# News from the shop



## apicius9 (Mar 26, 2011)

I don't have beautiful pictures of new things, but I wanted to give you a few updates and a few pictures from my shop. Like a WIP, sort of...

I still have not moved all my wood to one place, but the last time I estimated it, I had approx. seven 11-gallon bins full of wood, a lot of it already precut into sizes I use for handles. That should last me approximately until 2038 :rolleyes2: So, At this time really want to work with what I have for a while. In the past, people often wantd a specific wood - the one I didn't have - and then I went and bought some, and while I was at it, I bought a dozen so I would have some in the future. That's one of the reasons I actually managed to loose money when making custom handles. :cookoo: I also want to focus more on the local woods, and fade out some others. So, this here is hopefully the last wood order for a while, these came in a few days ago:






By apicius9 at 2011-03-26

This is all from the BIg Island of hawaii. Unfortunately, a few of them are not as dry as I had hoped, so most of them will have to sit for a few more months to dry out enough so that I can send them in for stabilizing. Fortunately, they dry reasonably fast because they are already cut, and many of the woods are very light before stabilizing. The woods in the picture are dark koa root pieces (these are dry), all others are spalted: signature tree, royal poinciana, mango root, and Norfolk pine. To dry faster, I stack them up in anairy place and run a fan as much as can:





By apicius9 at 2011-03-26

I actually should use small wood pieces between them, so that they get air from all sides. Decadent as I am, I may use koa pieces for that - the guy I share my space with maks picture frames, and he has tons of leftover small pieces around. 

So, today I spent a whole day in the shop - well, until back pain drove me out - after a longer break. I have a busy semester, I teach two very work intensive courses and my students are really smart this year, so I actually have to work harder to challenge them a bit. Anyway, I am trying to work on my order list, add a few handle designs that I would like to try out, and I still have the 'off-the-shelf-handles' for Dave to work on. Today, I prepared a total of approx. 35 handles to be epoxied together this weekend. Most pieces had been cut before, today I squared them and predrilled them, tomorrow I do some fine-tuning, roughen the surfaces, clean them up and glue them together. This is what's waiting for me tomorrow:





By apicius9 at 2011-03-26

There are about ten more that are as good as done (orders from loooong ago), and I have about 20 more on my order list. So, this will be a very busy April... The other ones want to work on during the week are the handles for Dave. These are very rough cut, I started with the octagon sides, but they need to be sanded further down (many are still too big) and cut too length. The only thing that ns really different from the 'normal ones' that make is that I spend less time hand-sanding and I don't apply any finish on the (which stabilized wood doesn;' need anyway). 





By apicius9 at 2011-03-26

Finally, this is my shelf with stabilized blanks:





By apicius9 at 2011-03-26

I am actually running low with a few of the 'standard woods' like koa, so I will send in a box for stabilizing this week. That's usually around $350 per box, so thanks to everyone who picked up a handle during my recent sale - this is where your money is going, more wood, stabilizing cost, a new set of drills, and new sanding belts. It never ends...

That's it for now, :bye:

Aloha,

Stefan 

P.S. Too tired for manual spell check, gotta download the program eventually...


----------



## DWSmith (Mar 26, 2011)

Love the photos Stephan. When you get a chance, please include more photos of your shop.


----------



## StephanFowler (Mar 26, 2011)

The BoardSMITH said:


> Love the photos Stephan. When you get a chance, please include more photos of your shop.


 
I just drool at some of that fabulous wood.


----------



## Dave Martell (Mar 26, 2011)

So that's what happened to the rain forest? :razz:


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 26, 2011)

Thanks guys. Looks like a slight change of plans, not feeling at my best today :sick2: Not sure If I make it to the shop tonight. Going to pick up some meds and some food first, and then decide. 

I'll try taking a few more pics in case anybody cares  I had wanted to do a WIP for a while, just documenting how I get from a piece of wood to a handle. Maybe I remember that in the next round.... Also wanted to make a list of the woods I have.

Stefan


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Mar 26, 2011)

Take care, Stefan. No sense in pushing yourself when you're not feeling good.


----------



## kalaeb (Mar 26, 2011)

Get well, if you want your wood to dry faster you can send it to me, I live in a low humidity climate.:biggrin: 

Really...I will keep them safe!


----------



## ThEoRy (Mar 26, 2011)

Wow really cool stuff. A wip would be really nice to see the process from rough cut to finished beauty. Keep up the good work and feel better soon.


----------



## steeley (Mar 27, 2011)

Thank you for the look in your shop and WIP would be great
stay well Stefan.

Mahalo


----------



## cnochef (Mar 28, 2011)

WOW, I can't wait until some of that Hawaiian signature tree is ready. I'm thinking about ordering a Konosuke 180mm petty without handle from Jon to go with one of your handles.


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 28, 2011)

Why wait?  I still have stabilized signature available, they are just slightly slimmer piecs that are not big enough for a large gyuto, but they should work fine for petties unless you want an 'oversized' handle on them.

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 29, 2011)

This makes me so sad: http://cgi.ebay.com/joel-Hawaiian-S...ultDomain_0&hash=item20b817b82d#ht_6936wt_922

All this great wood and then cut too small for knife handles :crying:

Stefan


----------



## Marko Tsourkan (Mar 29, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> I don't have beautiful pictures of new things, but I wanted to give you a few updates and a few pictures from my shop. Like a WIP, sort of...
> 
> I still have not moved all my wood to one place, but the last time I estimated it, I had approx. seven 11-gallon bins full of wood, a lot of it already precut into sizes I use for handles. That should last me approximately until 2038 :rolleyes2: So, At this time really want to work with what I have for a while. In the past, people often wantd a specific wood - the one I didn't have - and then I went and bought some, and while I was at it, I bought a dozen so I would have some in the future. That's one of the reasons I actually managed to loose money when making custom handles. :cookoo: I also want to focus more on the local woods, and fade out some others. So, this here is hopefully the last wood order for a while, these came in a few days ago:
> 
> ...


 
Great looking shop, Stefan. I really like your handle assembly trays. Very neat idea. 

M


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 30, 2011)

Marko Tsourkan said:


> Great looking shop, Stefan. I really like your handle assembly trays. Very neat idea.
> 
> M


 
Thanks Marko, they are actually jewellery trays, got them on ebay. They really help keeping things organized a bit. BTW, there are a few more pictures on my website hat show the shop in a much cleaner condition than it is these days... A lot of the things are covered in saw dust these days. Gotta talk to the 'landlord' again about fixing the large dust removal system. 

Stefan


----------



## Marko Tsourkan (Mar 30, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Thanks Marko, they are actually jewellery trays, got them on ebay. They really help keeping things organized a bit. BTW, there are a few more pictures on my website hat show the shop in a much cleaner condition than it is these days... A lot of the things are covered in saw dust these days. Gotta talk to the 'landlord' again about fixing the large dust removal system.
> 
> Stefan


 
My shop could use some organizing. I need to get my tools on the walls so I can find them. :mad3:

But the trays ideas is great. I might make some of these myself (rout channels in poplar wood planks). When you make one or two different wood handles, it wouldn't matter, but if you make multiple handles in same wood, things can get confusing. 

M


----------



## PierreRodrigue (Mar 30, 2011)

Send 'em to me I can get them freeze dried, just leave them on the deck overnight!


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 2, 2011)

Mixed results in the shop today. Lost 2 handles in the process, broke one drill - of course one of those I cannot get locally, so I am stuck with a few projects again until the replacements come in - and it looks like I also killed my Dremel :mad3: Maybe overheating; looks like I will pick up a new one this weekend. My Dad had his for a decade but I seem to go through a least one per year.

Anyway, on the positive side, I glued 30 handles together. Sitting in the shop now (10:40pm) waiting for the epoxy of the last batch to set to make sure nothing shifts and moves. - Almost died of a heart attack when the compressor jumped on a few seconds ago :eek2: - I am spending probably too much time on preparing them for the gluing. I double check them for straightness, roughen the surfaces, dremel little dimples into the surfaces for the epoxy to hold on to, clean them thoroughly, and then apply epoxy. The whole process takes only about 10-15 minutes per handle, but I sort of forgot that 30 x 15 = 450 minutes = 7 1/2 hours.... I thought I would be home for dinner, now it looks like I'll have to pick up some fast food on the way home. 

O.k., time for one more check, a bit of cleaning, and then I am out of here. Back tomorrow or Sunday for some handle shaping. I'll take a snapshot of the handles on my way out, but I'm too tired to upload stuff tonight...:sleeping:

Stefan


----------



## pablowest (Apr 2, 2011)

The BoardSMITH said:


> Love the photos Stephan. When you get a chance, please include more photos of your shop.



Yeah right. I also love those photos. How about you, do you have some photos to share? I really want to some of them.


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 2, 2011)

Stefan, you once told me that you thought that your tools hated you.....I think you were right. :razz:


----------



## SpikeC (Apr 2, 2011)

Stephan, instead of getting another Dremel, you should consider a Foredom flex shaft machine. They are practically indestructible, have much more power, and are more versatile. I have used them for 40 years as a professional jeweler and now that I'm retired from that I still would not be without them.


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 3, 2011)

Hi Spike, that is an interesting idea, I will send you a pm once I did a bit nore research on them.

Stefan


----------



## kalaeb (Apr 3, 2011)

Stefan, just out of curiosity, what type of epoxy do you use for your handles? I have been using Gorilla Glue for some of the western handles that I have done, but it is a bit of a PITA due to the expansion. I would love to know what the pros use. :helpsos:


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 3, 2011)

O.k., This is what the handles looked like last night:





By apicius9 at 2011-04-03


This is what they looked like tonight when I left the shop:





By apicius9 at 2011-04-03

A few still need a bit more tapering and a few are still a bit large, but it's moving forward. I am a little worried that a few will come out a bit smaller than I wanted - the last batch was a bit large and maybe I overcompensated a bit. We will see... 

Next step is cutting the octagon edges or shaping them into a D-shaped handle. Most are going to be octagons, only 2 or 3 are D-shaped. I like doing a few D-shaped ones while I work on octagons, less boring and makes me pay more attention. For the octagons, I start the edge on a disc sander that is angled to 45* and then finish them on the sander. It's all about eye-hand coordination... I could probably build a jig, but where is the fun in that? Depending on the materials, I go to anywhere between 400 and 800 grit on the sander and then finish by hand sanding. I have bcome pretty good and precise on the sander, but some materials, like white horn or purple heart wood, burn very easily at higher temperatures (= higher grits), so I vary depending on the materials. Same with the D-shaped ones, just that I completely free-hand them on the sander. I have a few more handles in the works, they were on another table. 

Kalaeb,

I have gone through about a dozen epoxies. Gorilla glue is very strong, but the expansion makes it next to useless in this context IMHO. This last batch I just glued with Devcon 2-ton, you should find that easily in Homedepot etc. It's a decent epoxy but not the best, I only use it if I have 'unproblematic handles', i.e. no metal parts, nothing overly brittle or things that need a stronger bond. For those, I often use the house epoxy by knifeandgun.com. That one is suposedy industrial strength and I never had issues with it. However, it's a 24h epoxy, so it takes forever to set. But if metal is involved, that is my favorite. But if you use corby bolts, the epoxy is just an additional security, and any Davcon should work fine. There is also the 5-minute stuff, but I rarely use that, too much pressure to act fast 

I also like West epoxy that is used in marine contexts, but I am just out of it, need to get a new set. That last stuff is pricey ($65) but it's a larger container. I also like that it is more liquid that others, so it's the best one I know for filling things and rehandling. 

Hope that helps,

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 3, 2011)

You've been busy.


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 3, 2011)

Stefan, regarding the epoxy, have you any experience with AcraGlas, a rifle barrel bedding product sold by Brownell's? I remember using it some years ago to fit a set of grips to a small pistol and I thought it was a great product. Might be just the thing for bonding dissimilar materials.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1033/Product/ACRAGLAS_reg_


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 3, 2011)

Thanks for reminding me, I have some acra glass sitting on my shelf, but have not tested it, yet. It is supposedly the most heat stable one and might be a good choice when metal is involved that can heat up very quickly on the sander. I will run a test with it and see how I like it. 

Stefan


----------



## Delbert Ealy (Apr 3, 2011)

Stefan,
I have used acraglass on all my kitchen knives and I will continue to use it. When ever I ask some of my most trusted knifemaker friends what is the best glue to use the answer always came up the same; acraglass. Its a bit thinner than most epoxies, but I have found that is more of an asset than a hinderence. I like to leave it overnight to set and then get back to work the next day. Measuring it out is critical, it won't set right if the amounts are off. It also has to be mixed well, 4 minutes of mixing. 
I will second the recommendation on the flex-shaft tool, check out rio grande jewelers supply, they are made for working and will out-do the dremel. I have had mine for close to 20 years and its still going strong.
Thanks,


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 3, 2011)

Thanks for the confirmation, Delbert, Rick & Spike. I had all forgotten about the acra glass on my shelf, I will definitely try it out next. Supposedly this is also the most heat stable of all the epoxies, so I will try it out with the next handles that have a metal spacer. And I have also decided to get one of the flex-shaft tools, just figuring out which one - there is a woodcarving basics kit, that might be the one for me  Just need to sell another camera lens first...

Stefan


----------



## kalaeb (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks for the tips on the epoxy. It is much appreciated and I will try out some on my next re-handle.


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 6, 2011)

Busy day at work today, and I still found enough time to spend almost $400 on a Foredom, $60 on a stand for my sander, and $160 on drills. Sent wood for stabilizing that will cost me $500+, am about to send out a $700 order for buffalo horn, and I still need a band saw. Well, maybe I'll make a profit _next_ year... 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 6, 2011)

Give up the idea of making money on this. :razz:


----------



## steeley (Apr 6, 2011)

$700.00 for buffalo horn:shocked:
is that for just rolls or tips .
like to see a picture of thatcool:


----------



## SpikeC (Apr 6, 2011)

2 words: tax deduction


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 16, 2011)

So, I stayed in the office 2h late today, going through my order list, double checking the sizes of handles I need to make, planning the sizes for pieces I need to cut, arranging a sequence so that it would be most efficient, and updating all the info I had missing in my work list. Then I went straight to the shop from work. Guess what I left in my office? Yep, the list... :slaphead: 

Worked on some handles that I had started before. Then I knew it was time to go home when I got attacked and almost killed by a black palm handle. I had it on the polishing belt, the belt broke, ripped the piece out of my hand and torpedoed it at about the speed of light right under my nose into the wall. Poor handle didn't have a chance, broke right in the middle... See, woodworkers live dangerously vg: Makes me feel smart that I am wearing a respirator and eye protection. :thumbsup:

I'll go back to the fighting zone tomorrow, wish me luck!

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 16, 2011)

:spitcoffee:


----------



## apicius9 (May 2, 2011)

I had lot's of good intentions, and I have a few handles finished plus 2 dozen that are almost there, but these days I don't get to the shop much - final week of the semester and lots of papers to grade... Maybe I'll get a few pics of the finished ones up in a few days. Overall, I am behind as usual but not as ridiculously far as I was last year. Having a shop really makes a huge difference. 

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (May 3, 2011)

Insanity!

http://cgi.ebay.com/knife-scales-st...546?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e7472b12

http://cgi.ebay.com/knife-scales-st...106?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb76d095a


----------



## Dave Martell (May 3, 2011)

Did you win those? :eek2:


----------



## PierreRodrigue (May 3, 2011)

Another great adhesive, if you want to get to work quick, is Loctite 330 Depend. it is a 2 part kit, the adhesive, and activator. You don't even need to wipe grease of the surfaces and this stuff sticks! I swear, it will stick crap to a flannel blanket!


----------



## Eamon Burke (May 3, 2011)

SpikeC said:


> 2 words: tax deduction


 
+1 
Section 179, baby


----------



## kalaeb (May 4, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Worked on some handles that I had started before. Then I knew it was time to go home when I got attacked and almost killed by a black palm handle. I had it on the polishing belt, the belt broke, ripped the piece out of my hand and torpedoed it at about the speed of light right under my nose into the wall. Poor handle didn't have a chance, broke right in the middle... See, woodworkers live dangerously vg: Makes me feel smart that I am wearing a respirator and eye protection. :thumbsup:
> 
> I'll go back to the fighting zone tomorrow, wish me luck!
> 
> Stefan


Wait...sorry about your near death experiance...they make belts for polishing? All this time I have been trying by hand...I really need to get to the hardware store more often!


----------



## apicius9 (May 4, 2011)

Dave Martell said:


> Did you win those? :eek2:


 
I think then I would really have myself committed or increase my medication dosage  No, that's just crazy. Craig has really great stuff, but occasionally, the prices make no sense at all. No idea why this cedar piece went that high, I have a few dozen pieces that are better-looking. Or maybe I am just too cheap...

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (May 4, 2011)

Cool, I just discovered multi-quote 




PierreRodrigue said:


> Another great adhesive, if you want to get to work quick, is Loctite 330 Depend. it is a 2 part kit, the adhesive, and activator. You don't even need to wipe grease of the surfaces and this stuff sticks! I swear, it will stick crap to a flannel blanket!


 
Thanks Pierre. That sounds like it is strong and fast-acting? I just wanted to get some 5min Devcon for quick jobs, but it this is fast, I'll be happy to try it out. I used Acraglass on my current batch and so far it looks great and holds up really well. 



johndoughy said:


> +1
> Section 179, baby


 
I applied for an extension, still have to figure some things out. Turbotax only taks me so far, I think there are other options. Never heard of section 179, have to look into this, thanks! 




kalaeb said:


> Wait...sorry about your near death experiance...they make belts for polishing? All this time I have been trying by hand...I really need to get to the hardware store more often!


 
Polishing is a bit much, I have a few belts in 600grit and 800 grit, even a few in 1200 grit. Problem is, they either clog up within seconds or they heat up the pieces in seconds, so I don't use them very often (the 1200 not at all). 600 grits works if you have a very light touch and clean the belt obsessively. 

Stefan


----------



## Potato42 (May 4, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Insanity!
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/knife-scales-st...546?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e7472b12
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/knife-scales-st...106?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb76d095a



He's at it again?! ARGHHH! I'm always tempted to buy his stuff because it's so pretty... but I have no use for it lol. I've sent so many pieces to Adam it's not funny.


----------



## apicius9 (May 10, 2011)

Finished up a few tonight. I'm not proud, some of them have taken forever... But it's moving forward. These are all ready for shipping (well, I hope I'll see some money first :wink: )

Stefan




P1040340 by mgapicius, on Flickr




P1040336 by mgapicius, on Flickr




P1040335 by mgapicius, on Flickr


----------



## Dave Martell (May 10, 2011)

What a range of handles you've got there.


----------



## apicius9 (May 10, 2011)

What are you doing up? Go sleep! :wink: 

Good point, I hadn't even thought about that. Quite a range in materials and sizes. Btw, the top left one will go out to you tomorrow (for Tim), togehter with the micro drills and some wood (mac nut, mango, ironwood).

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (May 10, 2011)

Ooo yeah!


----------



## ThEoRy (May 10, 2011)

mmmmmm... :drool: I'm getting closer I can feel it.. :excited:


----------



## Adagimp (May 10, 2011)

Dang! So many beautiful handles, but that bright red/pink one in the 2nd photo is the attention grabber.


----------



## Potato42 (May 10, 2011)

OOOoohhhh man. I like top row 4th from left, and top row 3rd from the right. Love the spalted wood...


----------



## apicius9 (May 10, 2011)

The pink one is bakelite, came out really nice. Sean, you are so predictable  I thought about you the other day when I was looking at a beautiful piece of spalted maple burl. 

Stefan

P.S. I probably should mention that two of them are available:

- top row the very right, blackwood, blask ash spacer and dyed teal box elder or maple ferrule (I think maple...), best for something around 200mm in length

- top row, 4th from the right, black ash burl and black palm ferrule for a knife around 180mm


----------



## Potato42 (May 10, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Sean, you are so predictable  I thought about you the other day when I was looking at a beautiful piece of spalted maple burl.
> 
> Stefan



I wouldn't want to disappoint!:evilgrin:


----------



## TDj (May 13, 2011)

Adagimp said:


> Dang! So many beautiful handles, but that bright red/pink one in the 2nd photo is the attention grabber.


 
that red/pink bakelite one is mine! woohoo! actually, it probably has a bit more of a darker red background to it in normal light - more like a ruby. the streaks are white - but it does transition through pink to get to white - can't wait to see it when it gets here. also, those spacers have a little bit of a blue-ish tint to them.


----------



## mhenry (May 14, 2011)

Beautiful!! I like the one on the far right, top row, with the green ferule, and I think maple spacer. What is the handle material?


----------



## apicius9 (May 14, 2011)

mhenry said:


> Beautiful!! I like the one on the far right, top row, with the green ferule, and I think maple spacer. What is the handle material?


 
Thanks Mike, the handle is just good old African blackwood. The spacer is black ash burl. The ferrule is either maple burl or box elder burl. I had shipped them both for dying at the same time and now I have a hard time telling them apart in such small pieces. :slaphead:
I sent most of the handles out, didn't want to delay it further for taking better pictures, but IMHO they all look better in real life than on these snap shots, including the bakelite one... 

Stefan


----------



## JohnnyChance (May 15, 2011)

TDj said:


> that red/pink bakelite one is mine! woohoo! actually, it probably has a bit more of a darker red background to it in normal light - more like a ruby. the streaks are white - but it does transition through pink to get to white - can't wait to see it when it gets here. also, those spacers have a little bit of a blue-ish tint to them.


 
Lucky bastard. That one looks awesome. Take some more pictures when you get it. Lots of good work Stefan!


----------



## TDj (May 16, 2011)

Here's a quick pic I snapped. In my opinion, this handle is *ridiculous* (in a good way). I think the flash might be emphasizing the swirls a little too much - it's not that all those swirls aren't there, but some of them are a little more under-the-surface - there's some 3D stuff goin on. On the other hand, the flash did pick up the mokume on the spacers and the awesome horn that stefan picked out for me (he did a better job than i could have ever imagined). Stefan deserves some major props - he's a real master at this kind of thing ... did I mention that I have a piece of blue bakelite, too?


----------



## JohnnyChance (May 16, 2011)

**** you

Those are some seriously awesome materials and in usual stefan fashion, flawless execution. Where did you get the bakelite?


----------



## TDj (May 17, 2011)

this red one i happened to get from exoticblanks.com - and i happened to get one blue from them, too. nowadays i rarely ever see them for sale there anymore - they're always 'sold out'. agh.
BUT - i think stefan scored some bakelite as well (but probably not from the same source). i know he has some blue (which will probably be more manly than the above) - and he might have some red (my red from exoticblanks was a really dark ruby red - i don't know if stefan's red, if he has some, is as dark or if it's more fire-engine red)
the mokume (not that you asked) is from M3 - it's 50% cobaltium and 50% galactic bronze/gunsmoke - but i asked them to NOT put in the "sparkles".
the horn is predominantly a dark gray color ... from stefan ... who apparently has the most extensive collection of buffalo horn there is to be had ... anywhere ...


----------



## TDj (May 17, 2011)

oh ... and if i were to have a blue one made, i'd totally go for blue bakelite, a marbled brown-white horn, and use mokume that's a 50:50 mix of M3's "copper" and "gunsmoke" (without the sparkles). the problem: i don't have a knife for it to go on!!

(the red one is headed for an konosuke HD ... unless i find something cooler)


----------



## apicius9 (May 17, 2011)

Thanks guys! Yep, I have some bakelite in red, 2 different blues and the brown & black swirl. But my source has dried up and that stuff is really pricy, so I am trying to use it more for accents, spacers, ferrules etc. I have a few of those on the table right now, but there is a chance that Dave will rip them out of my hands... 

Stefan

P.S. Clearly not extensive on the buffalo horn. In fact, I am starting to run out of the deep black stuff and money is a bit tight for a large order right now. Maybe next month...


----------



## JohnnyChance (May 17, 2011)

The blue bakelite and copper would be awesome. I normally don't like mokume, but as spacers (and maybe without the sparkle) they work for me. The lack of manliness isn't that big of an issue for me, I actually have a Stefan handle made from wood dyed red but ended up pink. It also has a mother of pearl endcap. Hopefully its appearance will keep my fellow line cooks from picking it up, haha! Mine actually has horn very similar to yours, maybe a little darker gray, but it has some white streaks in it.


----------



## JohnnyChance (May 17, 2011)

whoops


----------



## Kentucky Jeff (May 18, 2011)

Stefan,
I got my handle (The large one in the pic with the black horn ferrule, red coral spacer and black locust burl) Your pics don't do it justice and size wise its almost a perfect match to the handle on my 270mm Suisin Honyaki Wa Gyuto. Both the handle and the knife are enroute to Dave's and I'm sure he'll post a pic as soon as he gets done. 

Great looking handle and superb fit and finish. 

Now I need some ideas for a 240 Aritsugu Type A Gyuto....


----------



## bishamon (May 18, 2011)

Looking good as usual.


----------



## apicius9 (May 20, 2011)

Slow times in the shop, just went by the shop to finish setting up the dust collector, but no time to do any work tonight. Just in case anybody was wondering: I was looking forward to some more woodworking now that the semester is coming to an end, but I have an opportunity to submit a grant proposal at work, and I really need to persue that, can't risk my day job for the knife handles as much as I hate letting people wait as long as I often do. the grantnis going in June 15 and then I will power through for a week or so, and I am sure there will be a few evenings and weekend days before that also. 

On a different note, I got an email from one of my Hawaiian wood providers a few days ago, saying something like 'I cut open that log of spalted mango and it looked so great, I immediately had to think of you - do you want any?' That has been my dream, that some of the wood guys put their good stuff aside for me  the wood came in today and really looks great! Btw, he cut it so wide for me, that it will also work for Western handles, so some of it may go out to Dave. But we are talking August/september, it needs to dry more and then goes for stabilizing. There is also some more signature wood in the box, but I am still waiting for another piece like the one that Sean just showed again on his Watanabe knife in another thread...

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (May 20, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> .....that it will also work for Western handles, so some of it may go out to Dave.




Oh yeah!! :headbang:


----------



## Potato42 (May 23, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> On a different note, I got an email from one of my Hawaiian wood providers a few days ago, saying something like 'I cut open that log of spalted mango and it looked so great, I immediately had to think of you - do you want any?' That has been my dream, that some of the wood guys put their good stuff aside for me  the wood came in today and really looks great! Btw, he cut it so wide for me, that it will also work for Western handles, so some of it may go out to Dave. But we are talking August/september, it needs to dry more and then goes for stabilizing. There is also some more signature wood in the box, but I am still waiting for another piece like the one that Sean just showed again on his Watanabe knife in another thread...
> 
> Stefan


 
You're such a tease!


----------



## Jim (May 24, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Slow times in the shop, just went by the shop to finish setting up the dust collector, but no time to do any work tonight. Just in case anybody was wondering: I was looking forward to some more woodworking now that the semester is coming to an end, but I have an opportunity to submit a grant proposal at work, and I really need to persue that, can't risk my day job for the knife handles as much as I hate letting people wait as long as I often do. the grantnis going in June 15 and then I will power through for a week or so, and I am sure there will be a few evenings and weekend days before that also.
> 
> On a different note, I got an email from one of my Hawaiian wood providers a few days ago, saying something like 'I cut open that log of spalted mango and it looked so great, I immediately had to think of you - do you want any?' That has been my dream, that some of the wood guys put their good stuff aside for me  the wood came in today and really looks great! Btw, he cut it so wide for me, that it will also work for Western handles, so some of it may go out to Dave. But we are talking August/september, it needs to dry more and then goes for stabilizing. There is also some more signature wood in the box, but I am still waiting for another piece like the one that Sean just showed again on his Watanabe knife in another thread...
> 
> Stefan


 

Sounds interesting!:viking::whistling::jumpy:


----------



## apicius9 (Jun 14, 2011)

Woohoo, got my grant submitted today. :dance:


Now it's time to clean up a bit and this weekend I will try to remember the way to my wood shop - haven't been there in too long. Hope to catch up soon.

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Jun 14, 2011)

Congrats on the grant submission > now get back to the important stuff. :razz:


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 6, 2011)

Looks like I keep making the same mistake again. I start new handles and think can finish the other ones later in the evening. I get tired and go home. After a few weeks, I have a few dozen handes started but none finished while people are waiting and getting annoyed. I guess I should try working more sequentially instead of parallel :bashhead: Anyway, that's what I was dealing with tonight:








That's not even all of them :scratchhead: The good news is, there will be a whole bunch of them ready at the same time which is good because I am broke :scared4: . Just spent tons on wood, band saw, band saw blades, belts, stabilizing etc. Oh, and while most are ordered, there will be a few extras for sale in a couple of weeks. 

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 6, 2011)

Something slightly different: I had made a knife for my Mom but she was afraid of it - too sharp :tooth: - so I made these two for her. Kept the style just like my knife handles because she had seen and liked them (what else would she say, she's my Mom...).


----------



## mdoublestack (Aug 6, 2011)

wowee, those look great, Stefan! Its, um, like Christmas in August or something like that. Truly impressive - you are excellent at what you do... just hope I get my hands on at least one of those:happymug:

And those pie spats are awesome. kudos


----------



## steeley (Aug 6, 2011)

That is a lot of handles.
and a ton of work nice going.


----------



## geezr (Aug 6, 2011)

steeley said:


> That is a lot of handles.
> and a ton of work nice going.


+1 
Nice to mom!! :thumbsup:


----------



## ecchef (Aug 6, 2011)

Someone's been busy!


----------



## echerub (Aug 6, 2011)

Very cool way to use your handles! That's a great way for your mom to have some of your handiwork around the house


----------



## Dave Martell (Aug 6, 2011)

Nice!


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 7, 2011)

Thanks guys. I spent a few hours today, sanding some of them a bit further on the belts, it's all hand sanding from here on. Killed two of them in the process - I over-sanded a small one, i.e. by the time I had it symmetrical, there wasn't much handle left... The other one didn't pass the breakage test. Cross-cut woods are not as strong as others, so I usually try to break them with reasonable force to make sure they will hold up and don't have hidden cracks. The black palm handle (5th from left in top row) didn't make it. I may give up on that stuff in cross-cut. It's brittle to begin with and this is not the first one that dies. 

Stefan


----------



## mindbender (Aug 9, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Looks like I keep making the same mistake again. I start new handles and think can finish the other ones later in the evening. I get tired and go home. After a few weeks, I have a few dozen handes started but none finished while people are waiting and getting annoyed. I guess I should try working more sequentially instead of parallel :bashhead: Anyway, that's what I was dealing with tonight:


 
I have to tell you, Stefan, that it's so amazing to see a Longs Drugs Sunday adbook in your pictures. I keep forgetting that you hand craft your work right here in town.

If you need an apprentice, I'll volunteer myself - but unfortunately I can only work on the weekends (I work downtown). But if I'm able to watch your handiwork, it'll be an honor.

I'm sure ANY of the members here on these boards would love to live here and watch you firsthand. So, I'll volunteer myself with enthusiasm. Please let me know


----------



## mhenry (Aug 12, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Looks like I keep making the same mistake again. I start new handles and think can finish the other ones later in the evening. I get tired and go home. After a few weeks, I have a few dozen handes started but none finished while people are waiting and getting annoyed. I guess I should try working more sequentially instead of parallel :bashhead: Anyway, that's what I was dealing with tonight:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Damn Stefan, That is alot of work. It would take me a 100 years to make that many handles. I like the Black palm handle that stuff is really hard to work with. I would like to see some finished pics please


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 28, 2011)

Well, looks like it is taking me a hundred years also, but I am making progress. Hope to have some pics early next week. But guess which of the handles was the first one to break? Cross-cut palm is a nuisance...

What I learned in the shop totay:

- even slow running buffer wheels can send a handle across the whole shop with enough energy to chip it badly if it hits a metal edge.

- don't take a piece out of the drill press while the drill is still running out.

- if you have a small wound because you took a piece out of the drill press before the drill was running out, don't pour any acetone in your wound.

- use CA glue only when you are wide awake, high on caffeine and ready to work fast, really fast...

- the fence on the band saw is useless if you ignore the instructions reg. adjusting the guide rails for the saw blade. Your pieces will be crooked - badly.

- keep track of your sand paper so you don't run out of the grits you need in the middle of your work. 

- spending more time to keep the work space clean makes it more fun to come in and work. - This one is still hypothetical, I have to verify it first and cleah up the dang mess in my shop right now. Dust, wood pieces, and sand paper all over the place...

Stefan


----------



## Lefty (Aug 28, 2011)

Hahaha. I love it Stefan!
Sounds like a voice of experience (I know it is).
I pushed some work off, yesterday because I wasn't high on caffeine. I agree with that one 100%!


----------



## mc2442 (Aug 28, 2011)

Sounds like you have had some productive / painful shop time. Handles look great.


----------



## Dave Martell (Aug 28, 2011)

I shouldn't laugh but a couple of those things you learned are so very relate-able to me that they're funny.


----------



## jmforge (Aug 28, 2011)

LOL.I have a variation on one of your rules. Done even bother with most of the wood cutting bandsaws sold at the big box stores today.


----------



## mhenry (Aug 28, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Well, looks like it is taking me a hundred years also, but I am making progress. Hope to have some pics early next week. But guess which of the handles was the first one to break? Cross-cut palm is a nuisance...
> 
> What I learned in the shop totay:
> 
> ...



So, I am not the only one using his buffer as a handle launcher


----------



## ThEoRy (Aug 28, 2011)

I'm getting closer, I can feel it! :hula:


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 28, 2011)

Recovering today. I should go back to the shop, but it's so nice to sit on the couch on a Sunday afternoon... Maybe for 2-3 hours tonight. Rick, I picked out the pieces, does that count for something already?  

Stefan


----------



## ThEoRy (Aug 29, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Recovering today. I should go back to the shop, but it's so nice to sit on the couch on a Sunday afternoon... Maybe for 2-3 hours tonight. Rick, I picked out the pieces, does that count for something already?
> 
> Stefan


 
Hey that's progress right? For sure that counts for something. Pick me a winner Stefan!


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 30, 2011)

Whoohoo, look at all the new blades I have coming in! :razz:








Stefan


----------



## JohnnyChance (Aug 30, 2011)

Are those your mockup knives to help give a size reference on handles?


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 30, 2011)

Yep, Mike cut those for me (Thanks Mike!). I wish I had thought about that a few years ago. Should make it much easier to check handle sizes and make decisions.

Stefan


----------



## Lefty (Aug 31, 2011)

Awesome, Stefan! 
Nice work by Mike too!


----------



## Mike Davis (Sep 6, 2011)

Ok i know i said this once, but REALLY, hopefully they will be there by Friday lol. They shipped insured today. I have the rest of the bunch will get started tonigh, i will have them out to you before i shoot to Ashokan.


----------



## apicius9 (Oct 25, 2011)

Hi, could someone please do me a favor and surf around my website for a moment? I get extremely slow reactions and loooong loading times for the pages, just wondering if that is only for me or a general issue I need to discuss with my host. Thanks!

Stefan


----------



## sachem allison (Oct 25, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Hi, could someone please do me a favor and surf around my website for a moment? I get extremely slow reactions and loooong loading times for the pages, just wondering if that is only for me or a general issue I need to discuss with my host. Thanks!
> 
> Stefan


 most of the pages load pretty quickly the photos take a little longer, but not bad.


----------



## apicius9 (Oct 25, 2011)

Thanks! Strange, the pages take 15-20sec to load on my machine, but I don;t have any such issues on other websites.

Stefan


----------



## kalaeb (Oct 25, 2011)

Seems to be working well for me from pc and android phone.


----------



## apicius9 (Oct 25, 2011)

Works from my office computer also, I'll just restart my whole setup at home and see what happens. Thanks!

Stefan


----------



## SpikeC (Oct 25, 2011)

Super fast for me. Mac book, comcast.


----------



## Dave Martell (Oct 25, 2011)

It loads and moves pretty good for me Stefan.


----------



## mindbender (Oct 25, 2011)

I'm on Oahu and your site (http://www.skeller.info) seems to be running ok.

OT: How are you dealing with the humidity this week? I'm glad I'm working in a air-conditioned high-rise downtown...

Cheers!


----------



## JohnnyChance (Oct 26, 2011)

mindbender said:


> I'm on Oahu and your site (http://www.skeller.info) seems to be running ok.
> 
> OT: How are you dealing with the humidity this week? I'm glad I'm working in a air-conditioned high-rise downtown...
> 
> Cheers!



He was referring to his handle site www.japanesehandles.com


----------



## mindbender (Oct 26, 2011)

JohnnyChance said:


> He was referring to his handle site www.japanesehandles.com


 
hmmm... I get redirected to skeller.info when going to that URL. Oh well.


----------



## apicius9 (Oct 26, 2011)

Thanks everyone, it seems to work better now. Yeah, I booked the japanesehandles.com site but found it easier to link to my personal site than to migrate the whole setup to the new site, so it's just a redirect. 

Stefan


----------



## geezr (Oct 26, 2011)

mindbender said:


> I'm on Oahu and your site (http://www.skeller.info) seems to be running ok.
> 
> OT: How are you dealing with the humidity this week? I'm glad I'm working in a air-conditioned high-rise downtown...
> 
> Cheers!



Late again 
Your site is ok even on my geezrish setup :thumbsup2:


----------



## apicius9 (Oct 27, 2011)

Well, the good news is that I finished 3 really nice handles this past weekend. The bad news is, that I have no idea what I did with them. I hope they are hiding in the car, that's the only place I have not looked yet. I think I need a vacation.

Stefan


----------



## WildBoar (Oct 27, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> I think I need a vacation.


I hear Hawaii is quite nice this time of year!

:sofa:


----------



## Dave Martell (Oct 27, 2011)




----------



## Jim (Oct 27, 2011)

I have heard that touring wood yards and relaxing in the wood shop is restorative to the mind and body.


----------



## JohnnyChance (Oct 28, 2011)

Maybe a hobby? A craft perhaps? Wood working of some type...


----------



## ecchef (Oct 28, 2011)

Jeez...you guys are brutal! :rolleyes2:


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 4, 2011)

That's about 2/3 of what I have in the works right now... Sorry, bad phone pic. 

Stefan


----------



## tk59 (Nov 4, 2011)

It never ceases to amaze me how many handles you have in the works at any one time!


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 4, 2011)

tk59 said:


> It never ceases to amaze me how many handles you have in the works at any one time!


 
Thanks, but that usually just means I am way behind schedule with what I wanted to make 

Stefan


----------



## chazmtb (Nov 4, 2011)

Snakewood and ivory. Ooooh


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 4, 2011)

chazmtb said:


> Snakewood and ivory. Ooooh


 
Fake ivory in this case, but it still looks surprisingly nice with M3 spacers. 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Nov 4, 2011)

Nice pile you got there.


----------



## JohnnyChance (Nov 5, 2011)

chazmtb said:


> Snakewood and ivory. Ooooh


 
My eyes went to the same one. And then to all the mammoth tooth.


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 5, 2011)

As good as done with rubbing them against sand paper, applying finish right now. There is a bunch of pieces from blackwood that have bakelite or dyed wood and color coordinated pieces of mammoth tooth. Almost minimalistic but very classy iMHO. Yesterday I cleaned up my office and found 2 more handles I had buried under a pile of stuff. So, there should be around 25ish handles available very soon.

Stefan


----------



## mhenry (Nov 5, 2011)

tk59 said:


> It never ceases to amaze me how many handles you have in the works at any one time!


 It is amazing. He's a machine


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 6, 2011)

Took a friend to the airport this morning, so I was in the wood shop - which is half way between my place and the airport- at 6.30. Killed 3 pieces of stabilized kauri on the drill press, touched the drill to feel how hot it is (approx. 2nd degree burn hot...), and got into a coughing fit when drilling ebony after forgetting to put the respirator back on. Note to self: No woodworking before the second cup of coffee. I give up for now and go to Costco.

Stefan


----------



## ThEoRy (Nov 6, 2011)

NOOOOOO get back in there!!!! :razz:


----------



## ThEoRy (Nov 24, 2011)

:nunchucks:










:justkidding:


But seriously, any updates? A certain person I know seems to have an interest.


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 24, 2011)

I had the best intentions to work in the shop this morning, but after only a bit over 2h of sleep, I changed my mind this morning... But I still plan to spend time there this weekend, and hope to make some progress, I have about 35 handles ready for gluing and about 20 more that I am already working on. Now that my German friends left this morning, there will be more time for that again.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Stefan


----------



## WiscoNole (Nov 28, 2011)

How many of those handles are already spoken for?


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 29, 2011)

WiscoNole said:


> How many of those handles are already spoken for?



Ooops, almost missed this one. Including the ones on my website, I should have about 20 or so available shortly that are not spoken for, yet. I had hoped to have them done before I had friends out here, but that didn't work. They left again, and I am now getting back to finishing them. In addition to that, I have about 40 orders in different states of production plus about 25 'basic' handles that Dave will have available as replacement handles once they are done. 

Sometimes it's frustrating because things move so slowly, but part of that is also that I usually work on batches. So when I finally get to that point, I usually have a few ready at the same time. If I did them sequentially, one after the other, it probably would be more rewarding but also take more time and be less efficient on my side. Maybe I'll mix that up a bit in the future. 

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Dec 6, 2011)

Looks like this year continues just as ****** as it has been for a while. I was all packed to go to the wood shop tonight, but found out a few hours ago that one of my best friends who was just here 2 weeks ago from Germany has been run over by a 80 year old driver who ran a stop sign. My friend is in critical condition and being operated on right now. They said the chances for survival are good but the injuries are severe, whatever that means, we don't know many details, yet. Obviously he was catapulted through the air for more than 30 yards before he crashed into the street. That really puts some of the daily hassles into perspective. And I also don't feel like woodworking anymore, much to nervous and anxious to hear what is going on. 

Stefan


----------



## SpikeC (Dec 6, 2011)

Major bummer. Keeping busy can be good, at least for me.


----------



## apicius9 (Dec 6, 2011)

SpikeC said:


> Major bummer. Keeping busy can be good, at least for me.



I'll do the laundry to keep me busy, much less likely to mess something up or hurt myself with power tools because I am not concentrated.

Stefan


----------



## Mingooch (Dec 6, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your friend. Best of luck for him.


----------



## Dave Martell (Dec 6, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Looks like this year continues just as ****** as it has been for a while. I was all packed to go to the wood shop tonight, but found out a few hours ago that one of my best friends who was just here 2 weeks ago from Germany has been run over by a 80 year old driver who ran a stop sign. My friend is in critical condition and being operated on right now. They said the chances for survival are good but the injuries are severe, whatever that means, we don't know many details, yet. Obviously he was catapulted through the air for more than 30 yards before he crashed into the street. That really puts some of the daily hassles into perspective. And I also don't feel like woodworking anymore, much to nervous and anxious to hear what is going on.
> 
> Stefan




Wow, I hope you get some good news soon.


----------



## G-rat (Dec 6, 2011)

Dave Martell said:


> Wow, I hope you get some good news soon.



Yeah me to Stefan. I know we don't know each other at all but I hope some good news comes your way too. That is so awful.


----------



## echerub (Dec 7, 2011)

Yikes. I hope your friend recovers well.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Dec 7, 2011)

Terrible news. Sorry to hear that Stefan. Hope your friend comes through surgery okay and makes a full recovery.


----------



## apicius9 (Dec 7, 2011)

Thanks guys. Looks like they operated on him for 5 hours, and we still don't have the complete picture, but his wife spoke a few words with him in the wake-up room. He had no idea what happened or that he had aurgery, but at least he could communicate for a moment. I'll have a Wild Turkey now and hope to find out more tomorrow. When he was here 2 weeks ago, he said I should go out to the beach more often and savour every moment I have on this island. Seeing him in such an accident now and realizing how fast things can change, that sounds like good advice.

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 8, 2012)

Just in case anybody is wondering what I do with all the money I make on handles - I buy stuff.... Unfortunately, I buy considerably more stuff than I make with my handles :scratchhead: And I know, this is cruel but please understand that I will not sell any marbled horn pieces. But once the block below is cut up, I'll try to offer a few pieces to offset my expenses.






Stefan


----------



## Hattorichop (Jan 8, 2012)

When you do decide to sell some make sure you let me know.
Can you share your source?


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Jan 8, 2012)

Stefan, how is your friend doing that was in that terrible accident?


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 8, 2012)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Stefan, how is your friend doing that was in that terrible accident?



Thanks for asking. He had a few operations and is doing o.k. - as much as you can be when all you can move is your right arm. The tricky thing was the broken neck which they fixed with metal pieces and some bone material from his hip, and that seems to have gone well. Now the docs say he will be fine but it can take a year to heal completely. He will have to learn to walk again, one leg was totally smashed and they were close to taking it off, in the other one all ligaments ripped, so that will take time. I think at this point its about not letting him glide into depression too deeply. Really makes you appreciate the little positive things when you you see how fast things can be turnd upside-down.

Stefan


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Jan 8, 2012)

Yikes. Glad the prognosis is good, but sounds like he has a long hard road to recovery.


----------



## Dave Martell (Jan 9, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Just in case anybody is wondering what I do with all the money I make on handles - I buy stuff.... Unfortunately, I buy considerably more stuff than I make with my handles :scratchhead: And I know, this is cruel but please understand that I will not sell any marbled horn pieces. But once the block below is cut up, I'll try to offer a few pieces to offset my expenses.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





SWEET horn!!!! :thumbsup:


----------



## mr drinky (Jan 9, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Stefan



This is the best image I have seen all day...week...month...and then I hear those ominous words echo in my head: "I will not sell any marbled horn pieces." 

k.


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 9, 2012)

Probably shouldn't have shown off with them, sorry for the tease... The last time I had ordered some and shown them, I got so many requests that I pretty much immediately would have been out of them again within a week. So I decided to generally not sell any. I would just end up spending a lot of time for packing and shipping individual pieces, time that I need to dedicate to either my day job or my shop. Thanks for understanding. Of course, I can always glue a piece on a handle for you  BTW, that's about $800 of horn and wood in that picture.

Stefan


----------



## mr drinky (Jan 9, 2012)

What is that about 35 pieces?

k.

Edit: And you are more than welcome to glue them together. I'll take one.


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 9, 2012)

mr drinky said:


> What is that about 35 pieces?
> 
> k.



33 but half of them are already spoken for/reserved for ordered handles.


----------



## bcrano (Jan 9, 2012)

Can't wait... I'll have horn if available for my Macassar ebony handle... :lol2:


----------



## sachem allison (Jan 9, 2012)

Stefan what are the dimensions of the horn mm?


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 9, 2012)

sachem allison said:


> Stefan what are the dimensions of the horn mm?



Why? Do you have some musk ox horn tips for me? Oosik?  Diameter is approx. 29mm, length about 35mm.

Stefan


----------



## sachem allison (Jan 9, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Why? Do you have some musk ox horn tips for me? Oosik?  Diameter is approx. 29mm, length about 35mm.
> 
> Stefan



no, but I am talking with a buffalo horn manufacturer in India and will be getting some quotes on some white buffalo horn rolls in the 1 1/4 inch by 3 inch size. If you need some elk antler talk to Heath Besch on the forum. I hear he has a bunch of elk sitting around. No musk ox or oosic, but I do have some hippo teeth I'm getting ready to post in a week or so for trading purposes. Unfortunately I don't really use wa handles. But, if you need or want we can always work something out.


----------



## SpikeC (Jan 9, 2012)

I would be interested in a piece of buffalo horn......................


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 19, 2012)

Just looked at this again. I would really like to take a box of my woods and just spend one day in that shop, using their tools. So much easier than doing it all free han

http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/2860414/2_min_tour_japanese_knives_handle_making_workshop.swf

Stefan


----------



## Rottman (Jan 20, 2012)

There's got to be a reason you can get standard handles for a couple of bucks....


----------



## stevenStefano (Jan 20, 2012)

When they can make them that quick it make sense that there's only 3 left


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 25, 2012)

Any old hippies who need a handle?  Dyed spalted tamarind.


----------



## apicius9 (Jan 26, 2012)

O.k., wish me luck - on Sunday I will meet with a young fellow - husband of one of my students - who wants to help me in the shop to plow through my pile of orders. I haven't had much luck with helpers so far, but I have a good feeling about this one, as much as one can have just after talking on the phone. 

Stefan


----------



## ThEoRy (Jan 26, 2012)

Good luck!!
:cliffhang:


----------



## ecchef (Jan 26, 2012)

That would look outstanding on my wife's favorite knife...a Kiya stainless santoku with reprofiled :O tip.


----------



## apicius9 (Feb 7, 2012)

:dance::hula:


----------



## Dave Martell (Feb 7, 2012)

Is that your new surf board?


----------



## Eamon Burke (Feb 7, 2012)

wah wah wee wah! :drool:


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 6, 2012)

Not working in the shop tonight, I might not get there. It has been raining like mad, water is standing in the streets or running down the streets mixed with raw sewage. Getting wet in my car becaue the roof starts leaking and one window doesn't close completely. Just dug out the fleece vest. And on top of all that, I am out of Scotch. Wish I had a fireplace. Not sure what happened to the tropical island I lived on a couple of weeks ago...

Stefan


----------



## mindbender (Mar 6, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Not working in the shop tonight, I might not get there. It has been raining like mad, water is standing in the streets or running down the streets mixed with raw sewage.



Stay home, Stefan. You'll be happier.

It's flooded everywhere and you can expect power issues later. People were paddleboarding to the Honolulu Zoo in Waikiki.

Downtown is a mess, so you'd be better off at home. I still have to drive home in this mess...

Let me know if you still need an intern. Perhaps I could take pictures of you while working and post them here? I know a lot of members would love to be in the shop to see you do your magic.


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 23, 2012)

Working hard... About 30 more are gluing ore ready to be glued. Trying to get through my back log, I hope next week during spring break I will move forward a bit. 

 


Had a few casualties along the way... Spalted woods and burls can have hidden voids or cracks, so I always test them by trying to break them. Maybe I am just too strong... 



 Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 23, 2012)

mindbender said:


> Stay home, Stefan. You'll be happier.
> 
> It's flooded everywhere and you can expect power issues later. People were paddleboarding to the Honolulu Zoo in Waikiki.
> 
> ...



Not sure how I missed this one. Thanks for the offer, not sure there is much magic to photograph - really more a messy place with saw dust all over. I am a disgrace to every real woodworker who keeps his shop meticulously clean  But then a real woodworker would also have a functioning dust removal system. 

Stefan


----------



## kalaeb (Mar 24, 2012)

Hmm, dust removal system. I just use a box fan with a furnace filter attached to it with a bungee strap. Someday....


----------



## Rottman (Mar 25, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Had a few casualties along the way... Spalted woods and burls can have hidden voids or cracks, so I always test them by trying to break them. Maybe I am just too strong...
> 
> 
> 
> Stefan



Hey Stefan, I bet these handles wouldn't break after the installation of a blade when the hole is filled with epoxy.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Mar 25, 2012)

I was thinking that it's too bad you can't test for durability before they are so far along... Those look practically finished. Shame.


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 25, 2012)

Yeah, they may have been fine once they are epoxied to the tang. I have taken one of them with a crack before and put it on one of my own knives and it looked like the crack it had deepened over time, so I decided to be on the conservative side if I take peoples' hard earned money for them... The amboyna handle really hurt, that was a nice piece of wood, but it snapped apart very easily, so tere was some hidden damage already. And, to be honest, one of the spalted maple handles was as good as finished. I was buffing it, the wheel grabbed it, smacked it right into the wall and it broke from the impact. I am pretty sure the handle would not have shown issues on the knife. 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Mar 25, 2012)

That's painful to see but better it happens in your hands than mine......eeer..... I mean the customer's hands


----------



## ThEoRy (Mar 26, 2012)

Zoinks! On the one hand I feel bad for the handle owner and for you Stefan in that you lost all that time to make them. :crytissue: On the other hand, :crossfingers: I'm relieved it wasn't mine. :begging:


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 26, 2012)

Still much less loss than in the early days, but the wasted time and care and losing abeautiful piece of wood hurt a bit. Rick, looking at your handle right now, will reglue today and continue working on it this week. 


Stefan

P.S. IPhone keyboards suck.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Mar 27, 2012)

ThEoRy said:


> On the other hand, :crossfingers: I'm relieved it wasn't mine. :begging:



Pretty sure you just jinxed yourself right there.


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 27, 2012)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Pretty sure you just jinxed yourself right there.



Nah, he is safe, we have that behind us already, I had to take Rick's handle apart again because the ferrule piece had a crack. Spent 6h in the shop today after work, 2 1/2 with my helper. Because I have so many simultaneously on the bench, it's hard to see the progress, but we did make some. The aim is still to get 25+ out by mid-April, looking good so far. 

Stefan


----------



## ThEoRy (Mar 27, 2012)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Pretty sure you just jinxed yourself right there.



How dare you!! irate1:


----------



## ecchef (Apr 14, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Any old hippies who need a handle?  Dyed spalted tamarind.
> 
> View attachment 3994



Still have these? :whistling:


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 14, 2012)

ecchef said:


> Still have these? :whistling:



Yep, one is almost a yanagi/suji handle, the other one not used, yet.
Hi from PA,

Stefan


----------



## SameGuy (Apr 14, 2012)

Dude, where's my bocho?


----------



## SameGuy (Apr 14, 2012)

PS: If nobody grabs the second purple tamarind, I'm interested.


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 14, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Hi from PA,
> 
> Stefan



Nice weather here eh?


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Apr 27, 2012)

Productive trip to the mainland Stefan?


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 27, 2012)

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Productive trip to the mainland Stefan?



I wish I knew. Had a good time with friends but no idea what to think of the job interview. Right now I am waiting to hear back from 3 Interviews I had, none of them a slam dunk or a perfect match from their or from my side, but I can see myself making at least 2 of them work. Starting to get a little antsy with all the waiting... But at least the semester is as good as over, working on the final grading these days and then things will free up in May.

If all works well, I will have time to go to the beach this summer - if it doesn't go well I may have to move to the beach...

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 27, 2012)

I have a feeling that you're going to be my new neighbor soon.....you'll love PA in the winter!


----------



## 99Limited (Apr 27, 2012)

Dave Martell said:


> I have a feeling that you're going to be my new neighbor soon.....you'll love PA in the winter!



Yeah, they just had a big snow a couple days ago. So if you didn't get enough snow in the winter, you can still look forward to some more in the spring.


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 15, 2012)

I better get organized... The top row is pretty much finished, all orders, bottom row are available extras. There are a few that I need to look at again - sometimes you see things at over 3000 pixels in an image that you don't see even with the reading glasses on...






The past few weeks I thought I have to pay attention to my African blackwood I was starting to run low, I thought... This week I started cleaning up the place a bit, moving things from places where they don't belong etc. This is the blackwood I have found so far, I really need to clean up more often...





Stefan


----------



## Crothcipt (Jul 16, 2012)

Love the blue and black one with the 3 spacers. 

Do I have to go through the website to check out a extra?


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 16, 2012)

Crothcipt said:


> Love the blue and black one with the 3 spacers.
> 
> Do I have to go through the website to check out a extra?



Thanks! Contact me by PM or email at customorders at japanesehandles.com for the extras. Some have been around for a while, some are new, I haven't listed and measured them all systematically, yet.

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 2, 2012)

O.k., moving is a much bigger pain in the a$$ than I remembered, I just hadn't realized how much stuff I have. So, over getting that organized, all my good hopes of finishing most of my orders in July have obviously been unrealistic again. But the move should be over this weekend, then it's back to the shop.

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Aug 2, 2012)

Moving sucks


----------



## kalaeb (Aug 2, 2012)

Agreed, moving is a pita. Best of luck.


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 11, 2012)

Note to self: Do not use your band saw to cut fossil materials. Especially not if you forgot to order extra blades and you are using your last one... Cut through some mammoth bone and some fossil coral and then the dang thing wouldn't even go through an inch of koa anymore. Oh well.

Stefan


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Nov 11, 2012)

What are you supposed to use?


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 11, 2012)

Wish I knew... I had cut coral before and knew it was not good for the blade, but the mammoth bone gave it the rest. Have to look into this.

Stefan


----------



## PierreRodrigue (Nov 12, 2012)

I use a thin wheel on an angle grinder. Works just fine for straight cutting. VERY quick work!


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 12, 2012)

Thanks Pierre, I used small wheels on the Foredom before, they work but they are not wide enough. Looks like I need an angle grinder... 

Stefan


----------



## Eric (Nov 12, 2012)

I cut gemstones, opal, petrified wood with a diamond blade cooled with water on a small lapidary trim saw. Blade lasts forever and would be perfect for ivory, bone, mammoth tooth etc.


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 14, 2012)

Thanks Eric, I had been thinking about using gemstones and especially petrified wood, but my sanding belts didn't even scratch the material and I quickly realized that I would need a whole new set of specialized equipment. And since I did not want to turn into Jay Fisher, I decided to pass, there is only so much one can do with the little time available.

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 29, 2012)

Hi everyone, quick update: I have brought my order list to reflect the current status . Pretty much all the handles down to Dave T's (and a few beyond that) are either in progress or prepared so that they should not take forever from this point. Sean's handles will ship out on Friday; Tu's handles are ready for shipping also. As it goes, I will be on a short trip from Dec 2-9, maybe a few days longer, and can only continue after I get back. Dave T's handle is so close to being finished that I may try to get it out before I leave, but if not, it will be right after I get back. I have to give this trip priority, there are a few job interviews involved... I would be surprised if I got either of the jobs, but I will do what I can in the next few days to be prepared for them. Thanks for understanding,

Stefan


----------



## zitangy (Nov 29, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Hi everyone, quick update: I have brought my order list to reflect the current status . Pretty much all the handles down to Dave T's (and a few beyond that) are either in progress or prepared so that they should not take forever from this point. Sean's handles will ship out on Friday; Tu's handles are ready for shipping also. As it goes, I will be on a short trip from Dec 2-9, maybe a few days longer, and can only continue after I get back. Dave T's handle is so close to being finished that I may try to get it out before I leave, but if not, it will be right after I get back. I have to give this trip priority, there are a few job interviews involved... I would be surprised if I got either of the jobs, but I will do what I can in the next few days to be prepared for them. Thanks for understanding,
> 
> Stefan



Good Luck and have fun whilst you are at it and you will be more mentally prepared . ..

Surprises do happen all the time and be prepared/ expect to be surprised!

rgds

D


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Nov 30, 2012)

Good luck, Stefan.


----------



## chinacats (Nov 30, 2012)

Good luck w/ the interviews!


----------



## apicius9 (Feb 18, 2013)

Just set a new record, killed 4 drills in less than a week. Dang blackwood. 

Stefan


----------



## knyfeknerd (Feb 18, 2013)

apicius9 said:


> Just set a new record, killed 4 drills in less than a week. Dang blackwood.
> 
> Stefan


You show those drills who the boss is!
They don't make (anything) 'em like they used to!


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Feb 18, 2013)

apicius9 said:


> Just set a new record, killed 4 drills in less than a week. Dang blackwood.



Actual drills or just the bits?


----------



## Dave Martell (Feb 18, 2013)

I sure hope that he means bits.


----------



## apicius9 (Feb 18, 2013)

Same word for drill bits and drills in German, I may need to pay more attention to my grammar and language  Drill bits of course. May start buying them by the dozen, saves me driving to Home Depot every other day . Or take more breaks and let them cool down, that may be cheaper in the long run. 

Btw, I could use someone to help out in the shop for the next 4 weeks or so, just saying... Temps in the 80s and no snow 

Stefan


----------



## kalaeb (Feb 18, 2013)

apicius9 said:


> Same word for drill bits and drills in German, I may need to pay more attention to my grammar and language  Drill bits of course. May start buying them by the dozen, saves me driving to Home Depot every other day . Or take more breaks and let them cool down, that may be cheaper in the long run.
> 
> Btw, I could use someone to help out in the shop for the next 4 weeks or so, just saying... Temps in the 80s and no snow
> 
> Stefan



I am there....we have snow forecasted for the next 7 days....(curse that lying cheating groundhog)


----------



## SlapChop (Feb 18, 2013)

I live in Phoenix. So no snow here, but I do travel a lot. I usually make it to HI at least once a year. When that happens I would love to see your shop, and even help out for a day or two to get a "handle" on how it does down there.


----------



## apicius9 (Feb 19, 2013)

Last year I offered a friend from Germany to fly him in, feed him, and give him a bed for helping me out for 2-3 weeks but he had just gotten a new job and couldn't come. If I still had my old apartment, I would offer that again, but I moved into a much smaller place. But I'd pay someone right now, just to get my stuff done. Not that I have a lot of cash around, still waiting to hear back from afee job applcations, but orders piling up annoys me enough to pay for help and get it done. I started making handles as a hobby and stress reduction, but always being behind has become a real stressor for me. 

Stefan


----------



## Burl Source (Feb 19, 2013)

It snowed here last night so I am about ready to jump on a plane.
.........I wish.


----------



## SpikeC (Feb 19, 2013)

If I could ride my bike there.........


----------



## apicius9 (Feb 20, 2013)

Woohoo, Spike is coming 







I am teaching an undergrad class this semester as an adjunct faculty, maybe someone there needs a few bucks or maybe they have an info board for such things... It just would be nice to find someone who has seen a power tool close up before and doesn't sue me if they drop the hammer on their foot.

Stefan


----------



## DWSmith (Feb 20, 2013)

apicius9 said:


> It just would be nice to find someone who has seen a power tool close up before and doesn't sue me if they drop the hammer on their foot.
> 
> Stefan



Finding even semi-qualified help is tough. Finding someone who is willing to get dirty is equally as tough. I know the problems you are having because all the small businesses I know of are having the sme problem including mine. 

My wife and I considered going to Hawaii for our vacation this year until she decided to stay a little closer. It is the flight that she doesn't like. If I came to help in your shop she would strangle me as I slept. Women have no sense of humor about vacations.

As for the hammer issue, have them wear shoes with steel toes. I do and it has proven to be a foot and toe saver, several times!


----------



## apicius9 (Feb 20, 2013)

Thanks David. It's even more difficult to find someone to help because work comes in waves. A few friends helped for a few hours, but it was clear that this was not their thing. Some forumites helped out a bit, but also not a set-up that worked out perfectly. And the kid (undergrad student) I hired once was clueless even though he took woodworking in high school (whatever that means), and he used to practice the one-armed brooming while texting with the other hand. We also did seem to have different opinions on work ethics... Oh well, I just gotta plow through it, I guess. 

Oh, and if you do make it out here for a vacation, I promise not to make you work too hard  But I gotta show you the shop and bother you with questions. 

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 5, 2013)

Fought my way across town in rush hour traffic to the shop, only to realize I forgot my glasses. Wanted to do the finishing and final checks on a few handles today, better do that tomorrow when I see what I am doing.

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (May 5, 2013)

Have a friend in town who keeps me away from the shop and forces me to go to other places with her... 

View attachment 15053


Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (May 5, 2013)

apicius9 said:


> Have a friend in town who keeps me away from the shop and forces me to go to other places with her...
> 
> View attachment 15053
> 
> ...




Ahhh....to have such a distraction.....


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 27, 2014)

Just cleaning up in the shop a bit. Ferrules and spacers, anybody?







My little treasure boxes....







Waiting for stabilizing...







Stefan


----------



## ThEoRy (Mar 27, 2014)

So many cool things!!


----------



## V1P (Mar 28, 2014)

That mammoth tooth on top left looks cool!


----------



## icanhaschzbrgr (Mar 28, 2014)

Please ship all the treasures to my address


----------



## Erilyn75 (Mar 28, 2014)

I see pretties!! :bigeek:


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 28, 2014)

Cleaning and reorganizing is fun. But I don't even want to know how much money I have sitting around on shelves and in boxes there... I could probably make 400-500 handles easily from the materials I have hoarded - without buying anything except belts, sandpaper etc and stabilizing cost. And that is in addition to the 200+ blanks I have already stabilized and ready to go... I think I should talk to a psychologist  

Stefan


----------



## ecchef (Mar 28, 2014)

Damn, Stefan! Looks like you have some product to burn through...best get to work!


----------



## ThEoRy (Mar 28, 2014)

You've got to do something with that red and black mycarta from Harner!! Dave put some on my suji and it's just incredible.


----------



## apicius9 (Mar 28, 2014)

ThEoRy said:


> You've got to do something with that red and black mycarta from Harner!! Dave put some on my suji and it's just incredible.



That piece is a cut-off from a larger block, too narrow for a wa handle or even a ferrule, that's why it is in the 'spacer material' box. I should better say 'one of the spacer material boxes', there are also those with fiber material, metal pices etc...  BTW, I just wanted to show the snapshots from the shop, as of now I have no plans of selling any of this. 

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 6, 2014)

Well, I was on a roll and moving forward quite a bit, and then today my belt sander died. Brought it over to Woodcraft, hope it won't take forever to repair. If it does, I gotta think of something... 

Stefan


----------



## Erilyn75 (Apr 7, 2014)

I really hope it didn't break on mine. I'll have to consult a voodoo specialist to get the curse removed if it did lol


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 7, 2014)

I didn't even get that far today, no voodoo needed  It ran for 10 minutes, and after I switched belts nothing happened. It did that on and off before but could be coerced into working again, not so this time. I tried to give Woodcraft's the 'I am one of your best customers - do it fast' routine, we'll see. I currently have about 45 handles that need to be shaped and sanded, I hope this won't take too long... In any case, looks like some night shifts are ahead of me.

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 7, 2014)

That sucks.


----------



## WarrenB (Apr 7, 2014)

I used a normal portable corded belt sander securely clamped upside down in a vice a couple of years ago to shape some wood, worked quite well, might be worth a try if you have one or can borrow/buy a cheap one until you can get your one repaired. This may not be up to your pro standards though:biggrin:


----------



## Erilyn75 (Apr 7, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> I didn't even get that far today, no voodoo needed  It ran for 10 minutes, and after I switched belts nothing happened. It did that on and off before but could be coerced into working again, not so this time. I tried to give Woodcraft's the 'I am one of your best customers - do it fast' routine, we'll see. I currently have about 45 handles that need to be shaped and sanded, I hope this won't take too long... In any case, looks like some night shifts are ahead of me.
> 
> Stefan



Thank goodness. The thought of wearing chicken feet around my neck is not particularly appealing lol


----------



## apicius9 (Apr 7, 2014)

Well, I am pleasantly surprised: The Woodcraft repair person actually looked at the sander first thing in the morning and seems quite certain that it's only the switch. I can pick it up tonight and the cost is also reasonable. Gotta appreciate the positive things in life!

Stefan


----------



## Erilyn75 (Apr 8, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Well, I am pleasantly surprised: The Woodcraft repair person actually looked at the sander first thing in the morning and seems quite certain that it's only the switch. I can pick it up tonight and the cost is also reasonable. Gotta appreciate the positive things in life!
> 
> Stefan



Yay! So glad this wasn't a major fix, there's been enough bad juju going around.


----------



## Dave Martell (Apr 8, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Well, I am pleasantly surprised: The Woodcraft repair person actually looked at the sander first thing in the morning and seems quite certain that it's only the switch. I can pick it up tonight and the cost is also reasonable. Gotta appreciate the positive things in life!
> 
> Stefan




Well that never happens. You lucky bastid!


----------



## apicius9 (May 28, 2014)

Hi, I feel like I am whining way too often about things not going as expected - maybe I need to correct my expectations. In any case, I had a good run in the shop, then caught a cold about 7 weeks ago. That has turned into an asthmatic bronchitis, and I am coughing my lungs out under normal circumstances. I made a few attempts to work in the shop in the past weeks, but even with a mask or respirator, I had to cough so much - literally until I puked - that I decided to wait until I feel better. I had hopes that I could make some good progress now that the semester is over and I am not teaching over the summer, but it looks like - again - it's not the way I hoped it would be. I will be back in there as soon as I can breathe again. 
Thanks,

Stefan


----------



## erikz (May 28, 2014)

Take it nice and slow and get well Stefan! Don't worry about bitching, being sick that long would make me curse about it as well!


----------



## mkriggen (May 28, 2014)

Had it as a teen, it sucks! Breath easy, get well.

Mikey


----------



## Dave Martell (May 29, 2014)

Puke on your own time....just get those handles done dammit!


----------



## apicius9 (May 29, 2014)

Dave Martell said:


> Puke on your own time....just get those handles done dammit!



haha  I ordered this monster today, hoping that will help me to breathe in the shop http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Q0Y5IU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 

Probably overkill, but I just need to try it out, so much to do there. Just hope I won't puke into it 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (May 29, 2014)

Those things are supposed to be real nice. Yeah, try not to puke in it though.


----------



## icanhaschzbrgr (May 29, 2014)

Sorry to hear that Stefan.
I also happen to develop some kind of allergy/snuffle lately that doesn't makes life any better. 

Please let me know how this crazy space helmet works for you. I might also need something like this one day. 

Take care.


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 29, 2014)

I will never buy any more wood again. Ever. I'm done. That's it. I will burn all my credit cards and get drunk enough to forget the numbers. Wood sellers are evil. 

Stefan


----------



## mkriggen (Jul 29, 2014)

Duuuuude! That bottom board is sweet! Love the curl:tongue4:



Be well,
Mikey


----------



## icanhaschzbrgr (Jul 30, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> I will never buy any more wood again. Ever. I'm done. That's it. I will burn all my credit cards and get drunk enough to forget the numbers. Wood sellers are evil.


Even with my very limited woodworking experience I can feel your pain. Don't know how many times I told myself it's time to stop buying any new wood. But are seriously sick, so words and promises don't help anymore. Not sure if burning credit card will do 

Btw, please let me know if you decide to sell some of those beautiful pieces


----------



## apathetic (Jul 30, 2014)

Wow! That looks good!!


----------



## Dream Burls (Jul 30, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> I will never buy any more wood again. Ever. I'm done. That's it. I will burn all my credit cards and get drunk enough to forget the numbers. *Wood sellers are evil*.
> 
> Stefan
> 
> :devilburn:


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 30, 2014)

Sorry, Myron  I know somebody who actually freezes her credit card when funds are low - in a bag of water, so she cannot use it for impulse buys. As for selling, I am thinking of selling a few dozen blanks across my stash toward the fall, just to recoup some of the capital sitting dead on my wood shelves right now. But it's not my highest priority, gotta get handles done first. 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell (Jul 30, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> I will never buy any more wood again. Ever. I'm done. That's it.




I just can't believe this. :razz:


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 19, 2014)

Just got back from the Big Island. Let's rephrase that: From NOW on I will never buy wood again. 

Stefan


----------



## rami_m (Aug 19, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Just got back from the Big Island. Let's rephrase that: From NOW on I will never buy wood again.
> 
> Stefan



How long did the promise last this time?


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 19, 2014)

What can I do, there are koa trees all over the place

Stefan


----------



## daddy yo yo (Aug 19, 2014)

apicius9 said:


> Just got back from the Big Island. Let's rephrase that: From NOW on I will never buy wood again.
> 
> Stefan


LIER !!!


----------



## SolidSnake03 (Aug 21, 2014)

Some of thr best handles ive ever seen!


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 27, 2014)

The level of personalization in advertizing on Facebook is getting frightening. Just got this today:




Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 27, 2014)

SolidSnake03 said:


> Some of thr best handles ive ever seen!



Thanks!

Stefan


----------



## icanhaschzbrgr (Aug 27, 2014)

Cool shirt but they missed "re" in the beginning of "handle" word


----------



## Erilyn75 (Sep 6, 2014)

Love that shirt Stephan!!


----------



## apicius9 (Sep 16, 2014)

Quick update again:

As most of you know, I had taken on more than I could handle (pun intended...  ), and things have piled up over time. At this point, I have given up a bit - NOT given up on trying to finish whatever I committed to, but given up on making predictions about how long things will take. All the predictions I made in the previous year were totally off, so at this time I just keep plowing along as good as I can, finishing whatever I have on my list, and then checking back whether handles are still needed or wanted. I actually did work pretty regularly in the past months, but I have so many handles on my bench that it's a very slow progress. It might look better to do them sequentially, one after the other rather than in larger batches, but I am deciding as I go along to see what looks to be the most efficient strategy. Between working a full-time job and a teaching job, I am doing my best but seem to be overly optimistic about the speed at which I can do my best. Occasionally, my old nemesis depression has also been raising its ugly head again in the past months and affecting my overall drive and motivation, so it is sometimes difficult to tell apart whether I am just exhausted or depressed. And finally, I have never been heavier and more out of shape which certainly does not help. Not whining or fishing for sympathy, just thinking that I owe those of you who trusted in me to follow through with what they ordered an honest explanation. 

Just to give you an idea: between a larger order, the handles on my order list, extra handles I threw in here and there, and a set of cheaper handles I wanted to offer, I have about 140-150 handles on my bench - and about 120 of those already look like handles and are jn the final stages of being finished. So, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but the train is still moving slower than I had hoped... Fortunately, there are others who have jumped in and started offering handles for those of you who are - understandably - less patient. My goal is definitely to reduce my order pile and then limit the number if custom orders I take on, making more of my own ideas in my own time instead, hoping someone finds them interesting enough to buy one here and there. 

Thanks for reading. I will keep you posted as things are moving. I am hoping that I will have to show a few pieces - custom orders and extras - in the coming month, but my priority is on getting a larger order out the door and off my shoulders. That should set free all kinds of energy. We'll see...

Stefan


----------



## mkriggen (Sep 16, 2014)

Just keep plugging Stefan. I don't think a lot of people realize how productive you really are, it would take me about a year and a half to produce 150 handles.

Be well my friend,
Mikey


----------



## TheOneHawk (Sep 18, 2014)

I can't speak for everyone, but I know I'm willing to wait for a quality product. I'll wait as long as it takes.


----------



## icanhaschzbrgr (Sep 18, 2014)

Stefan, is there anything we can do to help you? Some cheering? Or fund raising for new tools?


----------



## apicius9 (Sep 18, 2014)

Thank you, guys. If people here weren't generally so nice and understanding and said nice things about my work, I probably would have given that up a couple of years ago, although I still have fun once I get to it. So, cheering is always good, but otherwise I just have to plow through. Maybe I can outsource some of the work steps on some pieces, thinking about that right now. While I can use the cash, at this time it's more important to get the pressure of running behind off my back, than maximizing profit. Of course, you can always buy a lottery ticket and share if you win something  

Stefan


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 24, 2015)

Hi there, just thought I'd post an update because I have not been hanging out here as much lately. After all kinds of drama, things were pretty stable for a while, the main problem being that I hate my job and in spite of having been flown in for a few interviews on the mainland I did not land anything, jobs going to the younger people. But that's probably not too different from what others here are experiencing. What changed over the past few weeks is that my work contract ends at the end of September, and against all expectations it is unlikely to get extended because the bureaucrats managed to lose a million $$ in funding because they did not get their act together. Since my current job does not even cover all my expenses, I increased my debt over the years and I am always about 1-2 months away from bankruptcy, so that could be an issue... When I applied for the last local academic job a couple of months ago I was told the position would not be filled while the department, at the same time, offered it to a friend - too stupid to realize my friend and I would exchange notes. I can see that they needed somebody with her degree on paper even though I am more experienced, but shabby nevertheless IMHO. Then a few weeks ago I got notice to move out of my apartment within 30 days because the house is getting sold. My car turns out to need an expensive repair on the brake system and new tires to pass the inspection. Yesterday I got a letter from the IRS who want money from me (rightfully so, I just had hoped I could delay it). So, I am ready to stay in bed for a couple of weeks and pull the blanket over my head. Does anybody happen to know next week's winning numbers for the Powerball? 

Anyway, I am still doing little things here and there in the shop, I have a couple of more things to send out, a few corrections to make on some handles, put on a replacement handle or two, and a bunch of other small things. I am trying to squeeze those in as I can, but I think packing moving boxes will have to become a priority pretty soon. After that, it's back to juggling work, job applications, and working off my order list. Oh, btw, my handle website just got hacked - again - and the host shut it down. I will have to have it cleaned by pros but that is not the highest item on my list right now. 

Stefan


----------



## Dream Burls (Jul 24, 2015)

So sorry to hear about your troubles Stefan. You know this forum has a great support system when needed. Please let us know what we can do for you.


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Jul 24, 2015)

I've heard that bad luck comes in threes, but this is something else. I'm sorry to hear that things have taken a turn in the wrong direction, but as was said there is a good support network here (not sure if we can help with the lottery numbers though)


----------



## WildBoar (Jul 24, 2015)

Sorry to hear of your troubles :-( It's usually hard for me to feel sorry for someone who lives in Hawaii, but man that is definitely a huge pile of poop dropped down on you.

Any DIY possibilities on the brake repair to save some $? Pad/ disc/ caliper replacement is pretty easy if you have the tools. You might even find a car forum for your make/ model and see if there is anyone local with some experience who is willing to help you out.


----------



## Dave Martell (Jul 24, 2015)

I think that you have even worse luck than me.


----------



## apicius9 (Sep 24, 2015)

Hi everyone, just a quick update although there is not much to report. I moved, living in a place that takes me back to my student dorm times. My work contract ends next week and I have no idea where it will go from there - waiting to hear about a contract extension decision as well as decisions on two other jobs I applied for - neither of them anywhere close to making me happy or paying enough to survive where I am. A bunch of other job applications are open, but they are for hires sometime next year. So, still working on things, juggling things and trying to survive month to month. 

While things don't look great, I still managed to crawl out of a deep black hole of depression. In July and August I would not have taken any bets on surviving the next week. Depression really sucks and takes every bit of energy out of you. But I moved beyond that, still far behind where I would like to be, but I am working on it. 

I hope I will eventually have a few more positive things to say. To all of you who are still waiting for something from me, I am trying to catch up - and please feel free to contact me, I know I owe several people still handles, answers, etc., and I am trying to catch up.

Stefan


----------



## add (Sep 24, 2015)

Have not posted here in awhile and came across this, really pulling for you Stefan.

Please stay well and hang in there best you can. 

(btw, still using that Steve Mullin/Pack River chef knife I got from you a few years back)


----------



## apicius9 (Sep 29, 2015)

Ok, 8h before my contract expired I was notified that my job will get extended for a year. Still the job I never wanted, but I can now continue to apply and do not have to move to the beach while I am doing that. Probably will get drunk tonight. Small steps, but a little more light than a couple of months ago.

Stefan


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Sep 29, 2015)

This is good news, and very timely too. Hopefully it takes some of the pressure off for the time being.


----------



## Dave Martell (Sep 30, 2015)

apicius9 said:


> Ok, 8h before my contract expired I was notified that my job will get extended for a year. Still the job I never wanted, but I can now continue to apply and do not have to move to the beach while I am doing that. Probably will get drunk tonight. Small steps, but a little more light than a couple of months ago.
> 
> Stefan





Damn, that's too close of a call there.


----------



## mkriggen (Sep 30, 2015)

apicius9 said:


> Ok, 8h before my contract expired I was notified that my job will get extended for a year. Still the job I never wanted, but I can now continue to apply and do not have to move to the beach while I am doing that. Probably will get drunk tonight. Small steps, but a little more light than a couple of months ago.
> 
> Stefan



This is why guns are not allowed in the workplace. I know a little bit how you feel, this is the first time in three years that I haven't had my hours cut in half for Oct to Jan waiting for our grants to kick in. As the saying goes...this too shall pass.

Be well my friend,
Mikey


----------



## alterwisser (Oct 1, 2015)

Halt die Ohren steif! I know you feel. Just not having the energy to motivate yourself doing even the most mundane things.


----------



## apicius9 (Nov 28, 2015)

Just came into the shop briefly to prepare a few things and looked at how much work it will be to take the shop down - makes me want to run away screaming...



1) This is probably about 1/4 of my stabilized wood. There is at least twice that much cut to blanks that is not stabilized, yet. And then there are the boards and blocks...

2) Some of my stabilized koa


----------



## Dave Martell (Nov 28, 2015)

Bring all that koa to PA! :evilgrin:


----------



## steelcity (Nov 28, 2015)

So that's why there's none available.


----------



## steelcity (Nov 28, 2015)

You trying to control the market?


----------



## Mac53 (Jan 29, 2016)

Good Evening Stefan, 

My name is Mac on the forum and I am looking for some handle wood options for my Watanabe cutlery. After reading some of your posts I realize things are a little difficult at this time but would you be able to offer some options? I realize your website has also taken a hit and hope this is the proper way to contact you about my needs.

Regards,
Mac


----------



## bkultra (Jan 29, 2016)

Mac53 said:


> Good Evening Stefan,
> 
> My name is Mac on the forum and I am looking for some handle wood options for my Watanabe cutlery. After reading some of your posts I realize things are a little difficult at this time but would you be able to offer some options? I realize your website has also taken a hit and hope this is the proper way to contact you about my needs.
> 
> ...



Stefan has recently moved across country (HI to PA) and started a new job. You might want to contact him via a PM. I'm not sure how much time he spends on the forums or if he will see this post.


----------



## Mac53 (Jan 29, 2016)

bkultra said:


> Stefan has recently moved across country (HI to PA) and started a new job. You might want to contact him via a PM. I'm not sure how much time he spends on the forums or if he will see this post.



Bkultra - thanks for the follow-up. Mac


----------

