Only Knives » Knife Making http://www.onlyknives.com Knives, Swords and Blades Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:44:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Ryumon Shirasaya Forged Chinese Katana | Handmade Unfinished Sword & Wood Handlehttp://www.onlyknives.com/ryumon-shirasaya-forged-chinese-katana-handmade-unfinished-sword-wood-handle/ http://www.onlyknives.com/ryumon-shirasaya-forged-chinese-katana-handmade-unfinished-sword-wood-handle/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:46:52 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=9815 Ryumon Shirasaya Forged Chinese Katana One of Ryumon Sword's simplest swords, this natural shirasaya hand-forged katana could also be one of the company's best bargains. Though the unfinished katana demands some time and effort from the owner, it has potential as a good first sword.

Made at Longquan Forge in Longquan Village, China, this basic katana has some of the qualities of a more expensive blade, but the hamon has been etched and isn't a real tempering mark. The full tang blade itself is 1065 tempered high carbon steel but without advanced edge hardening. What you're actually buying here is the foundation of a functional cutting katana, since nearly everything else besides blade and handle would have to be added to transform this basic sword into an advanced weapon.

The saya (or scabbard) is plain, unfinished wood that matches the pinned wooden handle. Guarding the mouth of the scabbard is a koiguchi of black water buffalo horn. All other important parts -- including tsuba and ito -- would have to be purchased separately, and assembly would be a true lesson in swordmanship. Anyone really wanting to learn the details of katana construction could start here.

The carbon steel blade with deep blood grooves presents 29 inches of cutting edge, and the sword has a overall length of 39-1/2 inches. Some touch-up may be needed, since blades from Ryumon have often spent considerable time in storage. That could also affect the fit of the unfinished wooden scabbard; the usual coating of dense lacquer protects the wood from moisture and prevents distortion.

Zatoichi-style swordsmen should be happy with this katana as it is. All it truly needs is some sharpening and a little polish.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/ryumon-shirasaya-forged-chinese-katana-handmade-unfinished-sword-wood-handle/feed/ 0 Knives Cooks Love by Sarah Jay, Hardcover | Sur La Table Kitchen Knife Book w/ Practice Recipeshttp://www.onlyknives.com/knives-cooks-love-by-sarah-jay-hardcover-sur-la-table-kitchen-knife-book-w-practice-recipes/ http://www.onlyknives.com/knives-cooks-love-by-sarah-jay-hardcover-sur-la-table-kitchen-knife-book-w-practice-recipes/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:14:29 +0000 JT Hats http://www.onlyknives.com/?p=9595 Knives Cooks Love by Sarah Jay,This very thorough book -- "Knives Cooks Love" by Sarah Jay -- goes far beyond the world of recipes and fine cuisine with an equally in-depth look at knife history, knife manufacturers, and even knife steel. If cooking is your true interest, skip ahead to the second part of Jay's book where you'll find tips on the use of both familiar and unusual blade styles and the critical secrets of such important kitchen skills as fileting fish and deboning turkey, butterfly-style.

Not just for the kitchen, 'Knives Cooks Love" will look great on either desk or coffee table, with many well-done photographs of rare kitchen knives and antique cutlery with the blue patina of old carbon steel. Even if you love knives and leave the cooking to others, you'll find this book of value, with technical advice on the comparative quality of modern and ancient steel and an interesting argument about the true benefits of "damascus-like" blades. In the author's opinion, you may get more quality per dollar with solid modern alloys -- logical but somewhat disappointing if, like me, you grew up wondering about that mysterious metal and only now might be able to afford a knife made from it. I'm just a little disappointed that the author's view seems skewed in favor of new metal and modern manufacturing, giving the craftsmanship of older times only a glance.

Cooking gives many blade-fanciers the most opportunity to practice our knifework, and comments from many famous authors and chefs are scattered through the chapters to illustrate that we aren't alone in that love of the cutting edge. The book has a good balance between technical information and artistic thought, also spending considerable space on knifework itself, blended with recipes for practice and demonstration of particular techniques. If you're comfortable in your habits, you'll be surprised at the things you can learn here. You might already know most of this, but here and there you'll come across ways to do things better.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/knives-cooks-love-by-sarah-jay-hardcover-sur-la-table-kitchen-knife-book-w-practice-recipes/feed/ 0 Paul Chen Hanwei Folded Steel Tiger Katana Blade | Shirasaya, Optional Bloodgroovehttp://www.onlyknives.com/paul-chen-hanwei-folded-steel-tiger-katana-blade-shirasaya-optional-bloodgroove/ http://www.onlyknives.com/paul-chen-hanwei-folded-steel-tiger-katana-blade-shirasaya-optional-bloodgroove/#comments Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:09:24 +0000 admin http://www.onlyknives.com/paul-chen-hanwei-folded-steel-tiger-katana-blade-shirasaya-optional-bloodgroove/ Paul Chen Hanwei Folded Steel TigerIf you have the means to add some finishing touches to your own blade, then you'll want to take a look at this Paul Chen Hanwei sword.

It's an installment in Paul Chen's Tiger series, similar to his Tiger Katana but available now in a wooden Shirasaya design. There are two models: one with a blood groove and another without a blood groove. The picture you're looking at is the latter.

The blade is forged by hand and overlaid with ASSAB K-120C powder steel for superior hardness and longevity. Its natural hamon effect is differentially tempered, bringing a traditional quality to the design that should be easy for you to build off of.

It measures 40.75 inches in overall length, with a 29.75-inch blade and a 9.75-inch handle.

Paul Chen's Hanwei sword has all the durability essentials you need. Now it's up to you to turn it into a work of art.

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]]> http://www.onlyknives.com/paul-chen-hanwei-folded-steel-tiger-katana-blade-shirasaya-optional-bloodgroove/feed/ 0 Knife Scales | Handle Making Supplies | Micartahttp://www.onlyknives.com/knife-scales-handle-making/ http://www.onlyknives.com/knife-scales-handle-making/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:25:57 +0000 admin http://www.onlyknives.com/knife-scales-handle-making/ Navigating the world of knife-making materials can be daunting. The scale, or handle material, is in some ways the easiest choice. Once you've decided on a type of knife, a blade material and manufacturing process, the handle can almost seem like an afterthought.

But materials range widely -- common ones include almost any kind of hardwood (walnut, cherry, teak, etc.) as well as several synthetic materials (rubber, micarta -- an extremely hard plastic common on many pre-fabricated knives). I've even seen knife scales made of mother-of-pearl or ivory. Each has its merits and cons so do your research.

I'll link below to micarta scales on eBay -- for a practical, durable handle with a non-slip grip, you can't go wrong with a handle made of this material, especially if it's grooved or textured.

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Some knife scales for sale on eBay:

FROST CUTLERY KNIFE ALLIGATOR MICARTA SCALE LOCKBACKFROST CUTLERY KNIFE ALLIGATOR MICARTA SCALE LOCKBACK
US $.99   1 Bid Paypal
Auction Ends: 1h 27m
Make it yours...
Canal Street Folding Hunter Knife Buffalo Horn ScalesCanal Street Folding Hunter Knife Buffalo Horn Scales
US $159.95   Paypal
Auction Ends: 1h 42m
Make it yours...
FOSSIL KNIFE SCALES 4 11 16 x 1 11 16 to 1 7 16 x 7 32FOSSIL KNIFE SCALES 4 11 16 x 1 11 16 to 1 7 16 x 7 32
US $69.99   0 Bid Paypal
Auction Ends: 2h 25m
Make it yours...
FOSSIL BARK KNIFE SCALES 2 11 16 x 1 x 3 16FOSSIL BARK KNIFE SCALES 2 11 16 x 1 x 3 16
US $34.99   0 Bid Paypal
Auction Ends: 2h 35m
Make it yours...
FOSSIL BARK KNIFE SCALES 3 5 8 x 13 16 x 5 32FOSSIL BARK KNIFE SCALES 3 5 8 x 13 16 x 5 32
US $44.99   0 Bid Paypal
Auction Ends: 2h 44m
Make it yours...
FOSSIL CORAL KNIFE TANG SCALES 3 1 4 x 1 3 16 x 13 16FOSSIL CORAL KNIFE TANG SCALES 3 1 4 x 1 3 16 x 13 16
US $36.69   5 Bids Paypal
Auction Ends: 2h 44m
Make it yours...
FOSSIL BARK KNIFE SCALES 4 5 16 x 1 5 16 x 3 16FOSSIL BARK KNIFE SCALES 4 5 16 x 1 5 16 x 3 16
US $79.99   1 Bid Paypal
Auction Ends: 2h 54m
Make it yours...
5Figured JERUSALEM OLIVE WOOD Knife ScalesGrips Blanks5Figured JERUSALEM OLIVE WOOD Knife ScalesGrips Blanks
US $9.99   0 Bid Paypal
Auction Ends: 4h 36m
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Custom Hunting Knife Drop Point with Cocobolo scalesCustom Hunting Knife Drop Point with Cocobolo scales
US $49.95   1 Bid Paypal
Auction Ends: 5h 25m
Make it yours...
EXOTIC WOOD ZEBRAWOOD KNIFE SCALES PISTOL GRIPSEXOTIC WOOD ZEBRAWOOD KNIFE SCALES PISTOL GRIPS
US $1.77   2 Bids Paypal
Auction Ends: 7h 54m
Make it yours...
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