# Bakelite



## Erilyn75 (Jan 12, 2014)

Stefan, do you have or can you make anymore red Bakelite handles? That is seriously the prettiest thing I've ever seen.


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## apicius9 (Jan 13, 2014)

Erilyn75 said:


> Stefan, do you have or can you make anymore red Bakelite handles? That is seriously the prettiest thing I've ever seen.



Almost missed this one, sorry. Well, I am down to one piece of red bakelite and I wanted to stretch that out more and use it for accents, spacers etc rather than use it all for one handle. I can have a look if I find more, but my original source has dried up. I will look around a bit and see what I can find.

Stefan


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## willic (Jan 13, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Almost missed this one, sorry. Well, I am down to one piece of red bakelite and I wanted to stretch that out more and use it for accents, spacers etc rather than use it all for one handle. I can have a look if I find more, but my original source has dried up. I will look around a bit and see what I can find.
> 
> Stefan



Do you have bakelite in any other colors???

-Will


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## apicius9 (Jan 13, 2014)

willic said:


> Do you have bakelite in any other colors???
> 
> -Will



Here's the thing: I had bought some bakelite rods that were sold as antique (i.e. 1930s or 40s) new old stock. Everything I could find out about them led me to believe that they are the real thing. This material was sold quite expensively and is mostly used for jewelery nowadays. Now, bakelite is basically the first mass-produced plastic, so it is not very complicated to produce that with today's means. If you look around, you see a lot of 'antique' bakelite offered that comes from China, Thailand, or Turkey. To be honest - I do not trust those sellers to provide the real old material and I am not willing to pay high prices for a product that may not be what I expect.

So, I have some materia left that I believe to be old bakelite, and there should be some in blue, grey, red, and brown - but limited quantities in all of these. If you are looking for the 'old and unique' in the material, that is what you would want. I have been selling those for much less than I should, considering they are often at least as expensive as premium wood pieces - another reason why I want to limit them a bit and use them mostly for accessories.

Now, if you are after the optics and like the looks but don''t care about the 'old' aspect, I have seen (but not yet systematically researched) modern acrylic rods with some marbeling that will be just as easy to work with, come out to the same smooth shine, and will be very close in appearance to the old bakelite. But it is new plastic - or better 'manmade material' (that way I can charge more  ). If I see interest in those materials, I'll be happy to source and stock a few, they cost a fraction of what I paid for the old stuff. 

Stefan


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## Johnny.B.Good (Jan 13, 2014)

Erilyn75 said:


> Stefan, do you have or can you make anymore red Bakelite handles? That is seriously the prettiest thing I've ever seen.



Takeda gyuto with a red Bakelite handle?


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## Erilyn75 (Jan 13, 2014)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Takeda gyuto with a red Bakelite handle?



That's what I thought when I saw it. Oh how sexy it would be lol.

Stefan, the real stuff has a very distinct smell if you run it under warm water for about 10s. You can also tell real from fake by taking some 409 cleaner on a qtip and rubbing it on a conspicuous part of the Bakelite. The qtip will turn a yellowy color - just in case you run across more in the future.

If I can't sweet talk you out of a full handle, maybe I can sweet talk you into making a handle using some of it for accents?:evilgrin:

I need 3 wa handles in total but my first priority is my new improved baby


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## greasedbullet (Jan 13, 2014)

If you are looking for more you should look up bakelite AK-47 and AK 74 furniture. That is the real deal stuff if you can find it, but I doubt it would make a whole handle. You could definitely cut it up to use as accents though.

I love me some bakelite. It is so cool.


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## apicius9 (Jan 14, 2014)

greasedbullet said:


> If you are looking for more you should look up bakelite AK-47 and AK 74 furniture. That is the real deal stuff if you can find it, but I doubt it would make a whole handle. You could definitely cut it up to use as accents though.
> 
> I love me some bakelite. It is so cool.



Looks like the best use for an AK-47 I can think of  I had no idea, and when searching for 'furniture', I expected chairs... 

Alright, give me a few days, I plan to go to the shop on Wednesday and see what I have left and how far that would get me. 

Stefan


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## greasedbullet (Jan 14, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Looks like the best use for an AK-47 I can think of



I assume you mean other than shooting it .


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## willic (Jan 14, 2014)

My mother is a big bakelite jewelery collector, there are a few guys with hoards of bakelite from the day... big rods of all kinds of cool shapes! I would love a handle or two with maybe a bakelite furrel! Do you mount handles???


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## ecchef (Jan 14, 2014)

Are there any degradation issues with the old stuff....you know, like melting Tupperware?


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## sachem allison (Jan 15, 2014)

catalin is the other name you can search for


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## Keith Sinclair (Jan 15, 2014)

Stepan made me an Ebony Octagon wt. a marbled black & green piece of bakelite over 5 yrs. ago.Used the knife alot at work the Ebony on the bottom of the octagon developed a small crack.The Bakelite super tough looks the same as when new.


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## Crothcipt (Jan 15, 2014)

I love my blue handle bakelike. The biggest reason I got it was the rarity of both the mammoth and the bakelite.


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## xueqi89 (Jan 15, 2014)

now thats a nice look blue handle bakelite, look like flame coming from the handle.


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## Chef Niloc (Jan 15, 2014)

Bakelite was a brand name of celluloid plastic, bakelite was the original or 1st thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, celluloid is the generic name. Micarta - early composite that used Bakelite as a binding agent, trademarked 1912 by Westinghouse Elec. & Mfg Co. Chemically speaking all phenol formaldehyde resins identical, it's the material used to form a composite that separates the different types, but Bakelite wasn't a composite it was just straight plastic so it's identical to celluloid.
http://www.americanartplastics.com/celluloid_pricing.shtml


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## mhenry (Jan 15, 2014)

Love mine too, wouldn't mind having another!




QUOTE=Crothcipt;275526]I love my blue handle bakelike. The biggest reason I got it was the rarity of both the mammoth and the bakelite. 




[/QUOTE]


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## Dave Martell (Jan 15, 2014)

Here's a few of my favorite bakelite handles from Stefan...


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## xueqi89 (Jan 15, 2014)

those are some sick knives and bakelite handles you got there dave. amazing work done by stefan


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## Von blewitt (Jan 15, 2014)

Sorry to go off topic Dave is that top knife a Watanabe Honyaki?


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## apicius9 (Jan 16, 2014)

Here is what's left. The handle for size comparison would for for a 240 gyuto.

View attachment 21593


Stefan


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## ThEoRy (Jan 16, 2014)

I snagged a Keller handle with a red bakelite spacer and mammoth end cap for my Martell Wa - Gyuto. View attachment 21594
#11 

Gonna be pretty sweet when it's done really soon right Dave?... oke1:


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## Dave Martell (Jan 16, 2014)

Von blewitt said:


> Sorry to go off topic Dave is that top knife a Watanabe Honyaki?




I don't recall but my guess is that it is.


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## Dave Martell (Jan 16, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Here is what's left. The handle for size comparison would for for a 240 gyuto.
> 
> View attachment 21593
> 
> ...




Attachment is no workie


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## Dave Martell (Jan 16, 2014)

ThEoRy said:


> I snagged a Keller handle with a red bakelite spacer and mammoth end cap for my Martell Wa - Gyuto. View attachment 21594
> #11
> 
> Gonna be pretty sweet when it's done really soon right Dave?... oke1:




:thumbsup:


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## Erilyn75 (Jan 16, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Here is what's left. The handle for size comparison would for for a 240 gyuto.
> 
> View attachment 21593
> 
> ...



I can't see it. Just says attachment


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## apicius9 (Jan 16, 2014)

Let's see if this works:


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## knyfeknerd (Jan 16, 2014)

Dude I want some of that red so bad!


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## Dave Martell (Jan 16, 2014)

The best that Stefan had was the flamed black/brown stuff -it was AWESOME! He made me a an AWESOME handle that I still have on hold for a personal project. 

I can see that your stock is going to disappear Stef


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## Erilyn75 (Jan 16, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Let's see if this works:
> 
> 
> View attachment 21599



I make jewelry out of old Bakelite but I've never seen the rods before. SO beautiful! The red is just breathtaking to me. I understand why you want to stretch it out. I'd still like to get a handle made, even if we only use a bit of it.


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## Dave Martell (Jan 16, 2014)

Stefan can be bought with wine....just sayin


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## apicius9 (Jan 16, 2014)

willic said:


> My mother is a big bakelite jewelery collector, *there are a few guys with hoards of bakelite from the day... big rods of all kinds of cool shapes*! I would love a handle or two with maybe a bakelite furrel! Do you mount handles???



Aeehh, are any of them selling? 

Thanks guys, I used a whole bunch of red and blue pieces for a series of handles I have on the table right now. It would be so much easier to convince me to use the bakelite more generously if I had a source to restock if I need anything. So, any hints are very welcome.

Stefan


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## Erilyn75 (Jan 16, 2014)

Normally a lady would never say this but, I only want a few inches lol


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## Erilyn75 (Jan 16, 2014)

Stefan, do you have any cool wood that would look hot with a red furrell and butt with a mosaic pin on the butt of the handle?


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## Dave Martell (Jan 16, 2014)

Erilyn75 said:


> Normally a lady would never say this but, I only want a few inches lol


 :lol2:


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## apicius9 (Jan 16, 2014)

Erilyn75 said:


> Normally a lady would never say this but, I only want a few inches lol



:lol2:



Erilyn75 said:


> Stefan, do you have any cool wood that would look hot with a red furrell and butt with a mosaic pin on the butt of the handle?



Sure, I can have a look. Maybe some desert ironwood? Blackwood or bog oak always work with the colors. I wouldn't choose a wood that is too busy, that way the bakelite gets more spotlight. For what knife size would the handle be?



Dave Martell said:


> Stefan can be bought with wine....just sayin



:angel2:


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## Erilyn75 (Jan 17, 2014)

It's for a 240. I sent you a PM


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## TDj (Jan 18, 2014)

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a few of my favorite bakelite handles from Stefan...









This one's my beauty. It's on a Konosuke HD (before there was an HD2). This knife is the reason why I haven't been 'round the forums as of late (i.e. i have no need for another knife ... it was like getting married and not having eyes for another knife). I've been approached by a few wanting to buy the thing (?indecent proposal?), but at the rate that Stefan is using up his bakelite, it might as well be priceless. Thanks so much to both stefan AND dave (someone had to put the thing on).
(P.S. I gave stefan the bakelite for that handle - so don't think he played favorites and cut off a larger slab for me ... he did however provide that ridiculously sexy gray buffalo horn - the fake-damascus spacers were me).
(P.P.S I have a slab of blue left ... for whenever stefan allows custom handles again ...)


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## Dave Martell (Jan 18, 2014)

Yeah that's an awesome handle you got their Terry. Thanks for letting me do the install.


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## Erilyn75 (Jan 19, 2014)

TDj said:


> This one's my beauty. It's on a Konosuke HD (before there was an HD2). This knife is the reason why I haven't been 'round the forums as of late (i.e. i have no need for another knife ... it was like getting married and not having eyes for another knife). I've been approached by a few wanting to buy the thing (?indecent proposal?), but at the rate that Stefan is using up his bakelite, it might as well be priceless. Thanks so much to both stefan AND dave (someone had to put the thing on).
> (P.S. I gave stefan the bakelite for that handle - so don't think he played favorites and cut off a larger slab for me ... he did however provide that ridiculously sexy gray buffalo horn - the fake-damascus spacers were me).
> (P.P.S I have a slab of blue left ... for whenever stefan allows custom handles again ...)




It's just downright sexy. I'm lusting over it lol


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Jan 19, 2014)

That handle is a piece of art!


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