# Watanabe handle upgrades?



## CiderBear (Jun 10, 2019)

Hi everyone!

I have been toying with the idea of getting a Wat Pro nakiri, and I'm curious about their handle upgrade options. I'm not a huge fan of the plastic ferrule, and I don't want to go through the process of rehandling later, therefore I'm interested in your past experience getting handle upgrades directly from Watanabe.

If you could post pictures of your knives with upgraded handles, and tell me how you feel about the F&F on them, compare them to other handles you have, etc... it would be great. Thank you very much for your help!


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## DitmasPork (Jun 10, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> I have been toying with the idea of getting a Wat Pro nakiri, and I'm curious about their handle upgrade options. I'm not a huge fan of the plastic ferrule, and I don't want to go through the process of rehandling later, therefore I'm interested in your past experience getting handle upgrades directly from Watanabe.
> 
> If you could post pictures of your knives with upgraded handles, and tell me how you feel about the F&F on them, compare them to other handles you have, etc... it would be great. Thank you very much for your help!



Far as I know, Wat Pro comes with horn ferrule. Best to just send Shinichi an email. My Wats have very good handles, keyaki.


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## CiderBear (Jun 10, 2019)

DitmasPork said:


> Far as I know, Wat Pro comes with horn ferrule. Best to just send Shinichi an email. My Wats have very good handles, keyaki.


I believe the stock Wat Pro nakiri comes with a nice burnt chestnut handle and a not-so-nice plastic ferrule :/

May I see some pictures of your Wats and their handles?


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## chinacats (Jun 10, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> I believe the stock Wat Pro nakiri comes with a nice burnt chestnut handle and a not-so-nice plastic ferrule :/
> 
> May I see some pictures of your Wats and their handles?



Yep...


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## parbaked (Jun 10, 2019)

Watanabe packages the Professional 165mm Nakiri & Santoku with his "best" Enju / buffalo handles.
http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/santoku.htm

The 180mm Pro Nakiri is priced with the chestnut / plastic handle and the option to upgrade to ho or Enju wood.
http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/nakkiri.htm

This is why the 165mm nakiri is Y1000 more expensive than the 180mm nakiri...


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## CiderBear (Jun 10, 2019)

parbaked said:


> Watanabe packages the Professional 165mm Nakiri & Santoku with his "best" Enju / buffalo handles.
> http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/santoku.htm
> 
> The 180mm Pro Nakiri is priced with the chestnut / plastic handle and the option to upgrade to ho or Enju wood.
> ...



Hi pat baked, thank you. Yes, I was aware of the options. I wanted to know what the upgrades actually look like and what people (who's gotten the upgrades) think about them. Apologies if I wasn't being clear enough in the OP


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## DitmasPork (Jun 10, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> I believe the stock Wat Pro nakiri comes with a nice burnt chestnut handle and a not-so-nice plastic ferrule :/
> 
> May I see some pictures of your Wats and their handles?



Two Wats:







The handles on the site look like horn. As I mentioned, best to do is send Shinichi an email.
http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/santoku.htm

From his site:
*Octagonal shaped Enju wood with water buffalo horn hilt*


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## CiderBear (Jun 10, 2019)

DitmasPork said:


> Two Wats:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Beautiful knives, thanks so much for the picture - do you know which is which? I have already contacted Shinichi, but I wanted to get some other views on the handles is all.
(also he does say on the website for his 180mm nakiri, the default is a plastic ferrule http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/pro/nakkiri.htm[URL]http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/pro/nakkiri.htm[/URL]
*Handle: D-shaped burnt chestnut wood with plastic hilt)*

Are keyaki and enju wood the same thing?


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## BoostedGT (Jun 11, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> I have been toying with the idea of getting a Wat Pro nakiri, and I'm curious about their handle upgrade options. I'm not a huge fan of the plastic ferrule, and I don't want to go through the process of rehandling later, therefore I'm interested in your past experience getting handle upgrades directly from Watanabe.
> 
> If you could post pictures of your knives with upgraded handles, and tell me how you feel about the F&F on them, compare them to other handles you have, etc... it would be great. Thank you very much for your help!



I just ordered a Nakiri with the Enju handle, will arrive on Wednesday, I can post pictures when I get it.


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## childermass (Jun 11, 2019)

I always upgrade my Wats with burnt chestnut handles with horn ferrule. Some of them are a little twisted, but that’s not noticeable in use. Transition between horn and wood is very well done on all of them and the finish is good.
I can take a few pictures for you later when I get home.


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## childermass (Jun 11, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> Are keyaki and enju wood the same thing?



Nope, two different trees...

Keyaki: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelkova_serrata


Enju: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styphnolobium_japonicum


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## CiderBear (Jun 11, 2019)

childermass said:


> I always upgrade my Wats with burnt chestnut handles with horn ferrule. Some of them are a little twisted, but that’s not noticeable in use. Transition between horn and wood is very well done on all of them and the finish is good.
> I can take a few pictures for you later when I get home.


Thank you. I'd really appreciate it. When did you get yours? Last I asked, Shinichi doesn't offer the option anymore


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## childermass (Jun 11, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> Thank you. I'd really appreciate it. When did you get yours? Last I asked, Shinichi doesn't offer the option anymore



Got my Kaibou and Suji in 2014, the Mioroshi Deba in 2016 and Kaisaki two months ago. The latter has the worst handle of all four, but it’s also really thin to suit the intended purpose and I guess he might not have had many to choose from. Maybe he’s out of stock for the more standard sizes.
He didn’t offer burnt chestnut on the website in 2016 but I asked and got it.

I also got my hands on one of the Enju handles and these really look and feel great.


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## DitmasPork (Jun 11, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> Beautiful knives, thanks so much for the picture - do you know which is which? I have already contacted Shinichi, but I wanted to get some other views on the handles is all.
> (also he does say on the website for his 180mm nakiri, the default is a plastic ferrule http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/pro/nakkiri.htmhttp://www.watanabeblade.com/english/pro/nakkiri.htm
> *Handle: D-shaped burnt chestnut wood with plastic hilt)*
> 
> Are keyaki and enju wood the same thing?



I've never held enju, but Wat's keyaki is one of my fave handles. F&f not up to par as the really good custom handle makers, but no matter, Wat's are working knives, utilitarian, want them comfortable and not too pretty.


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## CiderBear (Jun 11, 2019)

childermass said:


> Got my Kaibou and Suji in 2014, the Mioroshi Deba in 2016 and Kaisaki two months ago. The latter has the worst handle of all four, but it’s also really thin to suit the intended purpose and I guess he might not have had many to choose from. Maybe he’s out of stock for the more standard sizes.
> He didn’t offer burnt chestnut on the website in 2016 but I asked and got it.
> 
> I also got my hands on one of the Enju handles and these really look and feel great.



Woah, that's a lot of Wats. I'd love to see pictures of them when you get home - thank you very much for the offer. 




DitmasPork said:


> I've never held enju, but Wat's keyaki is one of my fave handles. F&f not up to par as the really good custom handle makers, but no matter, Wat's are working knives, utilitarian, want them comfortable and not too pretty.


I see. I agree that they're utilitarian knives and don't need to be too pretty - in fact, I'm not a fan of shiny fancy custom handles at all - but I do like nice, comfy basic (well, maybe not too basic) handle with a nice flushed ferrule.


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## childermass (Jun 11, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> Woah, that's a lot of Wats. I'd love to see pictures of them when you get home - thank you very much for the offer.




Yes, I got a thing for Wats and I really like to deal with Shinichi as I enjoy his direct marketing approach. I also got a standard Nakiri and 120 Ajikiri but both with a Ho wood handle with horn ferrule.

Here you got a group shot. The horn is pretty flush with the wood on all of them and you can only slightly feel the transition if you really try. All handles are lined up nicely with the spine, the twists, if any show when you look at the choil. The things I enjoy the most about these is the textured surface and the grip when wet.






Some details (sorry for the poor lighting.

Suji (the nicest of the four)









Kaibou 









Mioroshi Deba









Kaisaki (as I said, awful looking handle but nothing to realize in use)


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## CiderBear (Jun 11, 2019)

@childermass Thank you very much for the pictures!! Wow, that suji truly does have a really nice handle - I love the grain on it. Can I see the ho wood ones as well ^^?


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## DitmasPork (Jun 11, 2019)

By the way, plastic ferrule shouldn't dissuade you from buying a Wat. They're really great blades, some of my fave. You can always upgrade, or get it re-handled if you fancy.


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## childermass (Jun 11, 2019)

CiderBear said:


> @childermass Thank you very much for the pictures!! Wow, that suji truly does have a really nice handle - I love the grain on it. Can I see the ho wood ones as well ^^?



Sure!





I rehandled the Nakiri myself, got the handle from Shinichi for free. Unfortunately the handle was used and I had to use epoxy to fill the gaps left and right of the tang:









The Ajikiri got a nice d-handle upon my request:


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## Kevin Sykes (Jun 11, 2019)

I went with the octagonal ho/horn for my wat nakiri and am pleased with it. Not a fan of some of the more blingy handles but appreciate the simple elegance of this one.

Some pics:


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## Kevin Sykes (Jun 11, 2019)




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## CiderBear (Jun 11, 2019)

BoostedGT said:


> I just ordered a Nakiri with the Enju handle, will arrive on Wednesday, I can post pictures when I get it.


Thank you so much! How long did it take from when you ordered until the knife arrives tomorrow?

@childermass and @Kevin Sykes thank you both for the pictures. It looks like the F&F on most of his handle upgrades are good, even when the handles don't look flashy (which I prefer anyway)


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## Ryndunk (Jun 11, 2019)

Wat nakiri with enju handle. Received this about 3weeks ago. I had asked him for a chestnut and horn handle but he told me that wasn't an option.


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## CiderBear (Jun 11, 2019)

Ryndunk said:


> Wat nakiri with enju handle. Received this about 3weeks ago. I had asked him for a chestnut and horn handle but he told me that wasn't an option.
> View attachment 54749
> View attachment 54751



Thank you so, so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. This is the 180mm with the upgrade, correct? Shin also told me burnt chestnut+horn wasn't an option

Overall, how do you feel about the Enju handle? To me, the color seems a lot lighter than his stock pictures for the upgrade & knives in the "Special" section with enju handles, almost as light as normal Ho wood? What do you think?


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## Ryndunk (Jun 11, 2019)

Yes, its a 180 with the enju. The handle is nice, nothing really special if that's what you are looking for. It is definitely a bit darker than the ho wood. I've never seen one of his chestnut and plastic handles but I imagine it's a nice upgrade from that, and a small upgrade from a standard ho wood handle.


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## BoostedGT (Jun 12, 2019)

I just got this 180mm Pro Nakiri today, I got the Enju handle as well, really impressed, it is nicely done, simple and nice.


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## CiderBear (Jun 12, 2019)

@BoostedGT and @Ryndunk thank you both so much for the pics of the Enju handles. They really helped me with my research

Now, one last request, if it's not too much (more) to ask: if you have any random knife with a Ho wood handle, could you picture the Enju and Ho next to each other? I'd like to be able to see how much more brownish-yellow enju is compared to Ho wood 

Also, does anyone know if Shinichi ever offers blonde horns on his handles? I'm thinking enju+blonde horn would make a simple yet nice contrast to the kurouchi finish


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## Ryndunk (Jun 12, 2019)




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## CiderBear (Jun 12, 2019)

Thank you so much @Ryndunk!! This really shows me the difference in color and grains between the 2 handles. The enju is beautiful


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## krx927 (Jun 13, 2019)

Here are some pics of keyaki octagonal. I really like it:


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## BoostedGT (Jun 13, 2019)

Enju and different ho woods.


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## CiderBear (Jun 13, 2019)

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


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## krx927 (Jun 13, 2019)

It was 4 years ago.


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## BoostedGT (Jun 13, 2019)

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


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## daveb (Jun 13, 2019)

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


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## labor of love (Jun 13, 2019)

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


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## Keith Sinclair (Jun 13, 2019)

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


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## CiderBear (Jun 14, 2019)

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

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


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## daveb (Jun 14, 2019)

I got the keyaki handle on a suji. 

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


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## Keith Sinclair (Jun 14, 2019)

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


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## J.C (Jun 16, 2019)

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


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## CiderBear (Jun 16, 2019)

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


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## valgard (Jun 16, 2019)

Keith Sinclair said:


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


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


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## J.C (Jun 18, 2019)

CiderBear said:


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



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


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## CiderBear (Jun 18, 2019)

valgard said:


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


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


J.C said:


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


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


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## Keith Sinclair (Jun 18, 2019)

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


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## Receiver52 (Jun 22, 2019)

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


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## CiderBear (Jun 28, 2019)

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

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


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## josemartinlopez (Aug 12, 2020)

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

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


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## M1k3 (Aug 12, 2020)

Have to compare the actual handles.

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

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

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


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## josemartinlopez (Aug 12, 2020)

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


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## M1k3 (Aug 12, 2020)

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


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## beneficialapricot (Aug 13, 2020)

CiderBear said:


> Has anyone ever ordered the custom handles (more expensive than enju) from Shinichi? Has he always offered custom handles like these before?
> 
> These are currently on his website for the 180mm Nakiri and gyuto.


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


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