# 240 Gyuto design and layout.



## Mike Davis (Jul 18, 2011)

Ok...I forgot a friends birthday, and he wanted a nice kitchen knife. This will be my first kitchen knife....Problem is i have to have this done by wednesday. I have a drawn profile and would like your input and critique. It will be a wa handle and i am a bit hesitant, but at this point have no choice lol. Here is the pic.






I am using O1 and not sure about the handle yet....I have a lot of stuff to choose from.

Thanks
Mike D.


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## EdipisReks (Jul 18, 2011)

i would drop the tip a little. give it plenty of distal taper, but i only like a strong taper starting about a third of the way from the tip. otherwise looks good. good luck!


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## Mike Davis (Jul 18, 2011)

Thanks...I have to start cutting this one out in an hour or so and wanted some input. I originally had it lower but wasn't sure. I will drop it about 1/4 of an inch for a start and just go with my gut on the way i wanted it originally. I think originally it was 3/8-7/16 lower. It is drawn to size, which is about 15.4 inches in total length. with a 2.2 inch heel height.


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## Lefty (Jul 18, 2011)

Hope I'm not too late, but I second dropping the tip. Knock it down to about a cm below the bottom of the ferrule. I'm looking forward to seeing the end product. 
Good luck!


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## Mike Davis (Jul 19, 2011)

k...here is what i have so far...I played with the profile quite a bit after the drawing. I got the tip down...when measured straight across from the bottom of the handle it is about 2 cm below that. I roughly laid in the bevels....It was HT and is in the oven as we speak. I like how it turned out so far...Hopefully i can keep it going good throughout the whole process  









The whole tip has been redone, as it was too long and was too high. I measured and achieved an edge length of 240.04mm. Not too bad for my first rodeo.
More pics as it gets cleaned up 

Thanks 
Mike


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 19, 2011)

The tip should be just below the bottom of the bolster, which it looks close to. You shouldn't have to drop it too much. Instead, change the flat portion of the blade so it doesn't run parallel with the spine. You want it to slant up towards the spine as it gets towards the tip. It can still be flat, but when the heel is on the board, it angles the handle upwards a bit. 

I can see where you had the tip previously, having it there is fine, but the previous profile drops down to the cutting edge a bit too swiftly. A more gentle belly into an angled flat spot in front of the heel and youll be dead on.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 19, 2011)

Whoops, we were typing at the same time. Looks good, I would say it has a bit too much of a pronounced belly about 3" in from the tip. Should be able to ease it into a gentler transition after heat treat still if you'd like. Try it on a board and see how it feels.

Edit: Also, if in the first picture the second line is a grind guide line, I would drop it by the heel and let it taper up towards the spine as it get towards the tip. This will make the section of the blade just in front of the blade more durable and rigid for heavy work, and help the spine support the thinner front half of the blade, reducing too much flexibility.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 19, 2011)

Actually, i did that already...just didn't get the pics yet.I thought it was too much also so i smoothed out the belly on it quite a bit...I like the feel of it a lot better now.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 19, 2011)

In retrospect...i should add that i am making this a stick tang with the wa handle...though about the full tang, but it is heavy enough atm lol.


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## El Pescador (Jul 19, 2011)

Looking good Mike. Does Del know you stole his handle?!


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## Mike Davis (Jul 19, 2011)

I am actually changing it to a hidden tang. The handle is soft after HT, and i dont have much in the way of scales lol. Thought about full tang, but thought that might make Del think i am trying to steal his design lol. Besides...i want to do a stick tang wa...sounds like a lot of fun.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 19, 2011)

Ok so here it is after a re profiling and HT. I roughed the bevels in and he said he wanted it full flat so i changed it  I like how it is looking so far, but i am going to take a little of the flat off the heel, think that will make the rocking action a bit better.









Ok again this is my first kitchen knife....Man what a learning curve! lol. I have to say thanks to you all for your input...Please comment away, as it is the only way i will get better and do it right.

Thanks 
Mike


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 19, 2011)

El Pescador said:


> Looking good Mike. Does Del know you stole his handle?!


 
Everyone should steal the Ealy Handle design. It's amazing. I vote we just call it the "Ealy Handle" so he always gets credit for it, and people know where to go to get the real deal.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 19, 2011)

Lookin good. Better without that extra belly. I wouldn't take any off the heel to help with rocking, but if that is what he likes then by all means. I would be careful of the dropped bolster/extra meat above the heel. If it drops all the way to the edge or just behind it, it can makes sharpening very annoying or impossible towards the heel. This is something you see in a lot of forged german blades and traditionally has been considered a sign of quality, but in actual application it sucks. Japanese or j-styled knives don't have the bolster drop down to the heel.


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 19, 2011)

johndoughy said:


> Everyone should steal the Ealy Handle design. It's amazing. I vote we just call it the "Ealy Handle" so he always gets credit for it, and people know where to go to get the real deal.


 
+1. The Ealy Handle it is. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, after all.


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## Lefty (Jul 19, 2011)

Looks really good! I agree that you should grind off the extended bolster/guard. Maybe have it end a couple mms after the bottom of the handle. I love Sabatiers, but I can't stand sharpening them, purely because of the guard.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 19, 2011)

Ok, by the bolster/guard...What do you guys mean? Are you talking about the plunge grind? I plan on taking it farther up...as i dont want it to interfere down the road. I just didn't want it to be to the finished height before HT. Oh and i talked with Del about the handle...He is good with it! I agree about the Ealy Handle thing...It is his beast, he deserves credit....Hell for as much advice as he gives me...He deserves more than handle credit lol. Thanks for the pointers guys, You guys make it possible for me to (hopefully) make a usable knife lol.

Thanks again guys
Mike


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 19, 2011)

I wasn't sure if it was plunge grind or an extended bolster/guard. But you already knew to bring it up a bit, so you're on the right track!


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## obtuse (Jul 19, 2011)

That is one great looking blade, regardless of it being your first gyuto.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 20, 2011)

I actually made some progress tonight but had a oh crap moment.I was raising the plunge grinds and got a shock from my KMG...I jumped....Well a 50 grit 3M 957 belt is unforgiving, and left me with a deep scratch i can't get out without ruining the geometry of the knife....So i got it as close as i could, and finish sanded it. I figure it is for a friend and i am now making him a petty to compensate for my mistake. Any how, i did get the handle glued up for it...I figured that Del said to go ahead and do full tang...I did. I used a weird piece of redwood burl that i got from Mark Farley, and used ironwood burl for the bolsters. This is my first time ever doing bolsters...Hidden pins are a pita. Everything lined up great and it should be dry enough by the time my kid takes a nap that i can rough shape the handle and get the feel of it.ok so here is the picture.





Thanks for looking
Mike


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## Mike Davis (Jul 20, 2011)

Ok still have some more handle profiling to do yet, just roughed it in real fast to see how i liked it. So far, so good! In this oic you can see the scratch. Going to see if i can get it out with some scotchbrite before i put the patina on it.





Hopefully you guys like it....Next one will be a lot better.

Thanks
Mike


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 20, 2011)

Nice! That redwood is crazy.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 20, 2011)

Ok it is as finished as i could get it in the time allowed. Got the scrathes out almost completely, patina turned out pretty cool also. Turned out pretty good for my first one. Well...at least I think so lol.









Already planning the next one. With a nikiri, petty and sujihiki to match


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## Delbert Ealy (Jul 20, 2011)

That turned out good, Mike!
Thanks,
Del


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 20, 2011)

I like the beveled front edge on the bolster/ferrule.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 21, 2011)

Thanks! I did that knife in a total time of 10 hours....Including HT. Now that i have had some fun making a kitchen knife...I will probably make a few more. I am going to try and have a petty finished to take with me to Del's this weekend.

Thanks
Mike


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## Burl Source (Jul 21, 2011)

Dang Mike that knife turned out nice.
Very cool blade, handle and patina.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 21, 2011)

Thanks Mark! That is some of that sweet redwood i got from you


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 21, 2011)

Looks great for a first knife! I'm not sold on the dropped heal, I don't think it'll help that much when rocking, but admittedly it's just speculation.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 21, 2011)

The dropped heel was a mistake lol:scratchhead:. I was trying to get the scratches out in the plunge area and burned the heel a touch to thin lol. When i was trying to sharpen it, it flexed and bent so i just ground it off and resharpened it. It was only 1/2 in long so i don't think it will affect performance much, if any at all. So it was a mistake....I will happily admit it. I just chalk it up to a learning experience.

Thanks 
Mike


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## mhenry (Jul 22, 2011)

Too Cool! making your own knives. Beautiful work.


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 22, 2011)

Mike Davis said:


> The dropped heel was a mistake lol:scratchhead:. I was trying to get the scratches out in the plunge area and burned the heel a touch to thin lol. When i was trying to sharpen it, it flexed and bent so i just ground it off and resharpened it. It was only 1/2 in long so i don't think it will affect performance much, if any at all. So it was a mistake....I will happily admit it. I just chalk it up to a learning experience.
> 
> Thanks
> Mike


 
A mistake? On your first knife?! How could you?! :disdain:


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## JohnnyChance (Jul 22, 2011)

A little bit of heel rounding can be a good thing, just because it will reduce "heel bite" which is when you arent paying attention enough, and catch your hand on the sharp/pointy 90 degree heel while handling the knife. Especially for people who are used to the giant safety gaurd/bolster of german blades.


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## Mike Davis (Jul 23, 2011)

johndoughy said:


> A mistake? On your first knife?! How could you?! :disdain:


 
Sorry....I know...I fail.... 
I have never used..or even seen a german knife lol.

Thanks guys
Mike


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## tk59 (Jul 23, 2011)

Very nice first effort!


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## RRLOVER (Jul 23, 2011)

That looks great:thumbsup: It is very cool to see people jumping into knife making.


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## Daniel Fairly (Jul 30, 2011)

Looks great Mike!


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