaincaed]

Yes pure tung oil is food safe but you must be sure. It also takes many days or weeks to fully cure.

Many commercial mixes are partly tung oil with other volatile additives.

 

[ian]

One of the first knife handles I made was for a knife for my wife. I used zebra wood. That was a mistake and I didn’t hear the end of it for a while.

Never had any smell with the zebra wood handles I’ve made.

 

[Sas]

If the wood is really dry (and actually in general) i would try not to drench/soak the handle.
It will absorb lots of moisture and can swell/crack depending on the wood.
Same goes for the hairdryer. Let it dry slowly and evenly! Put it upright if possible.

Ideally you would just lightly spray it with vinegar/water solution. No soak!

Same goes for cutting boards. Wash and dry evenly (but not overly) , otherwise it will warp and can crack.

Tung oil (not all brands though, it must be pure) is food safe once properly dried.
It will smell until its dried but chances are, the other smell is gone by then.

I meant hair dryer on dry wood to help the off-gassing because I don’t have a warm well ventilated space.
Wasn’t planning to soak it.

Any recs on something quicker than tung oil to lubricate/hydrate the handle?

 

[ian]

I meant hair dryer on dry wood to help the off-gassing because I don’t have a warm well ventilated space.
Wasn’t planning to soak it.

Any recs on something quicker than tung oil to lubricate/hydrate the handle?

You can just put mineral oil on it, which doesn’t require drying time at all. Or a mineral oil / beeswax mix (“board butter”).

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I really doubt that a Tsunehisa has pure tung oil.

 

[Delat]

Also, i thought pure tung oil was foodsafe?

Within the US under the FDA, all wood finishes fall under the category "Generally Recognized As Safe" when used as directed and intended. That is, there is no official "food safe" designation (within the US) but products under GRAS are accepted as having a long history of being safe and are considered by experts to be safe.

The key there is "used as directed and intended". A thin layer of cured varnish on a wood handle won't hurt anything if it sits on a pile of your onions prior to cooking. Even if the finish is flaky and damaged and some small chips fall into your food you'd be fine. But if you drink the varnish from the can, well.....

So if you plan on drinking liquid wood finishing products straight from the can, then yes tung oil will be less likely to kill you straight away than something like polyurethane. But otherwise use any wood finishing product on your handle with confidence.

Anyway, all of that said I would definitely wait for the smell to dissipate before applying any kind of finish otherwise you might just lock it in and delay the off-gassing process. Generally I would first try patience before any active measures if you want to minimize risk to the handle. Give it a few weeks first and see if the smell goes away on its own.

 

[tostadas]

It looks like it could be some sort of rosewood from the photo. As has been mentioned in other comments, some woods just have a strong smell, and some rosewoods are included.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

I don’t have a warm-but-not-hot room that’s well ventilated so lets see, would a hairdryer be an idea??

No, this is not suitable. You want even, moderate heat for an extended period of time. Uneven heat risks warping or cracking. Better to wait it out.

 

[M1k3]

Hair dryer with the heat off would help some. But definitely rotate it around so it's not just blowing on 1 spot.

 

[mahwen]

Rosewood is notorious for it's smell, some people love it and others do not. Wipe it down with alcohol like methylated spirits, it removes some of the natural oil from the surface of the timber and will help start to dissipate the scent. It also evaporates and won't do as much damage as soaking it in water. Then oil, something that cures hard will seal in the smell and also stop it transfering to your hands.

 

[Corradobrit1]

Uncured Epoxy can smell foul. If you get your nose up close you should be able to tell if it's coming from the tang, ferrule or wood.

 

[Mr Kooby Shemayrew]

Never had any smell with the zebra wood handles I’ve made.

https://www.kraywoods.com/blogs/our-stories/zebrawood

“While zebrawood is a beautiful and durable wood, it does have some unique characteristics that can make it challenging to work with. One of these characteristics is the strong and unpleasant odor that can be emitted when the wood is being worked on. This odor can be particularly strong when the wood is being cut, sanded, or planed, which can be a concern for woodworkers who are sensitive to strong odors or who work in enclosed spaces.”

I do admit, this probably varies greatly from piece to piece, cut to cut, and all of the storage and transport leading up…. But to me it smelled like cow manure. Not overwhelming but enough to get your attention. This combined with the urine smell of the Cashew lacquer made for a great present for the wife.

I did a terrible job making that handle too. Ogre-sized-bad.

 

[ian]

https://www.kraywoods.com/blogs/our-stories/zebrawood

“While zebrawood is a beautiful and durable wood, it does have some unique characteristics that can make it challenging to work with. One of these characteristics is the strong and unpleasant odor that can be emitted when the wood is being worked on. This odor can be particularly strong when the wood is being cut, sanded, or planed, which can be a concern for woodworkers who are sensitive to strong odors or who work in enclosed spaces.”

I do admit, this probably varies greatly from piece to piece, cut to cut, and all of the storage and transport leading up…. But to me it smelled like cow manure. Not overwhelming but enough to get your attention. This combined with the urine smell of the Cashew lacquer made for a great present for the wife.

I did a terrible job making that handle too. Ogre-sized-bad.

Curious, never had any odor that I remember, even when belt sanding.