WANTED: Knife Handle Inspiration

[ashy2classy]

First I wanted to use all exhibition koa, but now I've decided to rehandle all my knives with Masur birch. The problem is I can't decide on the configuration. I'm thinking about doing Masur birch with a brass cap, but I'm not 100%. Post your favorite handles that used Masur birch for inspiration. TIA!

 

[btbyrd]

I know this isn't what you asked, but I still kick myself for not buying your rehandled Anryu 75mm petty.

 

[timebard]

Not all masur, but all birch and all pretty nice. L to R Klint, Isasmedjan, Dalman, Dalman+BB. The one on the left is birch burl and a recycled cymbal brass endcap, no spacer. The two in the middle are, I believe, moose (L) and reindeer (R) antler with some kind of warm toned wood spacers.

 

[captaincaed]

Birch and antler is a really nice combo.

 

[inferno]

 

[blokey]

Has anyone tried the traditional Chinese handle like Shibazi and CCK on other styles of knives? seems like a nice compromise of tang strength and weight saving.

 

[McMan]

For light woods, I like the look of handle and ferrule from the same block of wood, separated by a brass or nickel spacer.
This one (@Danzo) is snakeskin sycamore, pre-polish. Not masur birch but similar on tone...

@Kippington made a beauty for me out of one piece of Huon pine with a thicker nickel spacer.
I can't find a pic of that one at the moment.

 

[Kippington]

For light woods, I like the look of handle and ferrule from the same block of wood, separated by a brass or nickel spacer.
This one (@Danzo) is snakeskin sycamore, pre-polish. Not masur birch but similar on tone...
View attachment 171555

@Kippington made a beauty for me out of one piece of Huon pine with a thicker nickel spacer.
I can't find a pic of that one at the moment.

Was it this one?
Dude, that was a seriously weird wood to work with, haha!
It had a translucent appearance like the amber from Jurassic Park, and had a crumbly feeling on the grinder like no other wood...

 

[pleue]

I'm a fan of cap, ferrule, spacer, wood? This one I got is aspen burl with copper and antler, think but I could see it looking nice in masur birch.

 

[inferno]

here are some masur handles.
my favorite woods are masur and turkish walnut.

 

[McMan]

Was it this one?
Dude, that was a seriously weird wood to work with, haha!
It had a translucent appearance like the amber from Jurassic Park, and had a crumbly feeling on the grinder like no other wood...

That's the one. Truly beautiful stuff.

 

[pleue]

Thanks for the inspiration; here’s a handle I just finished. Had a Tanaka ginsan with a half tang western that I’d promised I’d work on for my brother forever ago. First time working with one of the many masur birch blocks on my shelf, was really nice to work on. Next time I’d do some CA glue fills on the little inclusions prior to oiling. Definitely a pretty lightweight wood.

 

[deltaplex]

Thanks for the inspiration; here’s a handle I just finished. Had a Tanaka ginsan with a half tang western that I’d promised I’d work on for my brother forever ago. First time working with one of the many masur birch blocks on my shelf, was really nice to work on. Next time I’d do some CA glue fills on the little inclusions prior to oiling. Definitely a pretty lightweight wood.

Did you leave a machi gap for finger space between the choil and the handle?

 

[pleue]

Did you leave a machi gap for finger space between the choil and the handle?

Yeah the tang initially was full width while being half length there so I modified it to fit into the handle and left a machi to lengthen the neck area so to speak so I wouldn't need to reduce the over-all edge length (already a bit short at 165).

I still need to do some rounding of the spine and choil and the final burn in/glue and beeswax fill around the slot but it'll basically look as it does now.