# Help me find a new project



## merlijny2k (Nov 29, 2016)

Its not really in line with the forum title, because there is nothing to display yet, but we all seem to have fun with the which knife should i buy threads so i thought id do a variation: what knife should i fix/finish.

I rehandled, thinned and refinished a 25cm Diamant Sabatier and a Seki Ryu for myself. Im doing a similar job on a 20cm Lion Sabatier stainless for my little sis. The rest of the knives i have lying around are basically not worth investing time in. So when i finish the Lion knife im done. I still have a chinese made Schulte Ufer i might try a different style handle on but the knife itself is essentially crap too so im not sure. Im looking for some interesting folow up project(s). 

Limitations:
No column drill, so japanede handles are difficult.
No bench grinder, belt grinder or other power tools besides a hand drill and angle grinder.

Anyone know a good source for fun project knives or blanks worth working on? I follow local 'marktplaats' website quite closely but not that much comes by. Best shot were some ancient carbon sabatiers but they were 100 euro which is much more than im willing to spend and they were gone the next day. On American ebay i see some old hickory chef knives that would be fun to refinish but im not going to pay 25 for shipping and i cant find em here. Doesnt have to be carbon though stainless is fine just no supermarket grade $5 soft crap.

Looking forward to your recommendations.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Nov 29, 2016)

There are inexpensive, rough vietnamese blades around that basically are some kind of shallow warikomi construction, so they can be used as a re-formattable blank with a usable edge...


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## milkbaby (Nov 29, 2016)

I know some people hand drill hidden tang handles without a drill press, maybe worth a try on scrap wood to test? 

In the USA there is a $10 carbon steel Chinese cleaver from wok shop (I think that's the store) that would make a cool project, new handle and perhaps thinning the blade. However, probably shipping could be too much? 

You could do a hidden tang frame handle without needing to drill into the wood to insert the tang.


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## jessf (Nov 29, 2016)

If time and investment are factors you're considering, and it sounds like you are, then quit ***** footing around and make one from scratch. Win or fail the knowledge you will gain is hard to compare. You can do a lot with hand drill and a grinder.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Nov 29, 2016)

Made simple stick handles in the past by just clamping it sideways in a vice, drilling two holes next to each other with an egg beater hand drill* and a wood bit, then having at the holes with small files...

*very underrated tool in general ... you can drill stuff at night when nobody is distracting you with noise


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## merlijny2k (Dec 4, 2016)

Oh boy found myself fixing a cheap bandsteel knife again. Found it in aunty's drawer where its been sitting with loose and broken handle scales forever. What is kind of fun is you can actually hand thin a full 8 inch chefs in under two hours. And man did it need thinning. Once the slurry builds on that stone you just really feel it digging in at an incredible pace. Shame the good steels arent the same fun.


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