# The Southpaw



## Kippington (Mar 15, 2018)

This one took ages to make so I'm proud to show it off! Honyaki gyuto 248mm edge length, 184 grams.







Made with a left-handed bias on both the grind and the choil rounding. I couldn't actually test this knife properly because I'm a rightly and it felt really uncomfortable haha!






I spent many long hours on the polish. I even messed up an earlier version of this knife at the polishing stage - tried too many times and it got really thin. I had to stop chasing the hamon and start the knife again from scratch. This one worked out far better, so I gotta show a hamon glamour shot!






Thanks for looking!
This one will be shipped off to Labor in the next few days.


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## bkultra (Mar 15, 2018)

I believe you meant 248mm? Looks great, Miz grind.


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## parbaked (Mar 15, 2018)

I like the simple handle...really elegant work!


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## Kippington (Mar 15, 2018)

bkultra said:


> I believe you meant 248mm?



True that, fixed.



parbaked said:


> I like the simple handle...really elegant work!



Thanks! I like simple handles too.


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## esoo (Mar 15, 2018)

As a lefty, I approve of this knife. Freaking gorgeous.


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## Barmoley (Mar 15, 2018)

Thats a great looking knife. Beautiful hamon and the profile looks great. The handle looks very comfortable too. Oh a the reason it feels wrong is because it is, what is this lefty stuff......:rofl2:


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## HRC_64 (Mar 15, 2018)

looks great +1



Kippington said:


> This one took ages to make so... so I gotta show a hamon glamour shot!


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## labor of love (Mar 15, 2018)

The only thing missing would be a parrot makers mark. &#128512;


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## parbaked (Mar 15, 2018)

Barmoley said:


> Oh a the reason it feels wrong is because it is, what is this lefty stuff......:rofl2:



But that is the perfect rational to buy more knives..."I need to try out this upcharge lefty grind sh*t"....


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## daveb (Mar 15, 2018)

I thought lefty's were limited to FOH and laundry positions..... Why would they need a knife?


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## labor of love (Mar 15, 2018)

daveb said:


> I thought lefty's were limited to FOH and laundry positions..... Why would they need a knife?



Jimi Hendrix, Napoleon and Oprah were/are left handed (drops mic).


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## bkultra (Mar 15, 2018)

Osama bin Laden, Albert Henry DeSalvo (Boston strangler), and most believe Jack the Ripper was a lefty.

I was going to put Oprah in my list too


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## Kippington (Mar 15, 2018)

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh You're gonna need this Craig:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States

I like where this is going!


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## panda (Mar 15, 2018)

Let me know when you're ready to start on mine just like it but righty &#128521;


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## labor of love (Mar 15, 2018)

panda said:


> Let me know when you're ready to start on mine just like it but righty &#128521;



I already have Kippingtons next idea. Thinner spine, thinner ground, lighter workhorse. Well call it the work pony &#128512;


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## labor of love (Mar 15, 2018)

Kippington said:


> Ohhhhhhhhhhhh You're gonna need this Craig:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States
> 
> I like where this is going!



https://youtu.be/TKAwPA14Ni4


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## daveb (Mar 15, 2018)

labor of love said:


> Jimi Hendrix, Napoleon and Oprah were/are left handed (drops mic).





bkultra said:


> Osama bin Laden, Albert Henry DeSalvo (Boston strangler), and most believe Jack the Ripper was a lefty.
> 
> I was going to put Oprah in my list too





Kippington said:


> Ohhhhhhhhhhhh You're gonna need this Craig:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States
> 
> I like where this is going!



Ha! Not a one of them could get a job as a cook.


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## panda (Mar 15, 2018)

labor of love said:


> I already have Kippingtons next idea. Thinner spine, thinner ground, lighter workhorse. Well call it the work pony &#128512;


yes!! since i already have workhorse covered, sign me up


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## Miles (Mar 15, 2018)

Very nice!


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## milkbaby (Mar 16, 2018)

Beautiful work, love the hamon and the choil pic looks great too as long as you're a lefty.


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## Barmoley (Mar 16, 2018)

labor of love said:


> I already have Kippingtons next idea. Thinner spine, thinner ground, lighter workhorse. Well call it the work pony &#128512;



:bigeek: I want a work pony. It has to be done RIGHT ofcourse, but I want one. Is it going to have the same profile as this one? How tall is this one at the heel?


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## panda (Mar 16, 2018)

you have to get in line, i'm first.


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## Kippington (Mar 17, 2018)

Barmoley said:


> :bigeek: I want a work pony. It has to be done RIGHT ofcourse, but I want one. Is it going to have the same profile as this one? How tall is this one at the heel?


This one is 53mm tall. And just what the hell is a "work pony"? :biggrin:



labor of love said:


> The only thing missing would be a parrot makers mark. &#128512;


This is a good idea, I need to learn to electro etch. Anyone got any tips before I jump into it?


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## panda (Mar 19, 2018)

work pony - a laser that has thick enough spine (3.0mm with aggressive taper?) to have an actual convex grind for food release but still just drops right through food cause of its thinness.

i dont care about kanji or logos, but a parrot would be pretty dope.


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## labor of love (Mar 19, 2018)

I always loved the Sab elephants.


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## labor of love (Mar 19, 2018)

I mean the elephant itself, not the knife &#128526;


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## ashy2classy (Apr 13, 2018)

How can I order one???? :doublethumbsup:


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## panda (Apr 14, 2018)

ashy, send kippington a private message and ask him to make you a work pony


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## Chips (Jun 5, 2018)

I rarely post, but I read this forum every night. Anyway, I've been the proud owner of this knife now for a few weeks. I love it's fit and feel in the hand. It works beautifully for me as a lefty. I will have to re-handle it however, (which I planned for) since the handle isn't attached firmly and can be pulled off easily. If anyone knows of a good handle maker that makes angular, slightly European styled handles like Don Nguyen or Cris Anderson, etc, please let me know!


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## Kippington (Jun 5, 2018)

I'm glad you're enjoying it! :biggrin:

If you'd like to fix the loose handle, all you need to do is heat the tang over an open flame, rub some beeswax onto it (which should melt) then knock it back into the handle. Once the beeswax solidifies the handle should be quite difficult to pull off again.

The wax does a terrible job of holding the tang if it cracks after solidifying, but melting it resets everything.

The tang of your knife was burnt into that handle for fitting.

33 posts since 2012?
You're like the ultimate lurker!


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## Chips (Jun 5, 2018)

Thanks! I like the grippy-ness of your handle, but yearn for something with more curves to it and dressed up a bit. I bought it for the blade with no consideration of the handle


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## parbaked (Jun 5, 2018)

Josh at Bernal Cutlery can re-attach your handle, if you need help.
He can also re-handle it for you if he has a handle that you prefer in stock.
Josh can also assist you to source a custom handle. He works with Edro and a few others.
Matching Edro handle and saya would be sweet!
https://edro-made.myshopify.com


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## Chips (Jun 29, 2018)

Here it is, freshly re-handled. 

https://imgur.com/gallery/inDe3b8


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## Marek07 (Jun 29, 2018)

Chips said:


> Here it is, freshly re-handled.
> 
> https://imgur.com/gallery/inDe3b8


*Wow!* 

Fantastic handle upgrade to a knife you're enjoying. Who did the work and how long did it take?


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## panda (Jun 29, 2018)

looked better with original handle


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## Chips (Jun 29, 2018)

Marek07 said:


> *Wow!*
> 
> Fantastic handle upgrade to a knife you're enjoying. Who did the work and how long did it take?




Cris Anderson, he had it done in like 5-6 days


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## Chips (Jun 29, 2018)

panda said:


> looked better with original handle




To each, his own.


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## panda (Jun 29, 2018)

in my view, ruined the knife, lol

marek, when you get yours back please don't do this to it.  yours is the only laser ive ever actually liked.


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## Marek07 (Jun 29, 2018)

panda said:


> in my view, ruined the knife, lol
> 
> marek, when you get yours back please don't do this to it.  yours is the only laser ive ever actually liked.


Noted! If I upgrade the handle at all, it will still be a wa. Possibly one of Kipp's new generation of handles. (_*hint, hint*_... )


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## Chips (Jun 30, 2018)

His new handles are beautiful. The one that came on this knife was perfectly utilitarian and yes, I could have just secured it back on, but the color was also paler than what shows in most of the pictures and not as nice looking in the flesh. I intend to use it as my primary gyuto, so I'll likely sell one of my other two customs.


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