# Enjoying making wa handles



## Graydo77

Hey guys, I just finished making a handle for my moritaka honesuki. I'm pretty pleased with the results but know there's a lot I can do better. I've been having trouble posting pics but I'll try once again. Lemme know what you think, thanks a bunch.


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## Graydo77

Darn doesn't seem like pics are coming thru. If anyone can help that would be awesome


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## James

You'll have to upload it to an image hosting website and add it from there


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## Matus

Take Flickr. Simple to use.


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## Graydo77

Let's try again, just got flikr.


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## Graydo77

https://www.flickr.com/gp/[email protected]/1ZZ2ru


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## Graydo77

https://www.flickr.com/gp/[email protected]/3r3A96


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## Graydo77

It worked, thanks guys!!!

Couple other handles I'm working on now


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## daveb

I got links to pics but not pics.


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## Graydo77

Seems like 3 out of 4 work


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## ThEoRy

Same. I got the links but no pics are showing.


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## Graydo77

Just made them public photos, hope they can be viewed now


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## SliceNDice

nice work


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## Graydo77

Ty slice, it's been fun learning the ins and outs of this stuff, funny how sanding different woods brings out smells that reminds me of other things(lignin vitae smells like flowers lol).


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## Graydo77

Little beeswax buff to see what it looks like


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## woodworkcan

Very nice work!

Do you glue every part on the handle in one pass, or in several steps?


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## Graydo77

I get everything cut and fitted, making sure my dowel length is correct(also cutting a slot in it and sanding one side a bit to make a flat spot where glue can escape). Then I start glueing and assembling everything in one shot, glueing and stacking them and using a bar clamp to hold it tight while the glue cures.


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## Graydo77

Not much time tonite to work on these handles but got a bit more shaping done.




Bigger handle looks nice quickly run up to 2k sanding and a quick buff


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## scotchef38

Nice work!


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## Matus

Very nice work. May I ask what wood is the yellow-ish toned one? I really like the color and grain.


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## Graydo77

It's called lignium vitae, it's very dense stuff.


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## Matus

Thanks.


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## Graydo77

So I got home today and was thinking how I could make profiling these handles easier and came up with this glass plate that i had hanging around.
Now I can be a bit more exact than just grinding on the 6" belt.







Should be fun to try it out.


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## Graydo77

Finally done with this handle, very satisfied with how it came out




Lemme know what you guys think. Please critique it so I can work on making them better. 

Also playing around with an angled buttcap. Still a work in progress.


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## Graydo77

Working on three bocote/ Blackwood handles for a set. Trying to figure out what to use them on lol but I don't think I can work them into my knives. I guess we will see 

https://flic.kr/p/JABDvW


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## Graydo77

Been real busy with work lately but making a lil bit of progress. Decided to put them on the moritaka's I have, gonna shorten the cleaver handle because I find the original too long. 

https://flic.kr/p/K2THix


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## Matus

That look great. I have a question concerning finish sanding. I use something similar, but I find that the finer sanding paper (in particular 1200 and 2000) clogs very fast and I do not manage to clean it (with a brush). Basically - I have spend 1 sheat of each 1200 and 2000 to finish one handle - and it was just a few strokes on each of the 8 facets) I am wondering whether there is a way to use the fine grained paper more efficiently. 

Do you also use something like steel wool for final polish? May I also ask what do you use to finish the surface - some sort of oil or wax or something else? In the photos you shared the handles look so nice finished


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## apicius9

Matus said:


> That look great. I have a question concerning finish sanding. I use something similar, but I find that the finer sanding paper (in particular 1200 and 2000) clogs very fast and I do not manage to clean it (with a brush). Basically - I have spend 1 sheat of each 1200 and 2000 to finish one handle - and it was just a few strokes on each of the 8 facets) I am wondering whether there is a way to use the fine grained paper more efficiently.
> 
> Do you also use something like steel wool for final polish? May I also ask what do you use to finish the surface - some sort of oil or wax or something else? In the photos you shared the handles look so nice finished




FWIW, have you tried wet-sanding at 1200 or 2000 grit? Works a little better. That said, IMHO there are pros and cons to sanding that high. For my taste they sometimes come out too plasticky and the last bit of wood character gets lost, especially in well stabilized woods. I hardly ever go over 1200 grit and I know that many of the Western handles are not even sanded over 600 grit. But I do a last rub-down with 0000 steel wool. It's nasty stuff but where sand paper sands, steel wool actually cuts more than it sands, and that leaves a nice and clean surface - good enough for me. 

Stefan

Oops, I thought this was in the shop section, I hope you don't mind me chiming in.


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## Matus

Stefan, thank you. I will PM you so that I do not derail this thread.


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## Graydo77

Finally got around to replacing the handle on the cleaver. It was just way too long for me and a bit too wide also. So this one is about 1.5 inches shorter with a metal end weight to compensate for the weight loss of the larger handle. Feels much better in the hand now imo. 

https://flic.kr/p/KuBjbw


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