Watanabe handle upgrades?

[BoostedGT]

Enju and different ho woods.

 

[CiderBear]

@krx927 The keyaki looks nice. When did you get your gyuto? I don't think keyaki is an option that Shinichi offers anymore.
@BoostedGT (and everyone else who has helped out): I really, really appreciate you taking the time for the shots. In your photo, BoostedGT, the color of enju does look closer to ho wood than in @Ryndunk photo, but i think the enju grain in both photos look more profound Thank you!

 

[krx927]

It was 4 years ago.

 

[BoostedGT]

@CiderBear My handle is brand new, and the illumination in the room and camera settings can affect the outcome of the picture, but if you like Ho Wood I am pretty sure you will enjoy the Enju handle.

 

[daveb]

Got a keyaki handle within the last month. It's offered on his website.

 

[labor of love]

Wow I’ll grab enju next time I order from watanabe

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Those chestnut handles go well with the Watanabe blades. They always look better in person than in pictures hard to photograph.

 

[CiderBear]

@daveb did you get it on a nakiri? I see the gyuto keyaki listed, but not nakiri though.

@Keith Sinclair i think the handle looks fine, the plastic ferrule is just mehhh. I know I shouldn't care about less than an inch of plastic, but I can't help it. :/ I would hate to buy a $280+ knife that makes me think "ughhh I wish..." everytime I look at the handle

 

[daveb]

I got the keyaki handle on a suji.

This is first time I've had the Wats together since you started your query. From far right, 285mm Kintaro Ame with plain ho handle. Fit between handle and horn is flawless but handle is certainly uninspiring. It's off to the saya store and will get a new handle as well. Next over is 270 Pro suji with keyaki handle. I likes it. Fit is excellent. From his site it looks like a $75 premium for the upgrade - well worth it. Middle knife is a 210 Kintaro Ame Suji with "chestnut?" handle. From some of the pics here it looks more like the enju. Fit is excellent. My Nakiri got an aftermarket handle by Mikey. If you don't go with an upgrade from Shinchi, suggest going aftermarket. Prob set you back $100 - $150. Last up is a pro 180mm gyuto with stock burned chestnut stock and plastic ferrule. If it becomes a keeper it will get rehandled. And finally I've got another gyuto around somewhere - a 240mm, kurochi Ibought it from Carbon Knife and I recall it having a better handle fit than the 180. They may do their own aftermarket work.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Did not realize the Wat. Chestnut had a plastic collar. I don't like them either. Have two blades with burnt chestnut both with polished black buff. Horn.

 

[J.C]

I have my nakiri with burnt chestnut handle and i love it. It feels comfortable and easy to grip.

 

[CiderBear]

@J.C thanks so much for the pictures . The wood looks great, and I assume the ferrule doesn't bother you?

 

[valgard]

Did not realize the Wat. Chestnut had a plastic collar. I don't like them either. Have two blades with burnt chestnut both with polished black buff. Horn.

He has burnt chestnut with plastic and with horn ferrule. The basic that comes with the Pro nakiri 180mmnis with plastic, the one with horn was an extra 60usd or so last I checked (a while ago).

 

[J.C]

@J.C thanks so much for the pictures . The wood looks great, and I assume the ferrule doesn't bother you?

Nope, for me it feels nice and comfy. Probably im lucky and get a nice one. Not sure about the other.

 

[CiderBear]

He has burnt chestnut with plastic and with horn ferrule. The basic that comes with the Pro nakiri 180mmnis with plastic, the one with horn was an extra 60usd or so last I checked (a while ago).

I actually asked about chestnut +horn recently, and sadly he no longer carries them I think I might just go with chestnut +plastic, and if the ferrule really bothers me I can try to get it rehandled

Nope, for me it feels nice and comfy. Probably im lucky and get a nice one. Not sure about the other.

I think the wood on yours look fantastic, but (no offense to you or the knife of course) I think the plastic ferrule is too flushed compared to the wood - if that makes sense

 

[Keith Sinclair]

I wonder where the main source of water buff. Horn is. Japanese have used it plenty on hañdles. Horn smells when sanding and drilling it. When polished up it is excellent tough material.

 

[Receiver52]

I have a Wat Suji with horn and Keyaki and am very happy with it. Don’t particularly like fancy handles and the Keyaki is great.

 

[CiderBear]

Has anyone ever ordered the custom handles (more expensive than enju) from Shinichi? Has he always offered custom handles like these before?

These are currently on his website for the 180mm Nakiri and gyuto.

 

[josemartinlopez]

Bumping this with a question on handle upgrades... someone gave me a set of smaller Hinoura White #2 knives (from a 135mm petty to a 180mm gyuto) retailed by Babacho hardware in Sanjo City. If I go to the Babacho website, I see that they sold the knives both with a magnolia and a chestnut handle. The difference looks like about JPY2,000 (less than US$20) to upgrade to chestnut. (The JPY2,000 is based on the petty prices, and it looks like the ordinary magnolia line sold better in Babacho.)

If I go back to Watanabe's handle upgrade prices as another example (EDIT: Watanabe is in Sanjo too!), where it's about JPY5,000-8,000 to upgrade to chestnut, do you just accept that you are paying a premium to have a retailer upgrade handles? But that it will probably be much cheaper than shipping the knives for re-handling, especially for non-custom handles?

 

[M1k3]

Have to compare the actual handles.

Are the cheaper ones finished good? Or do they need some sanding?

Is the ferrule plastic or pakka wood on the cheaper one versus maybe horn on the more expensive one? A step between the ferrule and handle?

There's variables. Markup isn't the only one.

 

[josemartinlopez]

OK. I can at least say that the Babacho Hinoura chestnut handles from my example look decently finished and have buffalo horn ferrules.

 

[M1k3]

Yes, Hinoura isn't known for sub-par fit and finish.

 

[beneficialapricot]

Has anyone ever ordered the custom handles (more expensive than enju) from Shinichi? Has he always offered custom handles like these before?

These are currently on his website for the 180mm Nakiri and gyuto.

I got the honduran rosewood one (2nd from right). It was probably more expensive than it should be but it looks great on my 240 ss clad gyuto. However, and this disappointed me a lot, the white ring thing (do these have proper names??) that divides the handle from ferrule was uneven. On once side it was nice and flush with the other two pieces and on the other side it was recessed compared to the other wood, leaving a fairly big ridge between the two main pieces. This really bugged me for something so expensive, but about ten minutes with a few grades of sandpaper, a flat table and some mineral oil/beeswax rub and I was able to level it all out. Now I am very happy with it, but looks like the QC may not be superb on these in general. Blade is phenomenal though and this is now my favorite knife by a mile.