# Gallery - Re-Handles



## Dave Martell

We offer re-handling service for Japanese knives.

Here are a few examples of work that we've done...

***Please skip to the end (last page) of this thread to view my most recent work.*




















































If you're interested in having similar work done to your knives please contact us at *JapaneseKnifeSharpening.com* to discuss details.

Base Cost $175 + materials (average is usually $25)


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## ecchef

When I surround myself with my Dave rehandles, I feel like Charlie Sheen.


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## Dave Martell

You're a twisted man.


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## ecchef

More like spalted.


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## hien

i need one  do you have any materials i can pick from?


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## Dave Martell

hien said:


> i need one  do you have any materials i can pick from?



Yes sir I've got a lot of wood on hand. I just need to shoot some pictures of it....soon!


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## hien

sveet !!! hopefully soon = very soon lolz


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## unkajonet

Shameless plug for Dave: if you don't have one, you need to get one. The craftsmanship is just top notch.


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## Pensacola Tiger

unkajonet said:


> Shameless plug for Dave: if you don't have one, you need to get one. The craftsmanship is just top notch.


 
Agree.

BTW, Dave, you need to post all the rehandles you've done for the group buys since your sub-forum no longer exists on KF.


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## Dave Martell

Rick, that's one of the bad things about leaving there, all that work down the crapper. I do need to get up some gallery type posts up here though, huh? I'll get on it, thanks for the reminder.


Emanuel ,Thanks for the plug!


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## ecchef

+1. We Need Pics!


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## Dave Martell




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## Dave Martell




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## Pensacola Tiger

Hiromoto AS 30cm sujihiki - Desert Ironwood


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## Dave Martell




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## Dave Martell




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## Dave Martell




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## Dave Martell




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## Dave Martell




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## Dave Martell




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## Pensacola Tiger

Hiromoto AS 24cm Gyuto - Dyed Teal Maple


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## Vertigo

Hey now... I recognize that bad boy! :/


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## JohnnyChance




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## Dave Martell

Is that a suji? The handle looks long and lean.


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## UglyJoe

Dave Martell said:


> We offer re-handling service for western handled Japanese knives.
> 
> Here are a few examples of work that we've done...



Taken all together, handle and fantastic etch, THE most wicked Hiro AS ever....

Looks like this one was thinned a little as well... did you do this before you stopped thinning the ASes?


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## Dave Martell

I can't remember but I think that I didn't thin it. Emanuel will have to answer this one.


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## CalleNAK

Seriously, how did he get the patina that black and have it bleed even more into a gray then into the SS. Just beautiful. I'm in awe.


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## Pensacola Tiger

CalleNAK said:


> Seriously, how did he get the patina that black and have it bleed even more into a gray then into the SS. Just beautiful. I'm in awe.


 
Dave etched the blade. Like he did to my suji:


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## kalaeb

Yeehaw, I always liked to go look at the group buy galleries, now they are coming here. The etching is way cool. Dave are you still working on the group buy # 4, and are you still doing etching. I would love to get my hiro done.


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## Dave Martell

:cool2:Yes sir group buy#4 is underway and yes I'm still etching.


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## unkajonet

UglyJoe said:


> Taken all together, handle and fantastic etch, THE most wicked Hiro AS ever....
> 
> Looks like this one was thinned a little as well... did you do this before you stopped thinning the ASes?


 
Actually, this was the blade that made Dave STOP thinning. His belt broke for the 2nd time on this blade. It's still a bada$$ blade. Every time I even just look at it, I start smiling.


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## UglyJoe

unkajonet said:


> Actually, this was the blade that made Dave STOP thinning. His belt broke for the 2nd time on this blade. It's still a bada$$ blade. Every time I even just look at it, I start smiling.


 
Ah. So it's THIS guy's fault. Hah. It looked like the kanji had been worked back a little, that's why I asked. An amazing job and amazingly cool knife.


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## unkajonet

UglyJoe said:


> Ah. So it's THIS guy's fault. Hah. It looked like the kanji had been worked back a little, that's why I asked. An amazing job and amazingly cool knife.


 
Guilty as charged. I think Dave went above and beyond for me with this knife. And a big nod to Stefan for helping me find that handle.


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## Dave Martell




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## Pensacola Tiger

Dave,

Beautiful job on the Nenox. What's the wood?

Rick


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## SpikeC

:biggrin: Hoo-haa! That is one delicious looking piece!


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## Dave Martell

I can't recall what wood it is and since it was supplied by the customer I have no record of it. Maybe Rio will come along and help us out here.


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## riverie

BINGOOO !!! Dave, you promise me it would be a surprise but you gave me the link anyway, you knew i couldn't resist to sneak a peek on it don't you 

btw it's an amboyna burl. i was searching two-toned wood all over and found this, i like the contrast between the two colors pretty good and deep, it just popped out in my eyes. thank you so much to make it happen Dave. can't wait to hold it and slice everything with it, especially after the blade got thinned now. i think this will make me stop buying another suji .

rio


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## SpikeC

:wink: You have a good eye for wood, Rio!


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## Dave Martell

riverie said:


> Dave, you promise me it would be a surprise but you gave me the link anyway, you knew i couldn't resist to sneak a peek on it don't you




You have no willpower! :razz:


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## Audi's or knives

Great job, Dave. These all look fantastic.


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## JohnnyChance

by far the best looking nenox i have seen. nenox's looks do nothing for me, but this one is great.


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## kalaeb

The sheer volume and staggerng attention to detail time and time again is beyond compare. Truly awesome! if this is what goes into your handles, I can't wait to see how your knives turn out.


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## Dave Martell

Thank you, that was a very nice thing to hear, very encouraging.


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## tgraypots

for the average home cook like me, MAC's are a pretty sweet deal. that bottom knife looks even sweeter re-handled. good job!


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## Dave Martell

I wonder......what will these ugly ducklings will become? :smile1:


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## Jim

I am thinking Sean is a lucky fellow!


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## apicius9

I always think of this as the fun part - seeing how a nondescript and and ugly piece of wood turns into this nice piece with great patterns and colors once you work on it a little bit. I look forward to seeing how these will turn out. 

Stefan


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## SpikeC

I dunno, man, those don't look to comfortable to me.....................................
oke1:


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## Dave Martell

Here's what became of the 3 ugly ducklings.... :smile1:

The suji is done is blue dyed peacock. This came out real dark and the pictures didn't capture what it looks like in person, it's much nicer than what's shown here. 

The 240mm gyuto is purple dyed buckeye burl. This one kicked my ass, just didn't want to give up the look and feel but I believe I won in the end. 

The customer supplied both of those woods.

The last is the 210mm gyuto in birdseye maple from Stefan's stash.

All three blades have been etched but not shown sharpened (I haven't done that yet).

I hope you like them Sean.


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## Dave Martell




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## WildBoar

Good stuff, Dave!


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## chazmtb

I really like your etching job. Superb work.


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## Dave Martell

Thanks guys.


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## tgraypots

It looks like to me you're just having way too much fun...........


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## Dave Martell

Here is Richard's 210mm Hiromoto AS in ancient NZ Kauri wood (supplied by Stefan) and poplar saya by Marko...


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## Dave Martell

PS - You've really got to hold and see this wood in person to appreciate it. I've yet to capture even a hint of it's beauty by camera.


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## riverie

Nice and classy Dave.


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## stereo.pete

Dave, is that a Marko designed poplar say a for our hiromotos?


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## Dave Martell

stereo.pete said:


> Dave, is that a Marko designed poplar say a for our hiromotos?




Yes sir I have them, just waiting on a small item and then they can ship out.


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## steeley

Dave Martell said:


> Now that is some sexy wood :ggodjob:
> put that on a t-shirt.


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## Dave Martell

steeley said:


> Now that is some sexy wood
> put that on a t-shirt.



:lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## Dave Martell

Here's a Hiromoto AS gyuto in ironwood burl.

_*Please excuse the raindrops - it was sprinkling._


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## Dave Martell

Here's a TKC in amboyna burl (supplied by Stefan)...

_*Please excuse the raindrops - it was sprinkling._


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## Kentucky Jeff

Oh great...you left my knife out in the rain....


Looks super Dave! Can't wait.


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## Dave Martell

Kentucky Jeff said:


> Oh great...you left my knife out in the rain....



:haha4:




Kentucky Jeff said:


> Looks super Dave! Can't wait.



I'm glad you like it Jeff, I'll get it off to you tomorrow.


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## steeley

The rain gives a nice darker back ground.:helicop:


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## CalleNAK

Well I'm guessing the Ironwood Burl is mine. Looks absolutely amazing Dave. Thanks again. Can't wait to test her out. I guess I'm going to have to start shopping for blanks for my suji now.


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## Dave Martell

CalleNAK said:


> Well I'm guessing the Ironwood Burl is mine. Looks absolutely amazing Dave. Thanks again. Can't wait to test her out. I guess I'm going to have to start shopping for blanks for my suji now.




Street? I couldn't remember your username here but I sent you an email that it was done. It's shipping out this morning. I hope you like it.

Dave


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## sin13

Dave Martell said:


> PS - You've really got to hold and see this wood in person to appreciate it. I've yet to capture even a hint of it's beauty by camera.


 
Very true. I got the knife yesterday and the picture my speak a thousand words but actually holding it is a different story. Thanks Dave! Fantastic work!


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## Dave Martell

sin13 said:


> Very true. I got the knife yesterday and the picture my speak a thousand words but actually holding it is a different story. Thanks Dave! Fantastic work!




Hi Richard, it's good to see that you got your knife and like the wood you chose. It really is a special look and feel in person isn't it? Ancient kauri is becoming one of my favorites to work with. I'm thrilled that you like it and I hope that you get lots of use from your new knife - enjoy.

Dave


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## stevenkelby

I LOVE my Kauri from Dave, I use them everyday and they get more and more attractive to me, not to mention the knives CUT!

Thanks Dave


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## Dave Martell

Here's Bob's Hiro Shiki Tsuchime Damascus Santoku in Blue Birdseye Maple (wood supplied by Stefan)....


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## apicius9

I like that you included the undyed piece, looks nice. A little more purple-ish than I remember the wood, but maybe that's just the light.

Stefan


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## Dave Martell

The idea of using the un-dyed section was the customers. The handle finished near purple in real life so the colors are pretty close to what I see in person. You never know what you'll get until the end, huh?


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## Potato42

I'm a huge fan of mixing sapwood with heartwood, or in this case dyed with undyed. It would not have been the same without that contrast. Your customer has good taste, and you as well for creating it


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## bcarr

Thanks Dave! I can't wait till it gets here!....bob


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## Dave Martell

Here is Brian's western Konosuke HD sujihiki in ironwood burl. :smile1:


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## Dave Martell

bcarr said:


> Thanks Dave! I can't wait till it gets here!....bob




I'm glad you like it Bob, please let me know what you think after you get it too, feel free to call.


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## Pensacola Tiger

Dave, how long is that Konosuke? 210 or 240?


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## apicius9

Just wondering: Is that one of the Ironwood pieces I sent you?

Stefan


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## Dave Martell

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Dave, how long is that Konosuke? 210 or 240?



It's a 210mm - from JKI (I believe)


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## Dave Martell

apicius9 said:


> Just wondering: Is that one of the Ironwood pieces I sent you?
> 
> Stefan




They were customer supplied scales from Arizonaironwood. The wood is spectacular and makes me crave to work on the blocks you sent which should be even nicer in some ways.


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## Pensacola Tiger

Dave Martell said:


> It's a 210mm - from JKI (I believe)


 
Thanks, Dave. That's some beautiful work.


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## Dave Martell

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Thanks, Dave. That's some beautiful work.




Thanks Rick!


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## Dave Martell

Hiromoto AS 240mm gyuto in Ancient NZ Kauri


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## Dave Martell

Here is David's 270mm & 240mm Hiromoto AS gyutos (last 2 from the 4th group buy) in premium burl ironwood & black ash burl (both woods supplied by Stefan).

The blades have been etched but unfortunately the 240mm showed the weld and didn't yield the impressive edge features that most of the 240mm's in this series do when etched. I'm bummed about this but you get whatever the knife gives up.


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## WildBoar

Nice work, Dave!


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## SpikeC

Very interesting how the 240 came out. I wonder if they changes the process or if it is just the result of a different smith?


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## Potato42

Don't think I didn't notice those mirror polished pins! I can literally see you in the work!:lol2: Nice work Dave:thumbsup:


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## Dave Martell

Thanks guys 


@ Spike, I had maybe 2 others that came out similar so who knows?


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## Dave Martell

Carter (Pro?) sujihiki in purple dyed redwood scales with copper bolster (courtesy of Murray) and copper liners & copper corby bolts.

Ashi Honyaki gyuto in spalted avacado scales, nickel silver bolts, and mosaic pin.


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## Potato42

Both of those are lovely, but man do I really like that spalted avacado!


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## Dave Martell

I forgot to mention that the spalted avocado came from Stefan.


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## EdipisReks

the Carter is really nice, but that Honyaki is just gorgeous all around!


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## apicius9

Very nice work, Dave. I like all of them and wouldn't be ashamed about any of them if it were in my knife block  That spalted avocado was one of the biggest surprises I ever had with any wood. It looked totally grey and unattractive when I got it, so I had it sitting around for a year or longer before I even looked at it again. But I love how it comes out when it is finished. I have never seen anything like it again (and I don't have any left).

Stefan


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## Potato42

Dave Martell said:


> I forgot to mention that the spalted avocado came from Stefan.


 
Oh I so knew it did. He always gets the good stuff.


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## steeley

Now that is a sweet handle.
how was it working with the copper Dave.


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## Dave Martell

Potato42 said:


> Oh I so knew it did. He always gets the good stuff.




Yes he does.


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## Dave Martell

steeley said:


> Now that is a sweet handle.
> how was it working with the copper Dave.




It was different but not bad. The liner was kind of challenging in that it's so flexible in this thickness so drilling and cutting was fun plus getting the corners square was something new too. I had fun with it.


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## Dave Martell

Hiromoto AS 300mm sujihiki in AZ Desert Ironwood Burl scales.....


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## WildBoar

Beautiful!


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## Dave Martell

WildBoar said:


> Beautiful!




Thanks David 

PS - I just cut and prepped your scales so your knife isn't far off getting done too.


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## WildBoar

Wow, that is very quick service! Thanks, Dave!


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## CalleNAK

Looks absolutely amazing Dave! Can't wait to get it cutting up some tri-tip.


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## Burl Source

Very nice work with the ironwood.


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## Dave Martell

Thanks Mark


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## Dave Martell

Blazen petty in spalted maple (wood from Delbert Ealy)....


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## El Pescador

Holy crap! I hope mine looks that good!

Pesky


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## Dave Martell

El Pescador said:


> Holy crap! I hope mine looks that good!
> 
> Pesky


 

That _*IS*_ yours


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## Potato42

Dave you would put those crazy show car polishers to shame with your shiny handles. Some have even wondered if you used mother of pearl pins when we saw part of your reflection in the pin. They really look like glass. :thumbsup:

So I wanna know, you ever run your head through that same buffing process? :wink:


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## apicius9

Potato42 said:


> So I wanna know, you ever run your head through that same buffing process? :wink:



:sarcastic::haha4::happy3:


Have to agree, that looks great - have you changed your finishing routine? And why do I spend time finishing these things with higher grits and oil if yours look like that without that?

Stefan


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## Dave Martell

Potato42 said:


> Dave you would put those crazy show car polishers to shame with your shiny handles. Some have even wondered if you used mother of pearl pins when we saw part of your reflection in the pin. They really look like glass. :thumbsup:



Thanks! 




Potato42 said:


> So I wanna know, you ever run your head through that same buffing process? :wink:




Ha.......Ha......Ha!! :bat:


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## Dave Martell

apicius9 said:


> :sarcastic::haha4::happy3:
> 
> 
> Have to agree, that looks great - have you changed your finishing routine? And why do I spend time finishing these things with higher grits and oil if yours look like that without that?
> 
> Stefan


 

Nope still the same routine, pretty much exactly, just getting better with it I guess.


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## SpikeC

That is some groovy wood! Nice job!


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## Dave Martell

Hiromoto AS 210mm gyuto in Ancient NewZealand Kauri (whitebait version)....


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## WildBoar

Dave Martell said:


> Hiromoto AS 210mm gyuto in Ancient NewZealand Kauri (whitebait version)....


This knife was delivered today. Looks even better in person. And it feels silky smooth! Thanks, Dave!


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## Dave Martell

I'm glad you like it David. Thanks for your business!


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## Dave Martell

Another rehandle here, this one is a Hattori honesuki. It also got itself a etch job and sharpening. Hope you like it Rick.


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## Dave Martell

Rick asked for before and after pictures - here they are - his knife along with some from a co-worker....


BEFORE...








AFTER...


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## Eamon Burke

Wow, that Honesuki is night and day.


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## oivind_dahle

+1


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## ThEoRy

Wow! Though I'm sure the pictures just can't do that handle justice. It had a lot of 3d holographic stuff going on in that redwood burl, really gorgeous piece. Great job Dave and thanks. 

I know I'll be happy with the Tanaka as well. The choil on that bad boy was always sharp as a mother effer so it will be nice to have a comfy grip on it. 


I'm sure my saute cook will be pleased as punch with the Hiromoto as well. Looks great and I'll bet it's nice and thin now.


Care to comment on the Tanaka's R2 core steel and Damascus cladding? There isn't a lot of info out there on either.


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## SpikeC

I was rather surprised by the sharp edges on the choil of my Tanaka petty, given the level of finish on the rest of the knife. The spine is nicely polished, but that heel area was horrible!


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## Dave Martell

Those Tanaka spines and choils are super sharp - they need to be de-burred before use. 

The Hiro is WAY thinner - you're saute cook should see a decent improvement.

And the wood on the Hattori handle is great - the pictures really look like dog poop compared to real life.


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## apicius9

Nice work, as usual. That honesuki really looks great. Is that one of my maple pieces? I still haven't finished a blue one, yet, gotta get my act together...


Stefan


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## Dave Martell

Not one of yours this time Stefan, Rick supplied it himself.


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## ThEoRy

apicius9 said:


> Nice work, as usual. That honesuki really looks great. Is that one of my maple pieces? I still haven't finished a blue one, yet, gotta get my act together...
> 
> 
> Stefan


 
It's redwood burl that I got from Arizona Ironwood. They have a nice collection.

And yes, I do believe there was a blue handle for a certain person on the horizon somewhere...oke1:


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## apicius9

Stop poking me, Rick! :tease: Let's catch up and talk details this weekend.

Stefan


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## ThEoRy

Cool. You can call me anytime you are free. I'll be at work, but will take a time out to chat for a bit.

And I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of these knives Dave. Hurry up stupid Post [email protected]!


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## Dave Martell

Jersey is soooo far away - might take a week to get to you.


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## stevenStefano

Is that honesuki a Hattori HD or a KD? The etching did an amazing job


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## ThEoRy

Hd


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## stevenStefano

Yeah I thought it was but with the etching the pattern is so vivid I think it looks like a KD


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## ThEoRy

Gaaaahh! still not here yet! Tracking number says it left philadelphia almost 3 days ago! So it takes the postal service 3 days to make a 90 minute drive lol. Aaaannnd thats why theyre going out of business. :lol2:


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## Dave Martell

You've got to be kidding me?!?


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## ecchef

Nope. He's not kidding. The Post Office in Jersey is the worst. They lost two of my knives for weeks. Finally they turned up...at my local post office, where they had been all along. Nobody had bothered to get off their lazy ass and just look. 

:angry1:


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## Dave Martell

Here is Ben's Kanemasa gyuto with it's new curly mango scales _(wood courtesy of Mr. Stefan Keller's stock)_


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## Dave Martell

Here's a Misono dragon sujihiki in buckeye burl scales.


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## hien

Yaeeee... So prettyy... Cant wait to see in person


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## Dave Martell

hien said:


> Yaeeee... So prettyy... Cant wait to see in person




I guess you figured out whose knife that is?


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## 99Limited

Dave Martell said:


>


Those scales are a perfect match for that suji. Nice work!


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## Dave Martell

Thanks but I can't take the credit, the knife's owner sent them to me, he's got the good taste.


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## Dave Martell

Glestain gyuto in Butch Harner's "maroon mycarta" with stainless pins. I think it's now well suited for it's role which is life on a Pacific island in a commercial kitchen.

Not my best work (some glue lines can be seen in person) but considering how bad this knife tried to kick my ass I'm actually happy that it came out as good as it did. I learned a lot on this rehandle, the most important thing being that I don't ever want to do another Glestain again.


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## SpikeC

those angles complicate things, do they?


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## kalaeb

SpikeC said:


> those angles complicate things, do they?


 
No doubt, I would be curious to know how you perfectly fit the scale to the rounded bolster at the bottom too. By hand? My wife has a knife that she wants done, but I am hesitant because of the rounded bolster to tang fit.


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## SpikeC

Anyway, it looks really nice.


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## Dave Martell

Yeah guys this one sucked for the rounded parts but also for what you can't see and that's the rounded parts on the insides at the back plus the bolsters were uneven and they're angled making the top shorter than the bottom oh and also there was rust damage on the tang that I had to sand out. To fit the scales on the rounded parts I had to had file and sand and fit over and over and over and over and over again and still I couldn't get it perfect. This thing was a nightmare.


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## apicius9

That's why I prefer making wooden sticks, much easier 

Stefan


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## ecchef

How much do you hate me? :sofa:


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## Dave Martell

ecchef said:


> How much do you hate me? :sofa:



It's that knife of hell I hate - not you.


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## ecchef

Here's what it looked like the first time around with Adam:






Scales moved around a bit, so I had Dave smooth it out.

Once it got here, within a month the wood was so warped it broke the epoxy bond. 

Moral...Don't let anybody tell you that ebony doesn't need to or can't be stabilized!

Should be damn near bulletproof now! Thanks Dave. :ggodjob:


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## Dave Martell

All joking aside - thank you too Dave, it was a great learning experience.


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## ecchef

Just to be clear, I wasn't implying that Adam misguided me about the stabilization. That info came from the guy I got the wood from.


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## Dave Martell

Here's the first knife from the Hiromoto Group Buy #5

It's a 240mm gyuto with amobyna burl scales, black G10 liners, and stainless pins. The blade was etched but not thinned.


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## El Pescador

Great looking!


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## Dave Martell

Here's another group buy Hiromoto AS 240mm gyuto. This one was thinned & etched and has ancient kauri scales with copper/nickel silver mosaic pins.

The knife is shown here unsharpened because it was starting to rain so I snapped some pictures while I could, I'll sharpen it up before shipping.


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## Dave Martell

Here's a few more of the same knife....


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## obtuse

I think I will have to change myself.


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## Dave Martell

wait until you see the 210mm I'm working on. It came with a crazy pattern and then after thinning.....well.....it's even crazier.


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## ThEoRy

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a few more of the same knife....


 
Wow that's a great etch there. These things are great because of their uniqueness. No two are ever alike. Can't wait to see the 210. And of course I can't wait to see mine!!


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## Dave Martell

I just prepped your scales Rick.


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## ThEoRy

Teeheeeheeeheee


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## DwarvenChef

Dave these are looking good for sure


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## Dave Martell

DwarvenChef said:


> Dave these are looking good for sure



Thanks!


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## Dave Martell

Here is Rick's 300mm Hiromoto AS Sujihiki in Butch's red 'n black mycarta. Liners are black G10, pins are copper/silver mosaic star. Blade was thinned & etched.

Rick wanted "blood red" scales, I think we got pretty close here. 










































*Note - The knife hasn't been sharpened yet.


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## 99Limited

That suji looks Badddd Ass. Can't wait to see my two.


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## Dave Martell

99Limited said:


> That suji looks Badddd Ass. Can't wait to see my two.




Thanks and it won't be long for yours.


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## TDj

The Hiromoto AS 300 Sujis always look like instruments of war to me. Is it weird that the first thing I think of is a hobbit out of Lord of the Rings pulling that knife out to cleave a goblin in half?


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## stopbarking

Any pictures of that cool looking 210? No particular reason for interest. :whistling:


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## Dave Martell

stopbarking said:


> Any pictures of that cool looking 210? No particular reason for interest. :whistling:



Not yet, it's the next Hiro up though.


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## ThEoRy

Dave Martell said:


> Here is Rick's 300mm Hiromoto AS Sujihiki in Butch's red 'n black mycarta. Liners are black G10, pins are copper/silver mosaic star. Blade was thinned & etched.
> 
> Rick wanted "blood red" scales, I think we got pretty close here.
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Note - The knife hasn't been sharpened yet.



I can't even... how do you... what the hell just... where do, how the...????

[video=youtube;ACKWK55Ic9M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACKWK55Ic9M[/video]


----------



## sudsy9977

Sick!....Ryan


----------



## Dave Martell

I shot a few more pictures of this knife after it was sharpened. I think these pictures show the surface texture of the blade a little better. I also thew in a couple of handle pics too, I couldn't resist.


----------



## 99Limited

I would loved to have seen this knife in person. Some pictures make the red look brighter than others, but I'm wondering if it's actually darker like it shows in a couple of those pictures. BTW, what is mycarta?


----------



## Dave Martell

Hi Dan, the tone of the red is IMO somewhere between all the extremes shown in the pictures. I'd say it's more of a darker red than bright red. 

"Mycarta" is what Butch calls his own version of micarta that he makes.


----------



## 99Limited

Dave Martell said:


> "Mycarta" is what Butch calls his own version of micarta that he makes.



I've never seen micarta in person so I don't have a clue as to what it is. Some looks like a laminate of some kind and Butch's stuff looks like it's a mix of a colored resin, kind of like Jell-O, with colored fibers mixed in.


----------



## SpikeC

Boy-Howdy, that is one tasty piece of cutlery!


----------



## Andrew H

99Limited said:


> I've never seen micarta in person so I don't have a clue as to what it is. Some looks like a laminate of some kind and Butch's stuff looks like it's a mix of a colored resin, kind of like Jell-O, with colored fibers mixed in.



Here's a thread butch had on making some of his mycarta: http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php?1993-mycarta-burl


----------



## Dave Martell

I wanted to mention something about the cladding patterns on these knives and how it's uneven looking. That isn't something created by me through thinning, it's showing the pattern just how it came from the factory. Why it looks so dramatic is that I remove material which raises the pattern higher on the blade. 

So on the above knife you see the left side as being ground more at the tip and heel, and more on the left than the right side, but an equal amount was removed along both sides to simply raise the cladding.

What I see is that I'm simply raising the pattern higher on the blade to reflect how it was ground already.


----------



## cnochef

Dave, nice work as usual!

BTW, I'm very proud that my Martell 300mm suji is your current avatar. Did you like that one as much as I love it?


----------



## Dave Martell

cnochef said:


> Dave, nice work as usual!
> 
> BTW, I'm very proud that my Martell 300mm suji is your current avatar. Did you like that one as much as I love it?




Yes I do.....and thanks.


----------



## ThEoRy

99Limited said:


> I would loved to have seen this knife in person. Some pictures make the red look brighter than others, but I'm wondering if it's actually darker like it shows in a couple of those pictures. BTW, what is mycarta?



Easily arranged. I'm just a bit north of you.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have Dan's 210mm Hiromoto AS gyuto that's been thinned & etched. Came out kind of crazy, eh? Talk about dripping cladding. 

The scales are blue dyed redwood scored from our own BurlSource. The wood has a beautiful green/blue with metallic glitter look to it that's going to wow Dan over for sure, especially since my pictures failed to capture even the color accurately. 

The pins are copper/nickel silver mosaics and the liners are black G10.

I still have to sharpen it yet but it'll ship out on Monday morning for sure. I hope you enjoy it Dan.


----------



## jm2hill

thats beautiful! can't wait for the Santoku!


----------



## Andrew H

Wow, that one came out extremely well. Someone was lucky in the cladding department.


----------



## Burl Source

Wow!
That sure did turn out nice!


----------



## ThEoRy

Holy carp that **** looks magical!!


----------



## TDj

i think this might be my favorite-looking hiromoto ever! the cladding is beautiful, and the handle has the just-right mix of bling and subtlety. awesome.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys, I like this one a lot myself. 

Hey Mark, the wood worked really nice, the shine seen isn't CA glue or epoxy either - it's from the stabilization you use.


----------



## stopbarking

Wow. I've been staring at these pictures from my phone all day. It looks incredible and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Thanks Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

stopbarking said:


> Wow. I've been staring at these pictures from my phone all day. It looks incredible and I can't wait to get my hands on it!
> 
> Thanks Dave!




I'm glad you like it Dan and I hope it serves you well.

Thanks,
Dave


----------



## ThEoRy

Here is my review for the thinning and sharpening job Dave performed on the 300mm suji above.





Surgical.
It's like a laser scalpel.


Here is my review for the re handle work done by Dave.

Flawless.
You can't do a better job.


Combine the reviews and what I now own is a beautiful, flawless laser scalpel.

Thanks Dave,

Rick


----------



## Dave Martell

ThEoRy said:


> Here is my review for the thinning and sharpening job Dave performed on the 300mm suji above.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Surgical.
> It's like a laser scalpel.
> 
> 
> Here is my review for the re handle work done by Dave.
> 
> Flawless.
> You can't do a better job.
> 
> 
> Combine the reviews and what I now own is a beautiful, flawless laser scalpel.
> 
> Thanks Dave,
> 
> Rick




Thanks Rick! :happy1:


----------



## mr drinky

I just had a Hiro Clad-gasm. 

Amazing work Dave.

k.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Karring!


----------



## JohnnyChance

Damn that 210 came out awesome! Nice work sir!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Dan's 150mm Hiromoto AS petty, etched blade, nickel silver pins, G10 liners, & buckeye burl scales.


----------



## 99Limited

Wow Dave, it came out like I hoped for. I can't wait to see it in the flesh.


----------



## Dave Martell

99Limited said:


> Wow Dave, it came out like I hoped for. I can't wait to see it in the flesh.



It came out pretty nice but I can't wait to get you your gyuto - then you'll be smiling.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Lauri's 240mm Hiromoto AS Gyuto with black maple scales (from Burl Source) with white G10 liners, nickel silver pins & one mosaic center pin. The blade was thinned & etched.


----------



## kalaeb

Very nice Dave! The contrast with the white spacers is well done.


----------



## 99Limited

That was my original choice. I have four of those blocks sitting in a drawer because I couldn't make up my mind and ended up going with something else. Anyway I'm glad to see it does look as good as I thought it would.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Aaron's Konesuke HD gyuto in koa (from Burl Source). Liners are black G10 and pins are nickel silver.


----------



## SpikeC

While all your work looks great, this one really hits it out of the park! Beautiful work!




Dave Martell said:


> Here is Lauri's 240mm Hiromoto AS Gyuto with black maple scales (from Burl Source) with white G10 liners, nickel silver pins & one mosaic center pin. The blade was thinned & etched.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys.


----------



## WildBoar

SpikeC said:


> While all your work looks great, this one really hits it out of the park! Beautiful work!


x2. Understated and elegant. Looks great!


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

Dave Martell said:


> Here is Aaron's Konesuke HD gyuto in koa (from Burl Source). Liners are black G10 and pins are nickel silver.



This is a beauty. Clean, classy, understated. Love it.


----------



## Dave Martell

You guys are too kind.


----------



## jm2hill

Lauri's Hiro is absolutely sexy. Nothing short of.


----------



## obtuse

I can't wait to see the figure on that koa in person! another beautiful handle, well done


----------



## Dave Martell

obtuse said:


> I can't wait to see the figure on that koa in person! another beautiful handle, well done




Hopefully you'll have it in just a few days time. Thanks Aaron.


----------



## Burl Source

obtuse said:


> I can't wait to see the figure on that koa in person! another beautiful handle, well done



No fault to Dave, but you probably won't like it. Ugly stuff.
Look at it from one direction and it is light, from another it is dark.
Then when you move it around there are those weird shapes that move around under the surface.
You will probably think you have been drinking too much. 

Just teasing you. It is tough to get a photo that shows what the Koa is like in person.
Great job on all the knives Dave. It is nice to see someone take the time to bring out the full potential in the wood.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Rio's Nenox suji with it's new two toned curly flamed redwood (from Burl Source) scales. Black G10 liners and nickel silver pins used. 

These handles are tricky to do because you more or less have to reshape the front and rear bolsters to blend in with the handle shape. The results are nice but this does require more work than normal. Also, this particular Nenox knife has factory steel liner sheets that are integral with the bolsters but not the tang which means they pop us loose (in the middle - not the ends) after the factory scales are removed. They're troublesome when drilling and even more troublesome when trying to get a tight fit up. Again more work needed than most knives but the results seem to be worth it.

Hope you enjoy this one Rio.


----------



## Dave Martell

Burl Source said:


> No fault to Dave, but you probably won't like it. Ugly stuff.
> Look at it from one direction and it is light, from another it is dark.
> Then when you move it around there are those weird shapes that move around under the surface.
> You will probably think you have been drinking too much.
> 
> Just teasing you. It is tough to get a photo that shows what the Koa is like in person.
> Great job on all the knives Dave. It is nice to see someone take the time to bring out the full potential in the wood.




Thanks Mark but it's easy to do with such nice wood.


----------



## TamanegiKin

Dave Martell said:


> Here is Lauri's 240mm Hiromoto AS Gyuto with black maple scales (from Burl Source) with white G10 liners, nickel silver pins & one mosaic center pin. The blade was thinned & etched.



Hot dayum! That's so cool lookin'. I love how these rehandles can transform a knife into a unique piece. All of these look awesome.


----------



## Bryan G.

I gotta stop looking. It's a double edged sword ... wanna see more ... see more and makes me want one right now. That black and white is "off the heezy" ... and that Nenox is a straight beauty. The only thing nicer than your re-handles are you own blades custom handled Dave. Your work has clearly progressed since last year. Keep it up and focused on it because you are doing right no doubt.

Regards


----------



## mr drinky

There is so much classy sexy stuff in this thread. I really like Rio's Nenox suji. The white liners with dark wood on that last knife are not my thing though, but everything else on that knife is amazing.

k.


----------



## obtuse

You've been busy with all these rehandles!


----------



## riverie

Dave Martell said:


> Here is Rio's Nenox suji with it's new two toned curly flamed redwood (from Burl Source) scales. Black G10 liners and nickel silver pins used.
> 
> These handles are tricky to do because you more or less have to reshape the front and rear bolsters to blend in with the handle shape. The results are nice but this does require more work than normal. Also, this particular Nenox knife has factory steel liner sheets that are integral with the bolsters but not the tang which means they pop us loose (in the middle - not the ends) after the factory scales are removed. They're troublesome when drilling and even more troublesome when trying to get a tight fit up. Again more work needed than most knives but the results seem to be worth it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one Rio.



Sure i will Dave, thank you for the beautiful work. It came out better than i expected .


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have Mr. Drinky's daughter's Misono child's knife in old growth redwood burl (from Stefan Keller). Pins are nickel silver. 

This is a nice little knife that was a pleasure to work on.


----------



## Dave Martell

Next up is another for Mr. Drinky, it's his Kikuichi TKC in koa (from Burl Source). Black G10 liners & nickel silver pins were used.Hope you like it K


----------



## kalaeb

Awesome looking knife! That is job security right there. Train them for the best when they are young.


----------



## mr drinky

Those both look great Dave. Thanks a million. And I'm sure my daughter will love her new scales -- just what she wanted for Christmas Btw, I think I am going to nickname the Kikuichi 'Rusty'. 

k.


----------



## Dave Martell

mr drinky said:


> Those both look great Dave. Thanks a million. And I'm sure my daughter will love her new scales -- just what she wanted for Christmas Btw, I think I am going to nickname the Kikuichi 'Rusty'.
> 
> k.



LOL on the Christmas present & "Rusty" 

Thanks for your patience on this!


----------



## El Pescador

i hope my TKC looks as good as Mr Dinky's!


----------



## Dave Martell

El Pescador said:


> i hope my TKC looks as good as Mr Dinky's!




Me too!


----------



## El Pescador

no worries Dave.


----------



## jmforge

Very nice work, Dave. What thickness of G-10 are you using for liners?


----------



## bcrano

Um... I'm hugely jealous. This knife is awesome. Flat out awesome. Great work Dave. 



Dave Martell said:


> Here is Rio's Nenox suji with it's new two toned curly flamed redwood (from Burl Source) scales. Black G10 liners and nickel silver pins used.
> 
> These handles are tricky to do because you more or less have to reshape the front and rear bolsters to blend in with the handle shape. The results are nice but this does require more work than normal. Also, this particular Nenox knife has factory steel liner sheets that are integral with the bolsters but not the tang which means they pop us loose (in the middle - not the ends) after the factory scales are removed. They're troublesome when drilling and even more troublesome when trying to get a tight fit up. Again more work needed than most knives but the results seem to be worth it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one Rio.


----------



## Dave Martell

******* said:


> Very nice work, Dave. What thickness of G-10 are you using for liners?




Thanks

I use two different ones - 0.20 & 0.30


----------



## Dave Martell

bcrano said:


> Um... I'm hugely jealous. This knife is awesome. Flat out awesome. Great work Dave.



Thanks


----------



## Burl Source

Dang Dave! You sure are doing some nice handles!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Mark. Having nice wood helps.


----------



## jmforge

Thanks. I was quite surprised to see that you can apparently get G-10 as thin as .009!!!!! Thats some thin stuff!!!. Is the .020 stuff thick enough that you need to bevel the edges at 45 when you mate it up at 90 degrees?


Dave Martell said:


> Thanks
> 
> I use two different ones - 0.20 & 0.30


----------



## Dave Martell

I haven't beveled any, I just overlap. It's not as correct this way but it's easier to get a clean fit.


----------



## obtuse

Got the HD today. The handle looks amazing!


----------



## Dave Martell

obtuse said:


> Got the HD today. The handle looks amazing!




I'm glad that you like it Aaron. 

Did the blister koa turn out like you expected? It was a total mystery to me.


----------



## jmforge

What could possibly be more correct than a clean fit?


Dave Martell said:


> I haven't beveled any, I just overlap. It's not as correct this way but it's easier to get a clean fit.


----------



## obtuse

Dave Martell said:


> I'm glad that you like it Aaron.
> 
> Did the blister koa turn out like you expected? It was a total mystery to me.



Blister koa was a mystery to me too. It does have a really cool holographic effect when you look at it. I think it's definitely a unique choice.
I was afraid the denser wood would throw the balance off. I was very happily surprised when I held it, it feels really good.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here are Sean's 2 - 210mm Hiromoto AS gyutos. Blades are thinned & etched. Both sets of wood came from Burl Source, one is koa and the other is redwood. Converted from 3 to 2 nickel silver pins.

I'm disappointed in the pictures because the lighting was so dim that the auto focus wasn't working and all I got was three OK pictures to show. Such a shame because these are some crazy pieces of wood.


----------



## kalaeb

Wow Dave, you are cranking these out. Great job! Handles look awesome.


----------



## Dave Martell

kalaeb said:


> Wow Dave, you are cranking these out. Great job! Handles look awesome.




Like a pretzel factory! 

Thanks Matt


----------



## jmforge

Very nice work, Dave. Are those pins or small Corby bolts? I notice that most of the knives that you upgrade appear to have the nice, blended round bolsters, but most of the western style Japanese knives I see for sale on the websites do not. Do you give your rehandle knives that treatment?


----------



## Dave Martell

******* said:


> Very nice work, Dave. Are those pins or small Corby bolts? I notice that most of the knives that you upgrade appear to have the nice, blended round bolsters, but most of the western style Japanese knives I see for sale on the websites do not. Do you give your rehandle knives that treatment?




Hi Joe, these are just pins, I stopped using Corby's since they give me fits. 

The bolsters on my rehandles are reshaped for comfort, you might be the first person to notice that detail.


----------



## jmforge

I didn't notice until I started looking a a few of the Japanese lines. There may be a western line other than the Hattori FH that has nice rounded bolsters and swoopy curvaceous handle scales while still keeping the traditional lines, but I can't remember if I saw any.


Dave Martell said:


> Hi Joe, these are just pins, I stopped using Corby's since they give me fits.
> 
> The bolsters on my rehandles are reshaped for comfort, you might be the first person to notice that detail.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is El Pesky's Ichimonji TKC with koa (from Burl Source) with mokume pins (from Delbert Ealy).

Once again I had a crappy day with outside sunlight being almost non-existent so the pictures reflect the crappiness of the weather situation. 

Currently the pins are etched lightly but the copper lines will darken with time and use and should look pretty cool.

I hope it suits you Judd.


----------



## Burl Source

Judd told me to tell you he doesn't like it, so send it to me.
:shocked3:


----------



## 99Limited

I can't believe with as many pictures as you have taken and will take in the future that you haven't built yourself a photo light box.


----------



## El Pescador

If you guys only knew how tough it was to get everything together and all the issues with this knife. I can't believe that it turned out as well as it did! Dave you are awesome ! Del redid the pins because they didn't meet his exacting standards. And yes Mark, that is a great piece of Koa! Review to follow!

Pesky


----------



## Burl Source

Dang it!
I hoped you would be away from the computer for a few days, and that Dave would send it to me.
OH Well, it was worth a try.

Beautiful Knife!


----------



## obtuse

it's like my HD's tkc brother, I like it.


----------



## mhenry

Dave, haven't looked at this thread in a while all I can saw is WOW! Those 210's are beautiful what woods?


----------



## Dave Martell

mhenry said:


> Dave, haven't looked at this thread in a while all I can saw is WOW! Those 210's are beautiful what woods?



The top one is some crazy koa variant and the bottom one is redwood.







Thanks for the kind words everyone.


----------



## jmforge

That Koa is VERY red. I like it!! :doublethumbsup:


Dave Martell said:


> The top one is some crazy koa variant and the bottom one is redwood.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the kind words everyone.


----------



## Dave Martell

That picture really made the red pop but if you look at this picture (bottom knife this time) you can see the true color better. It's more brown/red.


----------



## Dave Martell

It seems that I had forgot about a conversation that I had with Mr. Pesky regarding the shaping of his handle_ (BTW - never talk to me on the phone about this stuff - I won't remember LOL)_ so I had to do a little re-shaping to correct my mistake. 

Pesky is looking for a rounded ass end sort of like Dan O'Malley/Bob Kramer does to their handles. This is my take on that....


----------



## jmforge

Dave, how do you shape handles and bolsters on full tang damascus blades? Do you temporarily attach the scales so you can remove then and etch before final glue up or do you "spot" etch the affected part after everything is put together and shined up real pretty?


----------



## El Pescador

Dave I know you still want to kill me for making you remodel the handle but it turned out EXACTLY like I wanted it to. I couldn't be happier.


----------



## Dave Martell

El Pescador said:


> Dave I know you still want to kill me for making you remodel the handle but it turned out EXACTLY like I wanted it to. I couldn't be happier.




I'm happy if you're happy.


----------



## Dave Martell

******* said:


> Dave, how do you shape handles and bolsters on full tang damascus blades? Do you temporarily attach the scales so you can remove then and etch before final glue up or do you "spot" etch the affected part after everything is put together and shined up real pretty?




I haven't done one yet but I'm guessing that I'll spot etch it.


----------



## SpikeC

That rounded butt looks really nice!


----------



## Dave Martell

SpikeC said:


> That rounded butt looks really nice!



I bet that's not the first time you've said those words.


----------



## jmforge

Hopefully, it is the first time that he has said it to you!!


Dave Martell said:


> I bet that's not the first time you've said those words.


----------



## mr drinky

I often tell my wife she has a nice distal taper, but never a rounded butt 

k.


----------



## Dave Martell

mr drinky said:


> I often tell my wife she has a nice distal taper, but never a rounded butt
> 
> k.




:lol2:


----------



## jmforge

Honey, do these koa scales make my butt look big?


mr drinky said:


> I often tell my wife she has a nice distal taper, but never a rounded butt
> 
> k.


----------



## apicius9

This last one looked kind of familiar...  This is the handle that Dan O'Malley put on my Blazen a few years ago. Clearly, with the typical rounding of the butt Dave's handles come close to this style. 

Stefan




Uploaded with ImageShack.us


----------



## El Pescador

Stephan,
That was the inspiration for my knife.


----------



## obtuse

beautiful koa


----------



## Dave Martell

LOL - that was the exact knife that Judd pointed me towards as inspiration. He had always admired your knife and wanted something similar.


----------



## El Pescador

While Dave is not a fan of the shape, this knife has great balance. I used it for Xmas eve, Xmas breakfast, and xmas dinner. I am very impressed with how this knife turned out.


----------



## Dave Martell

Hey Judd that's great to hear that you're pleased with it. True I wasn't all in for this one but I'm happy that you got what you wanted as that's what matters the most and I think it's growing on me too so it's all good.


----------



## El Pescador

Good! You're probably going to get a chance to do another pretty quick here!


----------



## Dave Martell

El Pescador said:


> Good! You're probably going to get a chance to do another pretty quick here!



LOL - I'm already looking forward to it.


----------



## Dave Martell

This is a long time coming, one of the longest projects in house that I've had for sure. It turned out to be quite a challenge on many levels, one that I sometimes wished I never got started with, but in the end I think the results should work well and the customer will be happy. 

Initially another block of wood was sent in that I proceded to screw up when attempting to make a notch in it to insert the half tang into. Yup - I said half tang - that was part of the problem. The customer sent me another block of spalted something or other that entered in another problem - spalted wood. 

I have filled and sanded this handle a total of 4 times now and it's still coming up with punky sections where it's flaky and rough and some where the CA glue won;t stick so there's small pits. This is a good lesson for all of us - don't buy wood from just any source and just say no to spalted woods. LOL 

So to deal with the half tang (like I mentioned above) I started off to make a slot to drop the tang down into and when that didn't work out well I took a break from it for a couple of months to think about another way, a better cleaner way. The reason why I didn't want to do the slot is that unless perfectly fit it will look sloppy when filled in with epoxy. The factory likely used a slotter saw to cut an exact depth and length slot to fit the tang in and Dave doesn;t have such a thing so I bailed on the sloppy way and went with something else. What I came up with is to fabricate a form fit spacer to fit in between scales. From the top sides you see tang, from the bottom you see spacer, and only on the ass end do you see both - you see the line where the tang stops and the spacer begins (I believe that you can see these details in the pictures). Getting this all fit up tight wasn't as easy as I had hoped it would be but the results came out better than I wished for so I'm pleased with this aspect of the job. 

The old "scales" were actually one block notched out to fit the tang and then slid onto the blade. This offered great hand protection for the user but impeded the sharpening of the blade, something that as a professional sharpener really irks me, so I set out to retain the hand safety yet also allow for full blade sharpening and I think I did good on this as well.

I added a tad more palm swell to the underside to make for better comfort and rounded and eased all corners. The handle feels pretty comfy in hand. 

Something worth noting is that since this is a butcher's knife it's used with the hammer type grip where the comfort of a palm swell is very important. This is something that normally makes a handle feel clunky on a chef's knife because they're mostly used in a pinch grip where too much palm swell pushes the fingers apart and makes the handle feel too fat and the blade too small. 

Anyway, here's the knife looking all spiffy, ready to head back to it's owner to start on it's new patina.


----------



## Dave Martell

I forgot to mention that we went with copper pins (the customer's choice actually) and they look great. We both think that they'll look even better when they darken up over time.


----------



## Andrew H

Very nicely done, Dave.


----------



## CalleNAK

Now that is how I like to start a new year!!! You're the man Dave, thank you for all the time and effort, it looks amazing. I know the wood was a major pain but boy did it come out stunning. I just burnt through my last NY strip so I'll be putting this bad boy to work breaking down a strip loin ASAP. Can't wait. Thanks again. I think this is the 3rd rehandle job you've done for me and every one was incredible. You'll have my business as long as you're in the business.


----------



## obtuse

nice!


----------



## Dave Martell

CalleNAK said:


> Now that is how I like to start a new year!!! You're the man Dave, thank you for all the time and effort, it looks amazing. I know the wood was a major pain but boy did it come out stunning. I just burnt through my last NY strip so I'll be putting this bad boy to work breaking down a strip loin ASAP. Can't wait. Thanks again. I think this is the 3rd rehandle job you've done for me and every one was incredible. You'll have my business as long as you're in the business.




Thank you, I really appreciate that. 

I'll get the knife off on Tues when the post office opens back up. Enjoy!


----------



## Dave Martell

@Andrew & Aaron - thanks


----------



## kalaeb

Wow. Very well done Dave! 



Hmm, this gets me thinking, I wonder if we are going to see a Martell butcher knife? :whistling:


----------



## Twistington

Oh that turned out great! Well done!


----------



## Burl Source

We need to see more photos!
What have you been doing all weekend?
Self employed people don't get holidays.

But seriously.....
Throughout the day I set certain projects to be completed before I take a break.
When I give myself a break I go to the computer to see if there are any new photos.
You're really messing up my work schedule lately.


----------



## Dave Martell

LOL Mark, I promise to get more posted soon.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a short suji from an unknown (to me) maker in blue dyed redwood scales with a spalted spacer (wood from Burl Source), G10 liners/spacers, & mosaic/nickel silver pins. 

This was done to customer specs from a supplied drawing, I think I got it pretty close. This was a fun change of pace.


----------



## bcrano

That looks awesome Dave. Great job!


----------



## obtuse

Is it a carbonext? very nice!


----------



## WillC

That looks very Jazzy, I love it.:groucho:


----------



## kalaeb

Now were talking that is a new favorite for me.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys - you're too kind. 

I'll have to ask the customer about the maker on that, I'm getting curious myself.


----------



## Burl Source

I thought it was kind of weird.
But I like weird so that was meant as a compliment.
I like the way the black liner ties in with the blackline in the spalted piece.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

Burl Source said:


> I thought it was kind of weird. But I like weird so that was meant as a compliment.



It wouldn't be my choice of materials, but the craftsmanship looks top notch and it is certainly unique looking.


----------



## riverie

yes that's a carbonext Dave.... the combination of those two woods and your execution make it looks "funky" .


----------



## unkajonet

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a short suji from an unknown (to me) maker in blue dyed redwood scales with a spalted spacer (wood from Burl Source), G10 liners/spacers, & mosaic/nickel silver pins.
> 
> This was done to customer specs from a supplied drawing, I think I got it pretty close. This was a fun change of pace.



A little late to the show, but...Hubba-hubba! Great work, Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks for the clarification Rio


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Emanuel


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Dan's 240mm Hiromoto AS gyuto that has had it's blade thinned & etched with a new buckeye burl handle installed. 

The etching came out very light on this one. I even etched it twice and got the same results. Once again I'm left saying that you never know what you'll get when you etch a Hiro. 

The thinning and handle came out nicely though and I think Dan should be happy with those aspects.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

The etching doesn't look too light to me. Nice looking knife.


----------



## SpikeC

I think that the etch goes especially well with that handle.


----------



## 99Limited

Yeah it's finished!!! I can't wait to see it in the flesh. Thanks Dave.


----------



## Dave Martell

99Limited said:


> Yeah it's finished!!! I can't wait to see it in the flesh. Thanks Dave.




Your welcome Dan and thank you back!


----------



## Dave Martell

This Josh's 190mm Hiromoto AS santoku that he is gifting to a "girl friend"....yeah sure Josh, we know you like pink. :razz: Seriously though, I hope she likes it.

Scales are Butch's purple "mycarta" with hot pink G-10 liners.


----------



## jm2hill

Awesome Dave!!

I'm gonna love using it... I mean she's going to love using it!

Sending pictures to her now!


----------



## Andrew H

That handle is awesome. Whose idea were the pink liners?


----------



## WillC

Great combo, the pink really makes the purple glow:biggrin:


----------



## Dave Martell

Andrew H said:


> Whose idea were the pink liners?



As I recall Josh started out with looking for pink scales but the choices were limited and none appealing so he then gave me her colors of pink & purple to work with and I recalled having a set of scales from Butch hanging around for just such a project so maybe I then thought of the pink liners. I could have this all wrong too.


----------



## jm2hill

Dave Martell said:


> As I recall Josh started out with looking for pink scales but the choices were limited and none appealing so he then gave me her colors of pink & purple to work with and I recalled having a set of scales from Butch hanging around for just such a project so maybe I then thought of the pink liners. I could have this all wrong too.



That's what I remember too!


----------



## jm2hill

Dave, she loves it! Can't wait to get her hands on it!

Little bit scared to use it I may add, thinks its too pretty to be used!


----------



## Dave Martell

Tell her it'll look even prettier with some blood and fish guts all over it. 

I'm glad she likes it.


----------



## Burl Source

Dave Martell said:


> Tell her it'll look even prettier with some blood and fish guts all over it.



Dang Dave, You know all the right things to say to a lady!

Just teasing you. Sorry I couldn't help myself. Must be the lacquer fumes.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Rene's 300mm Hiromoto AS Suji. This one has been thinned, etched, and has a Claro walnut handle with copper pins, 1 mosaic pin, and G10 liners.


----------



## Line cooked

Very Nice...I love that Claro Walnut!!!


----------



## El Pescador

SWEET!


----------



## 99Limited

Those copper pins look really sweet with the walnut.


----------



## WildBoar

Nice work, Dave!


----------



## Burl Source

It's a beauty!
You sure do nice work Dave.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have Tom's 240mm Hiromoto Aogami Super Steel gyuto with it's new California Sycamore Two-Toned Burl handle (wood from our local weird wood pusher man Mark from BurlSource). 

The blade has been thinned & etched; Tom, if you ever sell this make sure that you note that this one was thinned to the max, you can't grind them much thinner than this. :thumbsup:

Have fun with it!


----------



## WildBoar

Very cool wood. Nice work, Dave!


----------



## SpikeC

That is just delicious!


----------



## Rotary

Wow, Dave .... cant wait.to.get my.hands on.it. Abolutely gorgeous!


----------



## markenki

Sweet!


----------



## heirkb

Is the finish on these Hiromoto's scratch-free? It looks like a scratch-free matte finish in the photos.


----------



## Dave Martell

heirkb said:


> Is the finish on these Hiromoto's scratch-free? It looks like a scratch-free matte finish in the photos.




The soft gummy cladding on these knives is super tricky to get scratch free. The latter ones I've done are close to perfect in that regard but I'll never claim absolute perfection.


----------



## TB_London

Awesome work, such a crisp finish on every one.
With the amount of taper that you get on the handles do you have to reduce the size of the bolsters, or is it all achieved through the palm swell? I'm guessing it's a bit of both


----------



## Dave Martell

TB_London said:


> Awesome work, such a crisp finish on every one.
> With the amount of taper that you get on the handles do you have to reduce the size of the bolsters, or is it all achieved through the palm swell? I'm guessing it's a bit of both




I use the bolster as a guide for the the thickness of the front and then expand behind that. Sometimes I have to reshape the bolster slightly to make them tapered though most are ground that way already.


----------



## Burl Source

Dave,
You did a fantastic job with the sycamore.
While I am not a big fan of contrasting liners, the black liner really goes good with the black line in the wood.
I can't think of anything you could have done different to make it look any better than it does.
I am sure there was a bit of extra work to get it to look so darn good.
I am very impressed.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Mark


----------



## TB_London

Cheers for the response, can I be cheeky and ask how thick the scales are at the thickest point? 
Am planning another rehandle and keep ogling this thread for inspiration....


----------



## Dave Martell

I start with 1/2" (1.27cm) thick scales but I can't tell you what they end up being reduced to since I've never measured them after the fact, sorry.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Zach's 270mm Hiromoto Aogami Super Steel gyuto with it's new (maple? - wood supplied by BurlSource) handle. The knife was thinned & etched as well.

Thanks for your patience & I hope you like it Zach.


----------



## Zach

awesome dave!!! i'm stoked!


----------



## El Pescador

WOW! that burl is incredible Dave! Great work on the handle-you really did a great job showing off how awesome that wood is!


----------



## Andrew H

That wood (dyed redwood?) is stunning. Great job as always, Dave.


----------



## TB_London

The wood really does match the knife, great work.

Cheers for the measurement as well


----------



## Zach

i can't wait to see the etch job in person. never seen one up close before....looks so cool!


----------



## add

Congrats Zach.

Dave, just tremendous work.
That wood... just flat out rocks with the personality of the knife blade after your tweeking. :thumbsup:

Also, three cheers from this viewer for not using mosaics here.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys but Zach picked out the wood and ordered the etching so that part is all his doing and he did very good there.


----------



## echerub

Oooo... funkayyyy  Very cool handle


----------



## 99Limited

That has to be some of the coolest vg: looking wood I have ever seen. Zach you hit it out of the park with this one.


----------



## ThEoRy

I have to go slap someone now!


----------



## Zach

pure luck. i was second guessing myself the last few weeks once i knew Dave was getting ready to start on it. thought it might turn out just a big hunk of bright blue...but damn...i'm happy with the result!! i give dave the credit knowing how to work the wood, bring out the best angles, discover the features in the wood, etc.


----------



## unkajonet

OMG! Beautiful work!


----------



## apicius9

Dave may not always know what wood he is working with, but he sure makes'em look purdy 

Stefan


----------



## Burl Source

Dave Martell said:


> Here is Zach's 270mm Hiromoto Aogami Super Steel gyuto with it's new (maple? - wood supplied by BurlSource) handle. The knife was thinned & etched as well.



Yes it is Maple dyed blue
Beautiful Knife Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

Burl Source said:


> Yes it is Maple dyed blue
> Beautiful Knife Dave!




Hey check that out Stefan, I'm finally getting it - I guessed right! 

Thanks Mark


----------



## apicius9

Dave Martell said:


> Hey check that out Stefan, I'm finally getting it - I guessed right!
> 
> Thanks Mark



:thumbsup: There still is hope! 

Stefan


----------



## stereo.pete

Dave,

It is amazing to see how your skills have evolved over time with these Hiromoto re-handles. I might just have to send you mine from the very first batch to be thinned and etched, I love the look.


----------



## Dave Martell

stereo.pete said:


> Dave,
> 
> It is amazing to see how your skills have evolved over time with these Hiromoto re-handles. I might just have to send you mine from the very first batch to be thinned and etched, I love the look.




Thanks, I'd love to the opportunity


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Mel's 240mm Hiromoto AS gyuto that just went through a full refurb. Somehow he scored himself a real thick version (even thicker than normal I think) of this knife and this obviously bothered him enough to try to thin it himself with stones. He sure did a lot of work on both sides to make it better but in the end he sent it over to me to get trimmed down. So I thinned the blade and then etched it for effect. 

Also, Mel had a rehandle coupon that he needed to use so he cashed it in on this knife. I installed some dyed maple (scored from Burl Source) with G10 liners and nickel silver pins. 

I think this came out pretty nice and hope that Mel feels the same. 

Thanks for your incredible patience Mel.


BEFORE





AFTER


----------



## GlassEye

Wow, that looks like a completely different knife.


----------



## El Pescador

GlassEye said:


> Wow, that looks like a completely different knife.



+1 

I'm thinking the same thing.


----------



## markenki

Dave, you're an artist.


----------



## SpikeC

What cool wood! The whole package looks great!


----------



## obtuse

Awesome !


----------



## MadMel

OMG!! Thanks Dave!!! Almost couldn't recognise it myself...


----------



## Dave Martell

MadMel said:


> OMG!! Thanks Dave!!! Almost couldn't recognise it myself...




Maybe because I've had it here for so long? 

I'm glad that you like it Melvin, hopefully it impresses even more with use. 

Thanks again,
Dave


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks to you other guys too, you're all too kind with your compliments.


----------



## Hattorichop

If I had to guess I would have guessed that those scales were koa.
I love how the rippled pattern in the wood works so well with the clad line on the blade.
Great work as always Dave.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Ben's gyuto with straight grained ironwood scales, G10 liners, & nickel silver pins. 

This was a cashed in rehandle coupon job. The handle wood was selected to match the factory made dark stained saya as best as possible and it works pretty good. I forgot to shoot a picture with the saya though (stupid) but trust me it's close. The handle is somewhat plain compared to the normal burls we use but I like it, it's simple & classy. 

The wood came from Burl Source


PS - can you guess the maker? I have no idea - there's so many new ones today that I'm losing track.


----------



## Andrew H

Looks like gesshin ginga to me. Great work as always, Dave.


----------



## markenki

Gesshin. Looks great!


----------



## mr drinky

Mel and Ben's knives look great. I love how the etching came out. 

k.


----------



## Dave Martell

Lamson Remedy - full refurb/rehandle - *CLICK* on the picture below for more pictures and details


----------



## obtuse

I like the scales on that Gesshin Ginga :wink:


----------



## Jim

That original handle was crapola on toast.


----------



## Dave Martell

Watanabe/Martell Nessmuck knife

*Click* on the picture below for details and many more pictures....


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a 4-pack of little Gesshin (?) 210mm sujis (from JKI) just rehandled for a customer. Some of his lucky friends are getting gifts. Who wants to be his friend? 

We have here ironwood burl, curly Oregon maple, amboyna burl, & koa.


----------



## PierreRodrigue

Very nice work Dave! Great lines!


----------



## Mr.Magnus

Nicely Done, i would not mind beeing friend with that guy


----------



## SpikeC

Boy-Howdy! Them's some purdy pieces fur sure!


----------



## Burl Source

SpikeC said:


> Boy-Howdy! Them's some purdy pieces fur sure!


What he said. Yeeeeee Haaaa!


----------



## tweyland

Woohoo!! Actually they're Kanetsune Kanemasa series purchased through JKI. Great value, in my opinion. Plus cool new shoes courtesy of Dave!! Thanks!

~Tad


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys and I'm glad that you like them Tad.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Karring's new 150mm Hiromoto AS Petty with ash burl scales (wood from Burl Source) along with it's older bigger brother Karring's 240mm Hiromoto AS gyuto. 

The petty is from the most recent group buy (#6) we did (yup - I'm still doing these) where as the gyuto is from the 1st group buy from way back when. The gyuto was returned to have it's blade thinned & etched as well as have the wood scales fixed (they shrank terribly - crap wood from WoodStabilizer). I'm 99% sure that the wood is now stable plus Karring is fond of the handle so we're going to keep it and see what happens. 

Thanks for your patience Karring, I hope you like them....


----------



## mr drinky

Very nice work Dave, and I love how the ash burl handle came out. 

k.


----------



## Dave Martell

mr drinky said:


> Very nice work Dave, and I love how the ash burl handle came out.
> 
> k.




As long as you like it K, then I'm happy.


----------



## markenki

Both knives look great!


----------



## Korin_Mari

Dave Martell said:


> We offer re-handling service for western handled Japanese knives.
> 
> Here are a few examples of work that we've done...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you're interested in having similar work done to your knives please contact us at *JapaneseKnifeSharpening.com* to discuss details.
> 
> Base Cost $175 + materials (average is usually $25)



Holy geez!! It took me a while to realize that was a Togiharu. You're amazing! I'm going to show Ms. Kawano later. 

Thats so awesome!! ::show other employees::


----------



## Dave Martell

Korin_Mari said:


> Holy geez!! It took me a while to realize that was a Togiharu. You're amazing! I'm going to show Ms. Kawano later.
> 
> Thats so awesome!! ::show other employees::




Thanks Mari


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have a conversion from a stock Carter Fukugozai muteki style two rivet partial tang to a hidden tang custom western handle. The owner said to use a blue bolster and dark wood handle and let me run with it from there. 

I chose redwood burl for the main handle and a dyed blue redwood for the bolster. The red redwood came from Stefan Keller and the blue dyed came from Burl Source.

I moved the handle forward about 1/4" towrads the blade because it sat IMO too far back and looked goofy with my wood installed. 

I have to admit that this wasn't the easiest or best that I've ever done and this is in great part due to the partial mini tang that I had to work with. But I do think that in the end the results should work well. I hope the owner likes it though.


----------



## daveb

This owner likes it - a lot. Ya done good.


----------



## Dave Martell

daveb said:


> This owner likes it - a lot. Ya done good.



:happy1:


----------



## markenki

Looks great! I would have asked for a black ferule, but that's just personal taste.


----------



## Burl Source

Looks Great Dave!
I really like your western hidden tang style handle.
Look forward to seeing more handles like this.
Maybe something red & black on a gyuto.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

I have to say, I really like the dyed blue bolster.

Nice work, Dave.


----------



## SpikeC

It really works!


----------



## Toriss

Yeah it really works


----------



## Dave Martell

I finished this one up today, it's for a breast cancer charity auction that's being held at Badger & Blade in few days time. Jon & Sara donated the knife and I did the rehandle and sharpening. 

The knife is a 180mm Gahoujin stainless santoku, the scales are English Sycamore, we used pink G10 liners, and mosaic pins.

I like this little knife and I can see this being a good choice for some folks. Here's how it came to me from Jon....








Here it is after rehandling....


----------



## sachem allison

very nice Dave!


----------



## markenki

Looks great! The pink lingers are a nice touch. Kudos to you and Jon and Sara for the charitable work.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

Nice collaboration for a good cause.

Pretty handle, Dave.


----------



## Dave Martell

I neglected to mention that Jim is the force behind us contributing. He's the admin over at B&B and plays a big role in putting on this auction. He got Jon and I together on this - kudos to Jim!


----------



## Burl Source

Beautiful work Dave.
Very nice and clean.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Mark. Oh and that wood is from you.


----------



## kalaeb

Good job guys!


----------



## Burl Source

I am not sure if these guys are noticing your eye for detail on this handle.
It is shaped and finished nicely.
But what may have been overlooked is that the grain on the spine and sides follow the profile of the handle perfectly.


----------



## Dave Martell

Burl Source said:


> I am not sure if these guys are noticing your eye for detail on this handle.
> It is shaped and finished nicely.
> But what may have been overlooked is that the grain on the spine and sides follow the profile of the handle perfectly.




Ehhh....dumb luck


----------



## Dave Martell

This knife is being auctioned off right now at Badger & Blade. 100% of all money raised is donated directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. See http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...se-Kitchen-Knife-Lot-47?p=4508360#post4508360 to place a bid. 





:thumbsup:




Dave Martell said:


> I finished this one up today, it's for a breast cancer charity auction that's being held at Badger & Blade in few days time. Jon & Sara donated the knife and I did the rehandle and sharpening.
> 
> The knife is a 180mm Gahoujin stainless santoku, the scales are English Sycamore, we used pink G10 liners, and mosaic pins.
> 
> I like this little knife and I can see this being a good choice for some folks. Here's how it came to me from Jon....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here it is after rehandling....


----------



## Dave Martell

Hiromoto AS 240mm gyuto in ironwood

Click *HERE* for more pictures and details


----------



## RobinW

The pink liners is a nice touch. gorgeous knife by the way!


----------



## daddy yo yo

Dave Martell said:


>


i quickly quote some pics from page 2: what knife is the one with the damascus pattern?


----------



## Dave Martell

I'm sorry but I can't recall.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's an older Tojiro sujihiki with new dyed maple (I think?) scales. It also has nickel silver pins & G10 liners. This job was a bear - one of the trickiest fit ups that I've been faced with and that's all because of weld blobs behind the bolster which the factory ground all wonky making nothing square. I did my best but there's little issues that can be seen in hand up close, and nah I'm not going to point them out. 

BTW - this knife has been in the shop (in the que) waiting to be worked on since May 2012!! This might help explain where your knife is if it's here waiting. I'm getting to it - I promise.


----------



## Burl Source

Very nice work Dave!
The knife looks great.


----------



## eto

Thanks Dave it looks awesome can't wait to use it again.


----------



## kalaeb

Good to see some pics getting back up. Looks great!


----------



## K-Fed

+1


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys, more coming soon.


----------



## ThEoRy

Looks like you found your groove??


----------



## Dave Martell

LOL


----------



## knyfeknerd

Sweet Dave, keep em' comin'.


----------



## Burl Source

I agree.
It is fun to see the handle / make overs you do.


----------



## SlapChop

Addicted to this thread!


----------



## TamanegiKin

Awesome, looking forward to seeing this next round of western rehandles.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's an Artisan 240mm gyuto that came in for the full spa treatment. The scratches in the blade were cleaned up, spine & choil rounded, and a new ironwood burl handle with red liners & copper pins installed. 

Doesn't ironwood photograph well?


----------



## apicius9

Very nice looking knife!

Stefan


----------



## K-Fed

apicius9 said:


> Very nice looking knife!
> 
> Stefan


Indeed


----------



## unkajonet

Beauty!


----------



## ThEoRy

That's some killer ironwood!


----------



## Burl Source

WOW! Great work Dave.


----------



## knyfeknerd

Sweet Holy Moses!


----------



## jayhay

Yeah, that's a real stunner there  Love the ironwood, and looks great in the photos. I wonder why we don't hear more about those Artisans, looks like a great blade for the $.


----------



## DWSmith

I am really looking forward to getting my knife back and since Dave has performed his magic on it, I'll bet it cuts better than it ever did.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's Erik's Misono Dragon with it's new killer koa scales. This wood is something else, simply can't be photographed to show anything like it looks in person. The wood came from our own Burl Source. Black G10 liners & nickel silver pins used.

I'll tell you another thing, this guy knows how to sharpen, I had a couple of near misses with the edge on this thing - yikes!


----------



## ThEoRy

The DRAGON!!!


----------



## TamanegiKin

Yes! That looks freakin' awesome. 
I'm really stoked to see it in person and bringing it back into the rotation. 
Thanks so much Dave


----------



## Twistington

That Ironwood... :bigeek:


----------



## K-Fed

Nice. Can't wait to see mine all dolled up with its new koa dress. Looks amazing.


----------



## Dave Martell

K-Fed said:


> Nice. Can't wait to see mine all dolled up with its new koa dress. Looks amazing.



It won't be too much longer. :wink:


----------



## DWSmith

I just picked my Artisan up at the post office this morning. To say stunning is an understatement!. The finish is now better than ever, the spine is softer and easier on the hands and the sharpness is something I had almost forgotten about. And the handle, superb! From a woodworkers eye I can say the work is excellent, I love the colors of the iron wood, the red liner is understated and works well with the colors in the new handle! Thanks Dave. 

And my wife has no excuse for mistaking this knife for any of the other beaters we have in the kitchen.


----------



## Dave Martell

The BoardSMITH said:


> I just picked my Artisan up at the post office this morning. To say stunning is an understatement!. The finish is now better than ever, the spine is softer and easier on the hands and the sharpness is something I had almost forgotten about. And the handle, superb! From a woodworkers eye I can say the work is excellent, I love the colors of the iron wood, the red liner is understated and works well with the colors in the new handle! Thanks Dave.
> 
> And my wife has no excuse for mistaking this knife for any of the other beaters we have in the kitchen.





I have to admit that it was a bit nerve racking doing woodworking for a woodworker and also to make it as nice as the board you made for me was the challenge. You did a stunning job on that board and all I could do was try to do my best and get close with your rehandle. I'm glad that you like it and hope it serves you for many years to come.


----------



## Dave Martell

So I'm finally working my way into August's backlog - woohoo!! :bliss:

Here is the first of three that I'm doing for Sean. The wood is some crazy old growth redwood that he scored directly from Stefan. Looks more like tartan log or something nutty like that. 

These knives are _(ahem - paying a compliment here)_ "rough at best" and rehandling them is at least twice as challenging as anything else out there. I give the maker low marks for this particular one. The rehandle really changes it sooooo much though - it's crazy the difference.

Well the lighting is bad today but I managed to get a few Ok shots....


----------



## kalaeb

Yeah buddy, now your cranking! Keep em comming. Is that a fujiwara?


----------



## Von blewitt

Great work Dave!


----------



## ThEoRy

Every post Dave makes here brings me one step closer to my Martell Wa-gyuto.


----------



## heldentenor

ThEoRy said:


> Every post Dave makes here brings me one step closer to my Martell Wa-gyuto.



I read this thread with the exact same perspective.:knife:


----------



## turbochef422

I'm glad you have my suji because I just moved and don't have any money to buy new stuff so when it comes it will be like Christmas.


----------



## echerub

Good lookin' work!

Yeah, with that choil notch I think it's it's a Fujiwara Teruyasu.


----------



## apicius9

Nice one, Dave, I like how that redwood came out. Looking forward to seeing the other two for Sean...

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell

kalaeb said:


> Is that a fujiwara?




Fukiwara Denka no Hoto


----------



## Dave Martell

ThEoRy said:


> Every post Dave makes here brings me one step closer to my Martell Wa-gyuto.




:doublethumbsup:


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Sean's 2nd rehandle on an (unknown maker's suji - it's very hard to see the mark) done with spalted (coarkboard?) wood. 

BTW - this is officially the *last* heavily spalted block of wood that I'll ever use on a western handle. It saddens me not be able to provide top quality simply because the wood is inferior. No close-up photos on this handle.


----------



## ThEoRy

Looks good from here. Was this wood not stabilized?


----------



## Dave Martell

ThEoRy said:


> Looks good from here. Was this wood not stabilized?




Yeah it was and I gave it a good CA glue stabilization too.


----------



## cclin

Dammn...I think this is Yoshikan western handle black Damascus SLD suji!! very hard to find knife, I want one so bad!! nice handle match up the blade perfectly!!


Dave Martell said:


> Here is Sean's 2nd rehandle on an (unknown maker's suji - it's very hard to see the mark) done with spalted (coarkboard?) wood.
> 
> BTW - this is officially the *last* heavily spalted block of wood that I'll ever use on a western handle. It saddens me not be able to provide top quality simply because the wood is inferior. No close-up photos on this handle.


----------



## apicius9

How do you always end up with the spongy wood, Dave? Looks good from a distance. Btw, what wood is it? 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell

cclin said:


> Dammn...I think this is Yoshikan western handle black Damascus SLD suji!! very hard to find knife, I want one so bad!! nice handle match up the blade perfectly!!



It's a bad ass knife for sure, whatever it is.


----------



## Dave Martell

apicius9 said:


> How do you always end up with the spongy wood, Dave? Looks good from a distance. Btw, what wood is it?
> 
> Stefan




I have no idea.


----------



## ThEoRy

Dave Martell said:


> I have no idea.



Doesn't know knife...


Doesn't know wood...


Makes it bad-ass!!!

:knife::knife::knife:


----------



## Dave Martell

I've used sycamore twice before and hated it enough to swear off ever trying it again. Lucretia purchased a block of sycamore from Mark at Burl Source as well as a rehandle coupon and asked if I'd give this wood a try and I (somewhat) reluctantly agreed. Well I'm here to admit that I'm glad that she asked because this block turned out to be terrific to work with and the end result speaks for itself. 

Here is a Carter petty that has been converted from a ho wood wa to a hidden tang western using sycamore, African blackwood, and copper accents.

I'm tough to please but I like how this one turned out, hopefully Lucretia does too.


----------



## K-Fed

va va voom. Nice work. looks spectacular


----------



## G-rat

woah that is awesome.


----------



## don

Beautiful, Dave.


----------



## Mike9

That turned out really nice Dave - love the sycamore.


----------



## markenki

Wow! That looks super!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's another Misono Dragon with koa scales. This one belongs to KFed, hope it suits you Kevin.


----------



## K-Fed

Hot damn.


----------



## tgraypots

the carter with sycamore is awesome.


----------



## markenki

Sweet! Looking forward to more koa!


----------



## ThEoRy

Those are pretty killer!


----------



## Lucretia

:bliss::jumping3::jumping2:

That looks AMAZING!!!!


----------



## Burl Source

Beautiful work Dave.
I really like the look of your hidden tang western handles.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks for all the kind words. Many more to come!


----------



## sudsy9977

Wow...I can't even imagine how good you'll be when u finally get to my knives!....ryan


----------



## K-Fed

Just used the dragon for the first time since getting it back from its makeover firstly Dave, your work is stunning. There are no gaps, no high or low spots... Flawless fit and finish. Second, I remember why I love this knife so much. The profile is about as perfect as it gets in my opinion and I love how well the steel responds to stropping. Thanks dave for remembering that we talked about felt strops and sending me those scraps. I forgot all about it. Ill get it mounted up soon. Do need some diamon spray though ;-). All in all. If you read this and have a knife that needs re-handling I've got two examples of Dave's capability and I feel you would really be missing an opportunity to bring new life to an old love if you didn't send it to Dave. Over and out.


----------



## Dave Martell

K-Fed said:


> Just used the dragon for the first time since getting it back from its makeover firstly Dave, your work is stunning. There are no gaps, no high or low spots... Flawless fit and finish. Second, I remember why I love this knife so much. The profile is about as perfect as it gets in my opinion and I love how well the steel responds to stropping. Thanks dave for remembering that we talked about felt strops and sending me those scraps. I forgot all about it. Ill get it mounted up soon. Do need some diamon spray though ;-). All in all. If you read this and have a knife that needs re-handling I've got two examples of Dave's capability and I feel you would really be missing an opportunity to bring new life to an old love if you didn't send it to Dave. Over and out.




:hatsoff:


----------



## Twistington

Dave Martell said:


> So I'm finally working my way into August's backlog - woohoo!! :bliss:
> 
> Here is the first of three that I'm doing for Sean. The wood is some crazy old growth redwood that he scored directly from Stefan. Looks more like tartan log or something nutty like that.
> 
> These knives are _(ahem - paying a compliment here)_ "rough at best" and rehandling them is at least twice as challenging as anything else out there. I give the maker low marks for this particular one. The rehandle really changes it sooooo much though - it's crazy the difference.
> 
> Well the lighting is bad today but I managed to get a few Ok shots....



"rough at best" is really the nicest thing one can say about these... curse words was probably the only thing that left my mouth when working on a 300mm from the same series. Happy to see that you made it out alive aswell.


----------



## ruscal

wowza. what an amazing thread.

outstanding work Dave :doublethumbsup:


----------



## Dave Martell

Found on YouTube... 

[video=youtube;vZ96H8j3hXE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ96H8j3hXE[/video]


----------



## Drumjockey

She's purty... I like that the guy is singing (sort-of) a little ditty in the background like he's just as happy as a bear in the honey


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Joe's 240mm Hiro AS gyuto with it's new dyed Oregon maple (wood from Burl Source) handle installed. Joe is a musician and asked that I include some brass so we went with brass liners, brass pins, with the middle pin showing a lucky 4 leaf clover. 

I posted all of the pictures of this knife in the Hiromoto thread *HERE* if you're interested. 

Below are a few of the handle pics....


----------



## unkajonet

I've missed the Dave pics!

Great work, as always, Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Hiromoto AS gyuto that I thinned, etched, converted from full to hidden tang, and rehandled in straight grain ironwood.

You can see more pictures at my Hiromoto thread *HERE*


----------



## joetbn

Dave Martell said:


> Here is Joe's 240mm Hiro AS gyuto with it's new dyed Oregon maple (wood from Burl Source) handle installed. Joe is a musician and asked that I include some brass so we went with brass liners, brass pins, with the middle pin showing a lucky 4 leaf clover.
> 
> I posted all of the pictures of this knife in the Hiromoto thread *HERE* if you're interested.
> 
> Below are a few of the handle pics....



Dave,

I love it! The only thing better than how this knife looks is how it feels. First the handle, wow, it's stunning. Exactly what I was hoping for, dark almost black wood, but when you look really close it has all kinds of beautiful tiny patterns and colors going on (big thanks to Burl Source too!) and the fit/finish is as closer to perfect than I thought natural wood could be. It just feels great in my hand. The pins, spacers, tang, scales, all feel like one seamless piece. Then the blade, well it was a pretty great blade to start with and I kept it pretty darned sharp, but it cuts better for sure. On some things it cuts dramatically better, it doesn't get wedged in potatoes anymore and food generally falls right off without sticking. The blade is super-sharp and very even feeling from tip to heel It still has a good amount of bite to it too, how high grit did you go? I'm guessing 5K then a strop or maybe 8K

Only bad thing is now I want a 270mm Suji to go with it and you can't get them anymore.

-Joe


----------



## Dave Martell

joetbn said:


> Dave,
> 
> I love it! The only thing better than how this knife looks is how it feels. First the handle, wow, it's stunning. Exactly what I was hoping for, dark almost black wood, but when you look really close it has all kinds of beautiful tiny patterns and colors going on (big thanks to Burl Source too!) and the fit/finish is as closer to perfect than I thought natural wood could be. It just feels great in my hand. The pins, spacers, tang, scales, all feel like one seamless piece. Then the blade, well it was a pretty great blade to start with and I kept it pretty darned sharp, but it cuts better for sure. On some things it cuts dramatically better, it doesn't get wedged in potatoes anymore and food generally falls right off without sticking. The blade is super-sharp and very even feeling from tip to heel It still has a good amount of bite to it too, how high grit did you go? I'm guessing 5K then a strop or maybe 8K
> 
> Only bad thing is now I want a 270mm Suji to go with it and you can't get them anymore.
> 
> -Joe




Boy did I need to hear some good news right about now, perfect timing Joe, thanks! 

I'm glad that you're digging the work and I hope that you enjoy the knife for a long time to come.


Dave


PS - the edge was first ground with a 120x belt.....I bet you didn;t expect to hear that, eh?


----------



## joetbn

PS - the edge was first ground with a 120x belt.....I bet you didn;t expect to hear that, eh? [/QUOTE]

I figured you started around there, was curious how high you went. However you did it, it works great!


----------



## Dave Martell

joetbn said:


> PS - the edge was first ground with a 120x belt.....I bet you didn;t expect to hear that, eh?



I figured you started around there, was curious how high you went. However you did it, it works great![/QUOTE]


Woops I read how *low* of a grit....doh

The correct answer you were after is 5k stone and then leather strop loaded with .25 mic diamond spray


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Mark's Tadatsuna cleaver converted from full tang (triple rivet) to a hidden tang single pin mosaic pin handled in Hawaiian Koa (from Burl Source). 

We also moved the handle forward about 3/8" towards the blade to allow for a better purchase and mobility of the cleaver in use. I think the weight shift combined with the handle shift should make for a more nimble faster worker.


----------



## markenki

Looks awesome, Dave! I love it. Can't wait to give it a spin. Thanks a lot!


----------



## Dave Martell

markenki said:


> Looks awesome, Dave! I love it. Can't wait to give it a spin. Thanks a lot!




:thumbsup:


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

Didn't know you made cleaver handles, Dave.

Looks great!


----------



## Dave Martell

This is Samit's Hiromoto "White Steel" gyuto (limited time produced knife from years ago) with it's new handle. The factory handle and bolster on these knives is pitiful in stock form. I began by tearing off the scales and giant ass bird's eye pins, cleaned up the tang (removed rust and pitting), installed new spalted two-toned maple (from Burl Source) along with black G10 liners & nickel silver pins, then shaped and rounded the sharp edges off of the bolster to make for a better feel in the hand, then it was spine & choil rounding, and finally sharpening. Aside from the patina the owner may not recognize this one.


----------



## markenki

Looks great! I remember when those white steel gyutos were being sold. Cool knife.


----------



## stereo.pete

Well played as always Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Mark & Pete


----------



## Dave Martell

Hiromoto 240mm gytuo with premium koa (supplied by Burl Source). Knife converted from full to hidden tang and blade thinned and etched (performance package). 

See *HERE* or click on the picture below for more details and many more pictures.


----------



## K-Fed

markenki said:


> Looks great! I remember when those white steel gyutos were being sold. Cool knife.



Me too... almost bought one. Kinda wish I did, they still look great, especially with dave's new shoes.


----------



## samit

i got lucky, I did not bite on the first 20 or so. Koki then got some returns because people were not happy with the handles. He discounted them again, with a zero return policy. That is when I made my move. Its been sitting for 3 years (with me). Bought it march of 2010, he sold the return 240mm for 90 + 7 shipping, the 300mm were 130 + 7. I was late and he did not have any more of the 300mm.


----------



## Dave Martell

I wish that I'd have jumped in on those too.


----------



## ms4awd

Hi Dave

R u accepting rehandling jobs atm? Pls pm me details if possible


----------



## Dave Martell

ms4awd said:


> Hi Dave
> 
> R u accepting rehandling jobs atm? Pls pm me details if possible




I have a rehandle wait list that's growing. I'm telling people 8-10 months wait but it could be longer. If you'd like to get on list just let me know. 

Thanks for your inquiry!

Dave


----------



## ms4awd

yes pls put me on the list, not in a hurry to get it done but would like to eventually.


----------



## Dave Martell

ms4awd said:


> yes pls put me on the list, not in a hurry to get it done but would like to eventually.




Great, you're on the list, thanks!


----------



## stopbarking

Getting on the list gives you enough time to solve that pesky problem of getting a knife to re-handle.


----------



## Dave Martell

Finally, I've finished the rehandle on Len's Tojiro DP garisuke! I've had this knife here so long that I think Len might have forgot what it looks like, I hope the the rehandle and spine/choil rounding serve to confuse his memory even more. 

Len wanted a natural looking wood so we went with flamed maple from Burl Source with nickel silver pins.

Thanks for patience Len!


----------



## WildBoar

Looks beautiful, Dave! Glad to see some more pics of your work.


----------



## ChuckTheButcher

That's awesome. I didn't know this was even possible.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have Lucretia's Tanaka(?) 160mm petty that's been converted from wa to western. 

The wood used is all from Burl Source, dyed blue Oregon Maple Burl with African Blackwood and a copper spacer added for some extra pizzazz.


----------



## Mucho Bocho

Dave, Did you give it the Performance package? The Etching is just popping


----------



## SpikeC

Ok, now THAT is a girls knife!


----------



## Burl Source

WOW!!!


----------



## Lucretia

It was a girl's knife before. But it was wearing Birkenstocks, and now it has on dancing shoes.


Looks great, Dave!

Oh, and it's a Yoshikane SLD.


----------



## Dave Martell

Mucho Bocho said:


> Dave, Did you give it the Performance package? The Etching is just popping




Nope, that's factory finish right there.


----------



## Dave Martell

SpikeC said:


> Ok, now THAT is a girls knife!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Emanuel's honesuki dressed up in it's new buckeye burl (wood from BurlSource) handle with G10 liners and a single nickle silver pin. 

Hey E, do you remember this knife?


----------



## unkajonet

In the words of sarge from Aliens: "Absolutely BADA$$!!!!!"

Oh yes! It looks amazing!


----------



## Burl Source

Beautiful work Dave


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's an unknown suji with some unknown wood. :biggrin:

This one belongs to a friend of Rio.


----------



## mhlee

Dave: That looks like a CarboNext. 

That's some crazy looking wood. I would never use that out in the woods or camping. You'll never find it if you drop it.


----------



## Dave Martell

I shot those pics outside, the wood coloring looks so much more green inside the shop, really weird stuff.


Thanks for the ID on the brand Michael.


----------



## apicius9

Is that box elder burl? Looks funky, and the whole knife is a nice package. 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell

apicius9 said:


> Is that box elder burl?




It does look like box elder but as you know I'm no wood expert.


----------



## ecchef

My new favorite. :doublethumbsup:


----------



## stevenStefano

That's the coolest looking wood on a handle I've ever seen


----------



## cookinstuff

looks great Dave! kinda sad that wood didn't make it on a misono dragon, woulda been a nice pairing.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys!


----------



## Dave Martell

Midori Hamono santoku in premium koa wood obtained from Stefan Keller. The handle has been hand rubbed and oil finished, looks great in person and not so great in these pictures...unfortunately. The wood really has some incredible movement.

This knife is currently being auctioned off for The National Breast Cancer Foundation at Badger & Blade


----------



## Paradox

Dave Martell said:


> Here's an unknown suji with some unknown wood. :biggrin:
> 
> This one belongs to a friend of Rio.



I saw this knife for sale on eBay today. It's listed as a JCK Carbonext I think.


----------



## ecchef

Couldn't find it.


----------



## Dave Martell

Dave Martell said:


> Here's an unknown suji with some unknown wood. :biggrin:
> 
> This one belongs to a friend of Rio.





Paradox said:


> I saw this knife for sale on eBay today. It's listed as a JCK Carbonext I think.





ecchef said:


> Couldn't find it.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-kn...=&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


----------



## Paradox

ecchef said:


> Couldn't find it.



I guess the sale ended after I saw it this morning I didn't notice at the time I looked at it that it was almost over by time. Dave linked the ended sale for it. It had been listed and unsold for $350 before the $300 listing that ended today too.


----------



## Dave Martell

Click on the picture below for more detailed pics of this rehandle....


----------



## Dave Martell

To see more pictures from this knife click on the picture below...


----------



## ecchef

Sweet!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a 240mm Hattori Gyuto with a new handle done in red (dyed) box elder burl.

*Note - In person the color is a red/purple and not pink as it looks in some of these pictures.


----------



## Dave Martell

This is a 150mm Hattori Honesuki with a new purple (dyed) maple burl handle.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have a 80mm Misono Paring knife with a new brown (dyed) box elder burl handle. I believe that this is the smallest handle I've done yet. It came with two very large rivets in the handle which looked off balanced to me so I replaced them with three small diameter nickel silver pins. 

_*Note - Please excuse the dust, the wind was howling when I took the pictures and the dust couldn't be avoided.


_


----------



## Erilyn75

Beautiful Dave, as always


----------



## Dave Martell

Erilyn75 said:


> Beautiful Dave, as always




Thank you Erica


----------



## ecchef

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a 240mm Hattori Gyuto with a new handle done in red (dyed) box elder burl.
> 
> *Note - In person the color is a red/purple and not pink as it looks in some of these pictures.



The more I see handles in this color range, the more I like them. Is that Stevens' wood?


----------



## Dave Martell

ecchef said:


> The more I see handles in this color range, the more I like them. Is that Stevens' wood?




No it's from AZ Ironwood


----------



## WarrenB

Dave Martell said:


> Here we have a 80mm Misono Paring knife with a new brown (dyed) box elder burl handle. I believe that this is the smallest handle I've done yet. It came with two very large rivets in the handle which looked off balanced to me so I replaced them with three small diameter nickel silver pins.
> 
> _*Note - Please excuse the dust, the wind was howling when I took the pictures and the dust couldn't be avoided.
> 
> _



The depth of colour and polish on this one is amazing, almost looks like you could reach into the wood
The other 2 dyed ones look really good as well, especially the pink.... sorry purple/red one:biggrin:


----------



## rodneyat

that Honesuki is awesome. Dyed maple is perfect. You get the look of a figured purpleheart but not all the other issues that come with purpleheart...Well, and maple is cheaper too.


----------



## ecchef

Yeah, my one purpleheart is almost brown now.


----------



## rodneyat

ecchef said:


> Yeah, my one purpleheart is almost brown now.



Exactly...purpleheart is very unpredictable. And yes, at it's worst, it turns brown. Sometimes you get lucky and it just becomes a very deep, dark purple over the years. But, you don't always get so lucky. Regardless, purpleheart will always change color in some way as it ages even with the best finishes on it. 

OK, back to our regularly scheduled program. Looking forward to seeing more of Dave's work!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Hattori petty rehandled in dyed box elder burl.


----------



## ecchef

The gloss finish you're getting these days is unbelievable!


----------



## Dave Martell

ecchef said:


> The gloss finish you're getting these days is unbelievable!




Thanks Dave! The pictures look OK but trust me that in person the handles look so much better and the feel is smooth as silk. It's been awhile since I've been this happy with the results I'm getting so having you comment really makes my day. 

What I'm doing is finishing the handles to a high gloss by hand and then applying a blend of polymerizing oils in several layers to get the look I'm after. This has taken me about 6 months worth of rehandle work to figure out and I'm just starting to get something I feel is good. I'm after a waterproof, durable, permanent finish. 

There are some woods that this won't work on (like ironwood) so for that I use a non-drying oil satin finish instead. I may also chose not to go with the high shine on some other woods too (like thuya burl) and I'll either do the satin ironwood thing or a combo of the two. It comes down to sometimes some woods look better satin low gloss where others look good high gloss.


----------



## Dave Martell

Just finished up on this wa to western conversion for Matus. Rosewood burl, African Blackwood, and copper accents.


----------



## ThEoRy

Sick!!


----------



## Matus

Dave, that is just ... wow! :bigeek: Thank you so much. I can not wait to see it in person! I hope my wife will like it too.

:thankyou333:


----------



## heldentenor

Sweet!


----------



## Dave Martell

Matus said:


> Dave, that is just ... wow! :bigeek: Thank you so much. I can not wait to see it in person! I hope my wife will like it too.
> 
> :thankyou333:




That's all your design their Matus, you have good taste.  

I'm glad you like it though, enjoy!


----------



## Dave Martell

ThEoRy said:


> Sick!!





heldentenor said:


> Sweet!




Thanks guys


----------



## Burl Source

Beautiful handle Dave.
Congrats Matus. I am betting your Wife will love it.


----------



## Matus

Mark, in the case that rosewood looks familiar - than you are indeed correct. It is one of the two absolutely stunning pieces I got from you few months back. I have one more that will be used on some very special knife one day.


----------



## Geo87

Nice choice of wood. Looks fantastic!


----------



## Mucho Bocho

DYNOMITE DAVID


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Dennis


----------



## mkriggen

Nicely done indeed:doublethumbsup:


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Mikey!


----------



## Erilyn75

Beautiful work as always Dave!

This is one of my favorite threads on here. Just looking through the pages make me smile.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Erica


----------



## Dave Martell

Hiromoto AS set. See the rest of the pics *HERE*


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's an Artisan gyuto that has been completely reworked. The blade was thinned & (per customer request) highly polished, the spine/choil/bolster were de-burred (man were they sharp) and rounded for comfort, and the handle was upgraded to maple burl with comfy contours. I doubt that the owner will recognize this knife as the one he sent in, it's that different now....and hopefully better too.


----------



## Dave Martell

Fujiwara Teruyasu Denka in Ironwood Burl.....


----------



## Dave Martell

I forgot to mention, the Fujiwara above was converted from full tang to hidden.


----------



## daddy yo yo

Dave Martell said:


> Hiromoto AS set. See the rest of the pics *HERE*


you have no idea how beautiful these are when you hold them in your hands...

uhm... dave... you probably have an idea!


----------



## Dave Martell

Manuel, you finally got your Hiros?


----------



## daddy yo yo

Dave Martell said:


> Manuel, you finally got your Hiros?


i had to wait until yesterday evening!!! do you think that was a long wait? i was totally calm and relaxed... :eyebrow: i catch myself fingering the 2 sweeties from time to time... :spiteful:


----------



## Dave Martell

daddy yo yo said:


> i had to wait until yesterday evening!!! do you think that was a long wait? i was totally calm and relaxed... :eyebrow: i catch myself fingering the 2 sweeties from time to time... :spiteful:




:doublethumbsup:


----------



## daddy yo yo

seriously guys, if anyone out there is considering getting a job done by dave, stop thinking about it and *do it*! this guy's work is incredible!!! :ubersexy: it already looks gorgeous on the pics, but if you see it in person, this is just breathtaking! :2thumbsup:

dave, you are a master and your work is outstanding! :notworthy:


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Manuel, you were a great customer to work with!


----------



## Dave Martell

This is one of the nicest rehandles I've done. I wasn't sure how it was going to go initially tough, the knife presented some problems. 

First off this is the first one of these knives that I've worked on besides sharpening so I didn't have any expectations. I quickly found out that the maker does a nice knife but crappy handle/tang/bolster..I'll explain in more detail later. Also, the wood used is something I never worked with before and was supplied by the customer from an unknown ebay source, and as a lot of you know - I'm not fond of any of that. :eyebrow:

So why is the handle/tang/bolster crappy? Well upon removal of the scales (which was quite the chore - unlike most Japanese knives) I found there to be paper liners glued in between the scales and tang and also the scales and bolster. I was puzzled by this as this isn't what is normally seen. Upon some inspection of the tang it became apparent that they had good reason to use these liners as they were being employed to fill in the gaps between the flat scales and W-a-V-y tang. Later on I found the bolster was also not square to the tang in any direction. :scratchhead: 

I gave this some thought and then went to the customer with options on how to deal with the problems and fortunately he chose wisely and went with a hidden tang. :doublethumbsup:



I really like how this knife turned out as a package, I'd own this in a split second if possible, it's that nice. vg:


Takamura Uchigumo 240mm Gyuto in dyed Russian Karelian Birch with nickel silver & copper accents.....


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's some more....


----------



## chiffonodd

Dave Martell said:


> Here's some more....



Wow. Just wow.


----------



## antbanks

As much as I wanted to wait and be surprised when I got this back in the mail, I just had to come and take a look. Dave, you have really outdone yourself on this one!!! So happy we went the route we did, and that wood turned out as nice or nicer than I had hoped for. Great work Dave, as usual. 

For those of you out there that have never used Dave's services, his work is impeccable and he really cares about the end result and pays attention to all the details. He has done a lot of work for me over the years and it has always exceeded my expectations. If you ever need any work done on your knives, Dave is your guy and I promise you will NOT be disappointed!!! 

Thanks again, can't wait to get this one back!!
Anthony


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Wow Dave, this looks great! I'm really looking forward to doing the Uchigumo set, just need that 270 sujihiki to be back in stock.


----------



## Dave Martell

chiffonodd said:


> Wow. Just wow.



Thanks! 





antbanks said:


> As much as I wanted to wait and be surprised when I got this back in the mail, I just had to come and take a look. Dave, you have really outdone yourself on this one!!! So happy we went the route we did, and that wood turned out as nice or nicer than I had hoped for. Great work Dave, as usual.
> 
> For those of you out there that have never used Dave's services, his work is impeccable and he really cares about the end result and pays attention to all the details. He has done a lot of work for me over the years and it has always exceeded my expectations. If you ever need any work done on your knives, Dave is your guy and I promise you will NOT be disappointed!!!
> 
> Thanks again, can't wait to get this one back!!
> Anthony




I'm really happy to hear that you like it Anthony. I promise that you'll like it even more in person. :wink:






tjangula said:


> Wow Dave, this looks great! I'm really looking forward to doing the Uchigumo set, just need that 270 sujihiki to be back in stock.



We should talk about those tangs. :bigeek:


----------



## Mucho Bocho

Anthony good to know. I've got a Moritaka Nakiri that just has a couple of over grinds. Just a few on both sides of the face and maybe one or two on the spine. Was thinking of asking Dave to make me an iron wood handle too.


----------



## Dave Martell

Mucho Bocho said:


> Anthony good to know. I've got a Moritaka Nakiri that just has a couple of over grinds. Just a few on both sides of the face and maybe one or two on the spine. Was thinking of asking Dave to make me an iron wood handle too.





Dennis you troublemaker! :bat:


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> We should talk about those tangs. :bigeek:



Yes I was thinking that as well after reading the post too, I think we have some time though as there's still no ETA for that 270 suji. I actually really like how the hidden tang turned out


----------



## ecchef

So what's the verdict on this wood Dave? Looks super crackalicious, but damn...it sure is purdy!


----------



## Dave Martell

ecchef said:


> So what's the verdict on this wood Dave? Looks super crackalicious, but damn...it sure is purdy!




It's voidalicious for sure, good stabilization required.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a couple of good looking Hiromotos destined for Christmas presents. One is AS (that I thinned & etched) and the other is damascus. Both handles are done in dyed box elder burl.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Looks like someone is going to have a nice present under the tree, that box elder is a nice looking wood.


----------



## Matus

Stunning work Dave. I need to get a knife with western handle so that I can have it re-handled by you


----------



## buckeye

Amazing what was hidden inside those two blocks of wood. You certainly have the talent to turn a couple pieces of tree trunk into works of art. Thanks! Just in time for Christmas. Someday we will get that sharpening lesson done.


----------



## Dave Martell

tjangula said:


> Looks like someone is going to have a nice present under the tree, that box elder is a nice looking wood.





Matus said:


> Stunning work Dave. I need to get a knife with western handle so that I can have it re-handled by you




Thanks guys.


----------



## Dave Martell

buckeye said:


> Amazing what was hidden inside those two blocks of wood. You certainly have the talent to turn a couple pieces of tree trunk into works of art. Thanks! Just in time for Christmas. Someday we will get that sharpening lesson done.




I'm glad that you like them Bill! 

Yeah we'll get that sharpening lesson done someday for sure.


----------



## buckeye

"check's in the mail"


----------



## Dave Martell

Check out the full details of this project by clicking on the picture...


----------



## DanHumphrey

What's the current waiting list on this, Dave? I should probably get on the list. At least once, if not more...


----------



## Dave Martell

DanHumphrey said:


> What's the current waiting list on this, Dave? I should probably get on the list. At least once, if not more...




Hi Dan,
I currently have about 6 months worth of rehandle work in the shop and then there's the list......so I'm not sure that I could even guess the length of wait time. 

Thanks for your interest though, I'd still love to have you on the list if you can wait.

Dave


----------



## Dave Martell

This customer commissioned me to convert his Forgecraft to hidden tang and then construct a western shaped handle with hooked type ass end. The wood is Oregon maple burl from Burl Source.


----------



## G-rat

Dave that's so beautiful!!! Thank you!


----------



## lifeis11

wow thats gorgeous dave


----------



## aboynamedsuita

I'm liking the natural colored maple burl!


----------



## Bill13

That handle is outstanding! Freaking amazing!!


----------



## Dave Martell

*Kramer Zwilling Rehandle*

Click on the picture below to see more pics and for build details....


----------



## Dave Martell

Vintage Forgecraft Chef's Knife - Blade thinned, spine/choil rounded, tang converted to the hidden style, and a new handle created. 

The handle was made a bit oversize in length to accommodate the customer's tastes. He selected ironwood as the main material & ancient bog oak for the ferrule. I think this works good on this knife. 

It will be showing at ECG 2016


----------



## Bill13

Wow:bliss::bliss::bliss:

Looks awesome Dave!

I bought two Forgies off eBay, sent them both to Dave and let him pick the better one. The handle is a little fatter because I prefer big handles and I liked, no really liked, the Zwilling Dave had just done, although Dave has had the knife and some of the handle material for more than a few months. It just took me awhile to get to the front of the line, and to finalize the handle design.

Can't wait to see it in person!


----------



## Dave Martell

I'm glad that you like the looks Bill. I think it'll be a good performer too. Enjoy!!


----------



## MontezumaBoy

Beautiful work Dave! Love that forgie ala DM!


----------



## ash987

That looks fantastic. I am planning on working over a few of these soon with a wa-handle conversion. Might have to move this up the priority list now that I see how good they can look. You don't happen to have any insights or things to watch for with them do you Dave?


----------



## Mucho Bocho

The Forgecraft rehandle has a retro-look to it. Modern but classic at the same time. Beautiful work Dave. Can't wait to give it a spin at the ECG.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks gents!


----------



## Dave Martell

ash987 said:


> I am planning on working over a few of these soon with a wa-handle conversion. Might have to move this up the priority list now that I see how good they can look. You don't happen to have any insights or things to watch for with them do you Dave?




The profile. Look at the flat area in front of the heal for overzealous sharpening. These knives come almost too flat as it is and then too much of the wrong type of sharpening easily makes the profiles out of whack. I have to fix greater than 95% of them so expect this, just try to find one not too greatly affected so you don't have too much profile adjustment/repair to worry about. 

And the same warning about over sharpening applies in general, too much and it'll be very thick. These aren't super thin to start with.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

I really like the combo of ironwood and bog oak, the way the light hits the ironwood just makes it glow in the third picture. Is the bog oak ferrule something new, not sure I've seen it in your gallery before. Looks great regardless.


----------



## rogue108

Wow...Wow. It looks like the bog oak and the Ironwood are just one piece. When I look at that Forgecraft it's reminiscent of a restored antique.


----------



## ecchef

Man, I love the Forgies you rebuilt for me, but this may be the best one you've done yet.
You're the undisputed Master of hidden tang Westerns!


----------



## jessf

Yeah that forgecraft handle really works. I like how the bog oak colour blends into the dark colours of the ironwood.


----------



## Dave Martell

You guys are too kind.


----------



## Dave Martell

tjangula said:


> I really like the combo of ironwood and bog oak, the way the light hits the ironwood just makes it glow in the third picture.





rogue108 said:


> It looks like the bog oak and the Ironwood are just one piece.





jessf said:


> I like how the bog oak colour blends into the dark colours of the ironwood.




That's all Bill's credit, he came up with the design.






tjangula said:


> Is the bog oak ferrule something new, not sure I've seen it in your gallery before.



Bill sent me this piece to use. It's the first time I've used this material.


----------



## Bill13

The bog oak and the ironwood were pieces I bought from Mike Henry when he had his going out of business sale. Years later they are finally being put to use.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> Bill sent me this piece to use. It's the first time I've used this material.


Turned out real nice I think, well done :thumbsup:


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a pair of knives rehandled in Leopardwood (from DreamBurls)...


----------



## Dave Martell

*Yoshihiro Blue Steel Gyuto*

1. Converted to western (from wa)

2. Choil notched for finger groove

3. Spine/choil rounded/polished

4. Handle wood is amboyna burl. Ferrule is African blackwood. Spacers are copper/G10


----------



## Godslayer

That is defiantly one of your better pieces. That Burl <3 it's magnificent and the simple blackwood really brings it all together.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Evan, I like it too.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

I like amboyna as well, especially the multi-toned stuff :cool2:
The tri-spacer (copper/G20/copper) looks really good, may have to consider
Oh, I have some wood that may be shipping shorty (just a heads up )


----------



## Dave Martell

More wood coming Tanner? So you like the copper spacers, eh?


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> More wood coming Tanner? So you like the copper spacers, eh?



I almost forgot about the blocks of HRB I bought and asked Mark to hold on to, if we don't use them we could just send up to Canada once we're done. I also need to connect with Stefan about a larger block (EDIT - of koa) too. Wood is so addictive lol. 

I really liked the cooper spacer as an accent with the rehandle you did for Anthony, and the black of the G10 (no idea why I called it G20 before lol) on this one really adds a nice aesthetic touch.

Still working on some notes but I figure I may as well get the HRB on its way shortly :running:


----------



## Dave Martell

This knife came in with a real fancy _(maybe a bit too fancy)_ mother of pearl handle. I was tasked to replace it with wood, something "striped" & "sturdy". I went with a premium block of koa and used mosaic pins to add a little flair back in to match the blade. 

I LOVE working with koa, it's a great wood to shape and the results are stunning but damn does it take a miracle to capture the beauty within a picture. A video would be better suited to show off this wood as it's got great 3-D movement and such depth. I'm 100% certain that the owner is going to see the difference when he gets this back in his hands. :cool2:


----------



## Dave Martell

This knife was not only rehandled it was thinned & etched too! 
_*Note - this knife was super thick on the left side only, the right had almost no cladding on it down at the edge...go figure!?_

The handle is green dyed box elder burl with nickel silver pins. 

Hiromotos always look good in green, no? :dontknow: :wink:


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Lots of eye candy showing up here recently!! Is that dark section on the koa some spalting? I like it!


----------



## Dave Martell

tjangula said:


> Lots of eye candy showing up here recently!! Is that dark section on the koa some spalting? I like it!




Yup, Davey has been a busy boy and yup that's some spalting (I think). It wasn't on the outside of the block, came as a big surprise as I was shaping.


----------



## Von blewitt

They all look stunning Dave! You certainly are on a roll.
The Hiro makes me wish I sent you some died burl :spin chair:


----------



## Dave Martell

I wonder just how much wood and knives you own Huw.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a couple of Hiromotos that came in to have koa handles made. The customer purchased some really nice wood, he went with two different grades here. Which one do you like more?


----------



## bkultra

I once stated that the only western handle I cared for was made by Michael Rader... I stand corrected


----------



## Dave Martell

bkultra said:


> I once stated that the only western handle I cared for was made by Michael Rader... I stand corrected




Now *THAT* is a compliment! Thank you


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> Which one do you like more?



They both look great, I almost thought the santoku was mango


----------



## Dave Martell

tjangula said:


> They both look great, I almost thought the santoku was mango




It really does look like mango, doesn't it?


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

I think I prefer the darker one because I prefer darker woods in general, but the figure on the lighter piece is much more noticeable (at least in the pictures), so it's a tough call.

Which is the higher grade piece?


----------



## Dave Martell

Johnny.B.Good said:


> I think I prefer the darker one because I prefer darker woods in general, but the figure on the lighter piece is much more noticeable (at least in the pictures), so it's a tough call.
> 
> Which is the higher grade piece?




The lighter handle was the higher grade block. It's got great figuring in all directions, super tight, for sure quality stuff. I prefer the darker though myself, it's just got character, suits my personal taste.


----------



## ecchef

The dark one for sure. 
Glad to see you're making progress!


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> It really does look like mango, doesn't it?



Ya man, it reminds me of the Suji you did awhile ago


----------



## dough

they all look good but that Mr. Itou is such an improvement to me.
anyway keep on keepin on its good to see you pumping these out.


----------



## Bill13

Both are great but this is one instance where I prefer the less expensive handle. Darker handle is more my style.


----------



## Godslayer

I like the darker one to, but if these get darker with age(do they) i think the lighter one would age better. I do like some contrast in my handle materials, keeps me visually stimulated.


----------



## apicius9

I like the darker one better also. Darker koa usually comes from an older tree or from a tree that grew at a higher altitude. Most likely also from the Big Island of Hawaii, koa from Maui or Oahu is often more on the lighter side. But, lf course, there are exceptions... 

Only just saw the green one - does that glow in the dark? :wink:

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell

Bill13 said:


> Both are great but this is one instance where I prefer the less expensive handle. Darker handle is more my style.





Godslayer said:


> I like the darker one to, but if these get darker with age(do they) i think the lighter one would age better. I do like some contrast in my handle materials, keeps me visually stimulated.




It's funny how price point and grading don't always match people's tastes. 





apicius9 said:


> I like the darker one better also. Darker koa usually comes from an older tree or from a tree that grew at a higher altitude. Most likely also from the Big Island of Hawaii, koa from Maui or Oahu is often more on the lighter side. But, lf course, there are exceptions...



Thanks for the info Mr. Koa :wink: _(yeah you are the expert here)_




apicius9 said:


> Only just saw the green one - does that glow in the dark? :wink:



Hell yeah! In fact, those pictures were shot at night time.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a couple more rehandles freshly completed....


1. *Teruyasu Fujiwara Santoku or Gyuto* (?) - AZ Ironwood with copper/G10 spacers & a single copper/nickel silver mosaic pin

Converted from full tang to hidden tang, see THIS for details.
The spine/choil were also rounded and smoothed out.



2. *Gesshin Ginga Sujihiki* - Black Ash Burl with nickel silver pins

Note how the tang is wider at the top of the handle than at the bottom, nice challenge.


----------



## Godslayer

That fujiwara. The subtle details take it from high tier to god tier. I have one rehandled by adam marr and I thought that was epic but the spacers and little mosaic pin. Its like a hidden tang westren hattorichop, really epic.


----------



## Dave Martell

Godslayer said:


> That fujiwara. The subtle details take it from high tier to god tier. I have one rehandled by adam marr and I thought that was epic but the spacers and little mosaic pin. Its like a hidden tang westren hattorichop, really epic.




I'll take that! Thanks Evan


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Haven't been online for a day or so and its always nice to see some new eye candy rehandles


----------



## ecchef

Is you re-handle list re-opened yet?


----------



## Dave Martell

ecchef said:


> Is you re-handle list re-opened yet?




Nope, but, if you have a rehandle coupon then it's always open. You just have to wait forever..... 

It's getting better though, only maybe 1/2 a yrs worth of rehandle work still waiting here. :scared4:


----------



## Godslayer

sometime next fall I want to get a damascus martell. I read somewhere long ago in a time long since forgotten there was a collaborative knife so awesome no one dares speak it's name. :viking: :knife: irate1: :knight: Probably ground like a takeda, you've fixed enough of them :wink:


----------



## ecchef

Dave Martell said:


> Nope, but, if you have a rehandle coupon then it's always open. You just have to wait forever..... QUOTE]
> 
> :fishslap:


----------



## ecchef

Godslayer said:


> sometime next fall I want to get a damascus martell. I read somewhere long ago in a time long since forgotten there was a collaborative knife so awesome no one dares speak it's name. :viking: :knife: irate1: :knight: Probably ground like a takeda, you've fixed enough of them :wink:



I remember that knife. Group buy?


----------



## Godslayer

ecchef said:


> I remember that knife. Group buy?



Went to jim http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...as-Keller-Jim-amp-Martell-A-KKF-Collaboration

I thought the owners name was austin. Oh well. Amazing looking blade. I presume a new one would be significantly better as Dave's made over 8 knives now.


----------



## Dave Martell

Well there is a planned Martell set to be done in DT's bubble wrap and I even heard that mokume might get used too. :spiteful:


----------



## Godslayer

Dave Martell said:


> Well there is a planned Martell set to be done in DT's bubble wrap and I even heard that mokume might get used too. :spiteful:



DT bubblewrap and raindrop are my favorite patterns from him. With a nice s grind and a fun profile we could really have something there  I saw some on cktg from randy and I almost bought it...... Jk still looked super nice though. If you have extra steel or want me to buy some if be game for spring. I'm cut off with knives until than. Limiting myself to one purchase per season.... Cause that'll last lol. Is the heat treat gonna be by hoss like last time? I kind of like the idea of that pass around. He did for aebl what ed Fowler/david lisch(hope I got those names right) did for 52100. Made it a real steel. Also pics when it goes down.


----------



## Dave Martell

I insist on Devin doing the heat treat on his steel.


----------



## Dave Martell

Today I bring you a rare older knife that belongs to my friend Ryan who's been waiting for a very long time to get this re-handled. The knife is a Hiromoto (solid) White #1 (?) that was made for a short run way back in the early KF days after being found by the maker after many years of them being long forgotten about. 

These knives came with an extremely blocky metal bolster and pakkawood handle with poor fit 'n finish. A lot of these knives were rehandled right away as a result and this particular one was no exception. 

The original handle maker had removed the bolster (which was only tacked on) and obviously had issues with getting the blade cleaned up where the bolster had sat so the handle was installed far up onto the blade yet there was still some pretty decent grind marks present in the blade. He also used the full (and very poorly shaped/ground) tang which turned out to be a mistake as the scales pulled away from it over time. 

After talking with Ryan about all this we decided to go with a hidden tang. This would allow the handle to be mounted back in a more traditional position and would also remove the misshapen tang from the equation completely. I took the liberty, while the handle was off, to refinish the blade, rounding the spine and choil while I was at it.

Ryan likes weird stuff so he went with a green dyed box elder burl and highly streaked honey horn for the ferrule. 

I'm hoping that Ryan likes the new configuration because he's not one to hold back his opinions to me. LOL 

What do you folks think of it?


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Interesting story, a lot of history in this knife. I thought I had seen this one before, but it was an AS Santoku with a similar wood. The crazy dyed woods aren't my personal preference, but it still looks really nice.


----------



## Matus

Dave, I love that handle - the blonde ferrule fits so well. I _need_ such a handle on one of my knives


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Tanner & Matus 


@Matus, I love the look of this type of ferrule too but you should know how crackilicious this can be. What appears to be character is actually flaws. Seems like the best looking stuff is the worst quality.


----------



## Matus

Dave, there always seems to be a catch - I am having a hard time not to parallel you last sentence on, ehm, ... you know ... ehm, can't really say that loud


----------



## Dave Martell

Hahahahahaha....good one!


----------



## sudsy9977

I'm withholding judgement till I see it in person....I haven't seen it in so long I'm not sure it's real...lol....I'm sure it'll be worth the wait....thanks for suffering through yet another project of mine....I always have the most jacked up knives to fix...lol...ryan


----------



## Dave Martell

sudsy9977 said:


> I'm withholding judgement till I see it in person....I haven't seen it in so long I'm not sure it's real...lol....I'm sure it'll be worth the wait....thanks for suffering through yet another project of mine....I always have the most jacked up knives to fix...lol...ryan




Yeah your knives are always projects but that's OK, good practice for me. 

Thanks for being so patient all this time though. Now I just have to get to your Martell knives and all those other rehandles and then you'll be set. :biggrin:


----------



## sudsy9977

Get to work baby!! Ryan


----------



## ecchef

Yeah...finish up Ryan's stuff so I can send you a bunch of crap! 

Somehow, you always manage to draw the best qualities out of the materials. I think it looks great.


----------



## Dave Martell

ecchef said:


> Yeah...finish up Ryan's stuff so I can send you a bunch of crap!
> 
> Somehow, you always manage to draw the best qualities out of the materials. I think it looks great.



Thanks Dave!

BTW, you're another one who always challenges me.


----------



## ecchef

:goodevil:


----------



## sudsy9977

.


Dave Martell said:


> Today I bring you a rare older knife that belongs to my friend Ryan who's been waiting for a very long time to get this re-handled. The knife is a Hiromoto (solid) White #1 (?) that was made for a short run way back in the early KF days after being found by the maker after many years of them being long forgotten about.
> 
> These knives came with an extremely blocky metal bolster and pakkawood handle with poor fit 'n finish. A lot of these knives were rehandled right away as a result and this particular one was no exception.
> 
> The original handle maker had removed the bolster (which was only tacked on) and obviously had issues with getting the blade cleaned up where the bolster had sat so the handle was installed far up onto the blade yet there was still some pretty decent grind marks present in the blade. He also used the full (and very poorly shaped/ground) tang which turned out to be a mistake as the scales pulled away from it over time.
> 
> After talking with Ryan about all this we decided to go with a hidden tang. This would allow the handle to be mounted back in a more traditional position and would also remove the misshapen tang from the equation completely. I took the liberty, while the handle was off, to refinish the blade, rounding the spine and choil while I was at it.
> 
> Ryan likes weird stuff so he went with a green dyed box elder burl and highly streaked honey horn for the ferrule.
> 
> I'm hoping that Ryan likes the new configuration because he's not one to hold back his opinions to me. LOL
> 
> What do you folks think of it?




So first impressions of my knife....AWESOME!....dave has brought it back to life and then some....the color and figuring he was able to bring out in the wood is incredible in person....the buffalo horn looks so good with the color of the wood....and I actually asked dave what the spacer material was...it's not horn but looks so much like it you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference....
Sharpness....on a whole different level....dave's belt sharpening is beyond any freehand sharpening job I have ever seen ....it's really silly to even bother to try and get to that level sharpening by hand....just buy a grinder...lol....

The finish on the blade is awesome...I wish knives would come like this from the factory...so smooth and even....everything so rounded....it feels so good in your hand, I can't wait to use it this weekend....

I am even more excited to get the rest of my stuff back from Dave now....it's a good year for me!....thanks Dave for putting in so much hard work,thought, and time into my knife....it'll be with me till the end.....you know I was thinking this morning about all the knives I've had over the years....watanabe custom damascus, honyaki blades, cater custom damascus blades....and eevrything in between.....I've had more than I can remember.....they've all been sold.....I have this Hirimoto....a Carter paring knife....and soon I'll have a gyuto and slicer from Dave......tells you something about the quality of his work.....ryan




Thanks Dave....I owe ya one!


----------



## Dave Martell

That's great to hear Ryan, put a smile on my face.


----------



## Dave Martell

Yes folks this is a real deal super rare Hiromoto AS cleaver here! :spiteful:

I was charged with cleaning it up, rounding up the edges, sharpening, and making a new handle. This was first converted to hidden tang and then I followed the maker's handle shape for the profile going with some really nice afzelia lay burl and African blackwood for materials. 

I'm 100% positive that in the future when you search Google for "bad ass cleaver" this is going to pop up on the first page. 

Now to get it off to the new owner Lonnie and see what he thinks of it.


----------



## Mucho Bocho

I'll speak for Lonnie, he's not going to like it so I'll just take it off his hands. You have my address. HA

Beautiful knife and hand work Dave. You've got this knife thingy going pretty good huh [emoji38]


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Wow that handle is gorgeous! I like the darkness and randomness of the Xylay pattern in the wood.

I remember that knife too. Only 5 were ever made apparently and Koki had 4, the other was for a Japanese chef. The rehandle makes it extra special IMO. The term sellers remorse kinda comes to mind, but I'm glad that Lonnie will give it a good home


----------



## Dave Martell

Thank you guys!


----------



## 2010ZR1

Looks fantastic. I am really looking forward to getting this one.


----------



## Dave Martell

2010ZR1 said:


> Looks fantastic. I am really looking forward to getting this one.




It'll be shipping out tomorrow, thanks Lonnie!


----------



## 2010ZR1

Pictures do not do justice to this. Stunning. Beautiful work Dave. There will be a few jealous chefs in the Napa Valley looking at this one.


----------



## Dave Martell

2010ZR1 said:


> Pictures do not do justice to this. Stunning. Beautiful work Dave. There will be a few jealous chefs in the Napa Valley looking at this one.




I guess you received the cleaver?  

I'm glad that you like it Lonnie, that's what counts. Thanks again!


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

That cleaver looks amazing.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's something you don't see everyday, well never actually, it's a new style Takeda gyuto that's been converted to a western handle. :cool2:

The wood used is untreated (unstabilized) rosewood burl paired with black buffalo horn. This is a rare case where I'll state that the pictures look better than real life does. 

The wood, being extremely oily, would not take and hold onto any combination of oil (and even shellac as suggested by top woodworkers - to seal it) that I tried with it (and I tried dozens) so eventually I gave up and did what most knifemakers do and just buffed and waxed it. In person the color is a lot more brown (not very red at all like what the pictures show), the surface has high and low polished sections where the oil bleeds out at different rates, and is just not as (grain) filled as I normally do. If I could have got oil to stay put then I know the color would have been amazing but it wasn't to be. :bashhead:

You can likely tell that I'm not very happy with the results, I'm used to getting better, but I'm also not used to working with raw oily wood like this either so maybe some of the results can be contributed to myself. I think the handle is nice, is stable, and will serve the customer well however I dislike that the customer now has to deal with waxing his handle as upkeep and that the quality isn't what I usually provide. I will no longer use this wood unless stabilized (and well seasoned) and even then maybe not. 

With all that said, I do appreciate the customer tasking me with (and supplying) this wood though as it gave me a chance to try it out and see what I could do with it, I just hope that he likes it. :wink:


----------



## Bill13

I can see why the customer liked the wood the figuring is great. Maybe after a few months of use it will settle down?


----------



## aboynamedsuita

I think it looks pretty good :thumbsup:

It's too bad HRB is one of those temperamental woods, because it's really beautiful especially if you like the "natural" look as I do (I say this having seen the "brown" look too).

That said, I still love me some wild koa and mango


----------



## Godslayer

Honestly that's the sexiest takeda I've ever seen. ******* amazing. I almost cried when I saw it. Its good to see you and your nemisis takeda pull through. Kindof like a vegeta and goku fusion


----------



## Dave Martell

Geez, you're too kind. Thanks gents!


----------



## Matus

Dave, that rosewood burl handle looks fantastic on that Takeda. 

What I really like about the rosewood burl is that it does not seem to darken or loose contrast over time. You did a handle for Yoshikane SLD petty for me about 2 years ago and it still looks as awesome as new. I have one more rosewood burl block that I keep for some special project  I would not touch it with the level of my own handle making skills.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a few freshly completed rehandles.... 



Hiromoto Damascus 210mm gyuto in blue/green dyed box elder burl

Hiromoto G3 240mm gyuto in green dyed box elder burl

Akifusa 190mm gyuto in natural box elder burl


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Me like. Appears one of my guesses was correct about the wood


----------



## Dave Martell

240mm Akifusa gyuto in dyed (orange) box elder burl....


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

I would choose different wood for my own knife, but wow, does that look clean. Really impressive.

Congrats to the owner!


----------



## Bill13

I love that look. Very simple with the dye helping the grain pop. Is the handle a bit thicker than your normal handle?


----------



## Dave Martell

Johnny.B.Good said:


> I would choose different wood for my own knife, but wow, does that look clean. Really impressive.
> 
> Congrats to the owner!




Thanks! 





Bill13 said:


> I love that look. Very simple with the dye helping the grain pop. Is the handle a bit thicker than your normal handle?



All of these are the same thickness as my usual handles. I will admit that I've made some thicker than others from time to time but the goal is always the same. 

BTW, the bolster thickness pretty much determines the thickness of the handle. I can, and do, work a swell in the middle when I can but the front of the handle has a built in thickness gauge that's tough to get around.

Thanks Bill


----------



## Johnny.B.Good

Is it easier for you to do hidden tang handles? Is there any downside?


----------



## Dave Martell

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Is it easier for you to do hidden tang handles? Is there any downside?




It is easier in some respects but not in others...

If I have a metal bolster with full tang that needs converting (to hidden) then it's extra work to do this and it takes some pretty precise grinding to get it right. On the flip side is a wa handled knife that has no bolster and the tang is already good to go so it's just glue up the block and move on. Now for the finishing aspect, hidden tang is Sooooooooooooo much easier than full tang - not even close. Matching wood up flush with metal bits can be troublesome sometimes and yeah it's got to look good as well which adds to the challenge. For longevity, I think it's a toss up if the full tang scales are attached correctly and quality stabilized wood is used. Hidden tang does remove all those questions and worries though.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's 2 Hiromoto AS knives that have been thinned, etched, and had new handles constructed. The 240mm gyuto's handle is made from maple burl while the 200mm gyuto is amboyna burl.

I can't say that I love the etching results, sort of weird and streaky with an unusual (and uneven) texture on the cladding. Hiromoto AS etching is always a surprise event. The overall package is nice though, and I'm sure they'll perform well.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> It is easier in some respects but not in others...
> 
> If I have a metal bolster with full tang that needs converting (to hidden) then it's extra work to do this and it takes some pretty precise grinding to get it right. On the flip side is a wa handled knife that has no bolster and the tang is already good to go so it's just glue up the block and move on. Now for the finishing aspect, hidden tang is Sooooooooooooo much easier than full tang - not even close. Matching wood up flush with metal bits can be troublesome sometimes and yeah it's got to look good as well which adds to the challenge. For longevity, I think it's a toss up if the full tang scales are attached correctly and quality stabilized wood is used. Hidden tang does remove all those questions and worries though.



Dang, now I feel kinda bad for wanting the ZKs done we can see once the fortnight approaches. 

Work looks great as usual.


----------



## Dave Martell

Two more Hiromoto AS knives finished.... 

The gyuto is rehandled in turquoise dyed box elder burl and the santoku in Czech maple burl.


----------



## Mucho Bocho

Wow. Smokin Dave. Me likey


----------



## Dave Martell

Mucho Bocho said:


> Wow. Smokin Dave. Me likey



Thanks Dennis


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Lots of Hiromotos recently I don't normally care for dyed woods but that turquoise looks pretty good!


----------



## MontezumaBoy

Spectacular work Dave! You seem to out do yourself each and every time with these re-handles and spa treatments!


----------



## Dave Martell

You guys are too kind, thanks.


----------



## buckeye

Awesome Dave. The Hiromoto's are very intriguing with the etching.


----------



## buckeye

You have taken common Japanese kitchen knives and turned them into works of art, too nice to use!


----------



## Dave Martell

buckeye said:


> You have taken common Japanese kitchen knives and turned them into works of art, too nice to use!



Well I hope that you do use them at least a little. 

Thanks for all the work Bill


----------



## buckeye

Redefining quality Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Kagayaki Gekido R2 Damascus 175mm Santoku with a new handle constructed of dyed box elder burl. 


_*Please excuse the poor picture quality. There was just too much cloud cover. _


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Kohetsu AS gyuto with a new handle made from Arizona Ironwood Burl...


----------



## malexthekid

You must have magic fairies collecting burl stock for you or something dave. These are awesome. I love that blue burl.


----------



## Godslayer

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a Kohetsu AS gyuto with a new handle made from Arizona Ironwood Burl...



Who has the balls to ask you to rehandle a kohetsu lol.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Godslayer said:


> Who has the balls to ask you to rehandle a kohetsu lol.


handles looks nice regardless. I wonder if there's ever been a request to do an Artifex lol


----------



## Dave Martell

tjangula said:


> I wonder if there's ever been a request to do an Artifex lol




:vmc:


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks for the nice words fellas.


----------



## Matus

That Gekido Santoku is just simply stunning. Recently I developed a soft spot for dyed woods and this handle is killing it!


----------



## ChefJimbo

That Santoku is another one that reminds me of "Starry Night" absolutely fecking gorgeous Dave


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Jimbo


----------



## Dave Martell

Matus said:


> That Gekido Santoku is just simply stunning. Recently I developed a soft spot for dyed woods and this handle is killing it!




Thanks Matus


----------



## buckeye

Dave: Camallia oil works great on the blades. What should be uses on your re-handles after some kitchen work to keep them in tip top condition?


----------



## TheCaptain

Dave,

I'm trying to get to your store to scope out getting a few of my knives rehandled and get the below. Is it me or are you by chance having web problems?


Hmm, we can't reach this page.
Try this
Make sure youve got the right web address: http://www.japaneseknifesharpeningstore.com
Refresh the page
Search for what you want


----------



## Dave Martell

TheCaptain said:


> Dave,
> 
> I'm trying to get to your store to scope out getting a few of my knives rehandled and get the below. Is it me or are you by chance having web problems?
> 
> 
> Hmm, we can't reach this page.
> Try this
> Make sure youve got the right web address: http://www.japaneseknifesharpeningstore.com
> Refresh the page
> Search for what you want




Lack of business had me close the store down.


----------



## Dave Martell

buckeye said:


> Dave: Camallia oil works great on the blades. What should be uses on your re-handles after some kitchen work to keep them in tip top condition?




My older handles had nothing on them besides wax so that's what works best for them. If the handles have been in the last year or so then they're likely finished with some type of oil (linseed, tung, or a combination of other similar types). For the ones finished with oil there's nothing to do but trying not to scrub the finish away. If you want added protection some wood (not car) wax would be fine.


----------



## TheCaptain

Dave Martell said:


> Lack of business had me close the store down.



Ugg. Sorry if I hit a sore spot mate...:O

I'll PM you this weekend.


----------



## buckeye

Thanks Dave for the info on the handle care. Still admiring your recent work on the Hiro's!

Bill


----------



## DanHumphrey

Am I actually on the list for this? I made some noise about it earlier this year, but I actually just ordered a Dragon, so if I'm not, please definitively put me on! And I'll have to start shopping for scales at BurlSource.


----------



## Dave Martell

DanHumphrey said:


> Am I actually on the list for this? I made some noise about it earlier this year, but I actually just ordered a Dragon, so if I'm not, please definitively put me on! And I'll have to start shopping for scales at BurlSource.




I just put you on the list Mike, thanks!

PS - please see http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...ods-I-Use-for-Handle-Work-Q-amp-A-Information for wood information before purchasing.


----------



## DanHumphrey

Dave Martell said:


> I just put you on the list Mike, thanks!
> 
> PS - please see http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...ods-I-Use-for-Handle-Work-Q-amp-A-Information for wood information before purchasing.



Sweet, and thanks for the heads up on the wood Q&A. Just as well, because he gets more/ better blocks than scales. What's the timeframe looking like, roughly?


----------



## Dave Martell

DanHumphrey said:


> What's the timeframe looking like, roughly?




I'm hesitant to even guess Mike.


----------



## mark76

Thanks guys! This is really appreciated!

Mark.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have 2 (previously wa) Shigefusa knives converted to western handles (without ass end hooks!).

Both used wood from the same blocks, Redheart Oregon Maple & Kingwood with copper accents.


----------



## Dave Martell

This is a teeny-tiny Asai paring knife that's been converted from a MASSIVE wa handle to a more fitting sized western (without ass end hook!). 

The handle is made from amboyna burl & buffalo horn.


_*Please excuse the dust seen in the pictures._ :O


----------



## Godslayer

Dave Martell said:


> This is a teeny-tiny Asai paring knife that's been converted from a MASSIVE wa handle to a more fitting sized western (without ass end hook!).
> 
> The handle is made from amboyna burl & buffalo horn.
> 
> 
> _*Please excuse the dust seen in the pictures._ :O



That's a beauty on par with Michael Raders collaberative pieces with them. Legit stunning. The two tone wood and san mai is beautiful


----------



## Dave Martell

Vintage Forgecraft

_*Click on the picture to see many more..._


----------



## Dave Martell

Godslayer said:


> That's a beauty on par with Michael Raders collaberative pieces with them. Legit stunning. The two tone wood and san mai is beautiful




Woh! That's a major compliment that I'm not sure I deserve...._but I'll take it_...thanks! :wink:


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Looks great 
I really like the amboyna and the figured curly maple sorta gives me a koa/mango vibe


----------



## Dave Martell

aboynamedsuita said:


> Looks great
> I really like the amboyna and the figured curly maple sorta gives me a koa/mango vibe



Thanks T! 

Oh, and BTW, your set just got a _whole lot closer_ to the workbench. :spin chair:


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> Thanks T!
> 
> Oh, and BTW, your set just got a _whole lot closer_ to the workbench. :spin chair:



Cool, this is gonna be epic once done. We should touch base beforehand to finalize the woods, etc.


----------



## Dave Martell

aboynamedsuita said:


> Cool, this is gonna be epic once done. We should touch base beforehand to finalize the woods, etc.




I'll be shooting you an email after I lay it all out and wrap my brain around it all.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a MONSTER *360mm* Misono Dragon Gyuto with it's new exhibition grade koa handle with copper pins....


----------



## aboynamedsuita

It's absolutely beautiful and I love how the curl sort of curves with the hook in the end of the handle too... you laid the block out perfectly Dave!



Dave Martell said:


> Here's a MONSTER *360mm* Misono Dragon Gyuto with it's new exhibition grade koa handle with copper pins....


----------



## Dave Martell

aboynamedsuita said:


> It's absolutely beautiful and I love how the curl sort of curves with the hook in the end of the handle too... you laid the block out perfectly Dave!




I'm sooooooooo glad to hear that you like it T. The way the wood was laid out was both our ideas though, we just saw it the same way.


----------



## Furminati

There's not much cooler than a massive gyuto WITH A DRAGON ON IT AND AN AMAZING PIECE OF KOA ! IVE COMMITED TO CAPS AND CANT STOP NOW !!! GREAT JOB DAVE!!!


----------



## valgard

That broadsword is badass AF, and your finish on the wood is beautiful Dave.


----------



## Dave Martell

Furminati said:


> There's not much cooler than a massive gyuto WITH A DRAGON ON IT AND AN AMAZING PIECE OF KOA ! IVE COMMITED TO CAPS AND CANT STOP NOW !!! GREAT JOB DAVE!!!




Sometimes yelling is perfectly OK, this is one of those times! Thanks


----------



## foody518

Furminati said:


> There's not much cooler than a massive gyuto WITH A DRAGON ON IT AND AN AMAZING PIECE OF KOA ! IVE COMMITED TO CAPS AND CANT STOP NOW !!! GREAT JOB DAVE!!!



^this! So much


----------



## Dave Martell

valgard said:


> That broadsword is badass AF, and your finish on the woods is beautiful Dave.




This knife is a sword, at least a short sword anyway, it's MASSIVE! I was jumping between this and petties, my brain was having fits. 

Thanks for the comments on the finish. I had actually planned to do something more subtle as that's my preference for koa but no matter what I tried I couldn't get the movement in the wood to show unless I went shiny so shiny it is!


----------



## valgard

there is nothing wrong with a shiny handle on a Dragon slaying sword :viking:


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> This knife is a sword, at least a short sword anyway, it's MASSIVE! I was jumping between this and petties, my brain was having fits.
> 
> Thanks for the comments on the finish. I had actually planned to do something more subtle as that's my preference for koa but no matter what I tried I couldn't get the movement in the wood to show unless I went shiny so shiny it is!



It looks great, I imagine it may get more subtle as you had wanted with time but we'll see. Once back I'll be sure to post some pics with other things for perspective


----------



## Marek07

aboynamedsuita said:


> It's absolutely beautiful and I love how the curl sort of curves with the hook in the end of the handle too... you laid the block out perfectly Dave!


Didn't even notice the curl in the pattern at the end of the handle till you mentioned it. Subtle as well as beautiful. Great work Dave!


----------



## ashy2classy

WOW...great job!!!


----------



## valgard

aboynamedsuita said:


> It looks great, I imagine it may get more subtle as you had wanted with time but we'll see. Once back I'll be sure to post some pics with other things for perspective



I want to see a picture of her in hand :bigeek:


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks for all the kind words.


----------



## ecchef

Still the Master.


----------



## chiffonodd

aboynamedsuita said:


> It's absolutely beautiful and I love how the curl sort of curves with the hook in the end of the handle too... you laid the block out perfectly Dave!



The way the grain in the wood curls with the curve of the handle actually evokes the scales of a coiled reptile . . . i.e. . . . a DRAGON!! 

Coolest thing ever.


----------



## cheflarge

:goodpost:lus1::ubersexy:


----------



## Dave Martell

Takamura western gyuto converted to a hybrid western/wa octagonal hidden tang handle! 

These knives may not look like anything special in regards to rehandling them but I'm here to testify that they're *SUPER* challenging. The bolsters are angled, not square, and the tangs are whacked. Unless you want a crap fit up you pretty much have to go to hidden tang but that brings it's challenges too as the rear of the bolsters need to be flattened - ugh! I will be charging extra for these knives in the future. :spiteful:

I've got two more to do for this set but I finished this one through to completion to make sure that I had it dialed in. What do you think of it?

The wood used here is stabilized Norfolk Pine.


----------



## MontezumaBoy

Beautiful work Dave!!! As always!


----------



## ashy2classy

AWESOME!!!


----------



## aboynamedsuita

That Takamura gyuto was executed masterfully! I know there was alot of uncertainty with the hidden tang octagonal wa handle which tapers into the rounded bolster, but it looks exactly as I had thought it would (I was inspired by the Takamura Hana suji), I cannot wait to see how the suji and petty turn out!


----------



## valgard

That looks great! Happy for Tanner too.


----------



## labor of love

I want to find a yo handled knife that I like just so I can get a Dave rehandle job on it!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thank you all for the kind comments.


----------



## Dave Martell

aboynamedsuita said:


> That Takamura gyuto was executed masterfully! I know there was alot of uncertainty with the hidden tang octagonal wa handle which tapers into the rounded bolster, but it looks exactly as I had thought it would (I was inspired by the Takamura Hana suji), I cannot wait to see how the suji and petty turn out!




I now feel a whole lot better about what to expect from the suji and petty and can't wait to get back to them. Thanks for being so patient with me Tanner.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Dave Martell said:


> I now feel a whole lot better about what to expect from the suji and petty and can't wait to get back to them. Thanks for being so patient with me Tanner.



Can't wait to see those ones, I think that wood will look pretty good


----------



## CB1968

,


Dave Martell said:


> Takamura western gyuto converted to a hybrid western/wa octagonal hidden tang handle!
> 
> These knives may not look like anything special in regards to rehandling them but I'm here to testify that they're *SUPER* challenging. The bolsters are angled, not square, and the tangs are whacked. Unless you want a crap fit up you pretty much have to go to hidden tang but that brings it's challenges too as the rear of the bolsters need to be flattened - ugh! I will be charging extra for these knives in the future. :spiteful:
> 
> I've got two more to do for this set but I finished this one through to completion to make sure that I had it dialed in. What do you think of it?
> 
> The wood used here is stabilized Norfolk Pine.



Beautiful work as always Dave


----------



## Dave Martell

CB1968 said:


> ,
> 
> Beautiful work as always Dave




Thanks David


----------



## ThEoRy

So, it looks like the wood starts out rounded at the bolster but as it tapers out towards the back it transitions into an octagon. That does not look like it's an easy thing to accomplish. Care to elaborate on the reason behind taking this approach and the process to complete it?


----------



## aboynamedsuita

ThEoRy said:


> So, it looks like the wood starts out rounded at the bolster but as it tapers out towards the back it transitions into an octagon. That does not look like it's an easy thing to accomplish. Care to elaborate on the reason behind taking this approach and the process to complete it?



Dave will have to comment on the technical/procedural part, but I had thought if this to be similar to the Takamura Hana


----------



## Dave Martell

ThEoRy said:


> So, it looks like the wood starts out rounded at the bolster but as it tapers out towards the back it transitions into an octagon. That does not look like it's an easy thing to accomplish. Care to elaborate on the reason behind taking this approach and the process to complete it?




Rick, you're correct in all assumptions! 

Why? I'm not sure I recall exactly why we went in this direction but I know that there were a few turns along the way that needed to be made. Tanner and I worked together to come up with the end result. 

How? 

The first thing to do is to grind away the full tang leaving behind only the bolster and partial stick tang. This isn't a tough thing to do really, just takes a coarse grinding belt and some pressure, and there you have it. What is tricky is to not grind into the bolster -that's where things get hairy. 

I see some not-so-perfect bolsters often and so I've come up with a way to deal with them - I use a large file guide (the type that has carbide inserts that can be used on a grinder) clamped to the bolsters and simply grind away until flush with the guide. This works well because most all Japanese knife bolsters are pretty flat/square on at least the top and bottom. In this particular case we're dealing with not-your-average bolsters though - they're slanted, uneven, and basically not square in any direction. So, upon tightening down the file guide screws I broke a carbide insert as I was asking the guide to contort to the uneven bolster shape (yeah - very stupid of me) that it wasn't designed to do - snap! 

From then on I was forced to *free hand* the back side of the bolsters to make the newly ground down tang flush as well as even out the whole thing. This is the point where things usually go down hill fast - BUT - not this time, I got lucky. 

Then I had to angle the front of the (wood) block to match the angle of the rear of the bolster, it wasn't a 90 deg sort of thing as is normal. I just did a best guess here. The mission was to make the handle sit correctly in plane with the blade, not handle up nor down.


As for making the handle, I chose to make it completely in the octagonal wa shape right to the finest grit and even wet sanded too, all before mounting it. Fortunately I realized beforehand that the key to this whole thing working is to properly size the handle. If you leave it too large you won't be able to blend to the bolster and too small will look stupid. It really has to be just right before mounting, you need to picture the whole thing being finished in your head, all the steps, before glue up or you might just screw up....ha - I made a rhyme. 

Once the glue is dry the it's just a matter of grinding the wood down to the bolsters and blending it into the octagonal shape. This part was actually quite enjoyable to me but I bet that a few years back I may have been cursing then.

Few coats of drying oil and there you have have it.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a good picture for showing the transition from octagonal to western bolster shape....


----------



## Benuser

Wow!


----------



## Godslayer

Dave Martell said:


> Takamura western gyuto converted to a hybrid western/wa octagonal hidden tang handle!
> 
> These knives may not look like anything special in regards to rehandling them but I'm here to testify that they're *SUPER* challenging. The bolsters are angled, not square, and the tangs are whacked. Unless you want a crap fit up you pretty much have to go to hidden tang but that brings it's challenges too as the rear of the bolsters need to be flattened - ugh! I will be charging extra for these knives in the future. :spiteful:
> 
> I've got two more to do for this set but I finished this one through to completion to make sure that I had it dialed in. What do you think of it?
> 
> The wood used here is stabilized Norfolk Pine.



That'll do, I have two of the uchigumos and I can say if it wasn't for the fact I actually like the black pakkawood handle I would be all over this, it looks stunning, the spacers up front are a nice touch of class and keep a fairly simple handle design allowing the blade to keep it's balanced feel, i.e. the blade is still the star, which is important, how did the wa conversion affect the blades balance? Also integral bolsters and wa handles are super sick. Keep up the good work dave and maybe someday I'll send you my blades and a chunk of mammoth :razz:


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Godslayer said:


> That'll do, I have two of the uchigumos and I can say if it wasn't for the fact I actually like the black pakkawood handle I would be all over this, it looks stunning, the spacers up front are a nice touch of class and keep a fairly simple handle design allowing the blade to keep it's balanced feel, i.e. the blade is still the star, which is important, how did the wa conversion affect the blades balance? Also integral bolsters and wa handles are super sick. Keep up the good work dave and maybe someday I'll send you my blades and a chunk of mammoth :razz:



You can try this one out sometime, maybe the suji too 

We need to try and have a Canadian get together at some point.


----------



## Godslayer

aboynamedsuita said:


> You can try this one out sometime, maybe the suji too
> 
> We need to try and have a Canadian get together at some point.



You know I have the knives and calgary has a few solid members, off topic but my tamahagane honyaki yanagiba ships tmr from the land of hentai and moonspeak, the gyuto ships end of june and I bought a masakage yuki two days ago for my mother lol. I almost regret not buying that hana suji but I never use one and already own two lol. I can't wait to see what the petty and suji come out as, I've waited a long time to see them come to fruition, as this is your time, the week/weeks of tj


----------



## valgard

aboynamedsuita said:


> You can try this one out sometime, maybe the suji too
> 
> We need to try and have a Canadian get together at some point.



I'm all for this, I hope it is sometime soon :doublethumbsup:. If it is organized with enough time and the timing is right I could bring a couple of bottles of Cuban rum and cigars :wink:.


----------



## inzite

calgary! sounds far!


----------



## El Pescador

Someday I'll see pictures of my knives on here. Someday :biggrin:


----------



## Dave Martell

Here is Tanner's Takamura set with their new wa hybrid handles. The woods used are _(from top to bottom)_ - Norfolk Pine, Hawaiian Mango, & Hawaiian Koa. 

See *this post* & *this post* for details on what was done. 

Thanks for sticking with me through this project Tanner. I hope these put a smile on your face. :wink:


----------



## aboynamedsuita

My babies, they're beautiful! Thanks Dave! Can't wait to see the handles in person.


----------



## 42537703

:bigeek:


----------



## Dave Martell

aboynamedsuita said:


> My babies, they're beautiful! Thanks Dave! Can't wait to see the handles in person.




Your "babies" LOL 

I'm happy that you like them T.


----------



## Nemo

Wow, beautiful.

I didn't know Norfolk pine could look so nice.


----------



## TheCaptain

+1. I would never have thought to use pine in a handle until now.


----------



## Dave Martell

Nemo said:


> Wow, beautiful.
> 
> I didn't know Norfolk pine could look so nice.





TheCaptain said:


> +1. I would never have thought to use pine in a handle until now.




That's Stefan's influence right there.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

Stefan's Norfolk pine handle is what interested me in using. All 3 handles follow a Hawaiian wood theme


----------



## Nemo

Does Norfolk pine grow in Hawaii?

My understanding is that it's native to Norfolk Island, about 1500km off the East coast of Australia.

Historical side note: The British Empire sent convicts there in the 1800s to harvest the straight tall trunks for ship masts but they weren't strong enough for this use.

I assume that it behaves like a softwood?


----------



## Dave Martell

If they're not all Hawaiian woods then we're calling them "Pacific" themed.


----------



## Nemo

Dave Martell said:


> If they're not all Hawaiian woods then we're calling them "Pacific" themed.



That would work.


----------



## aboynamedsuita

I did some cursory research and it seems like Norfolk Pine and Cook Pine may both be on Hawaii (?), with cook Pine being the more common of the two. Apparently they often get called Norfolk Pine by default. Either way it looks neat, can't wait to see in person


----------



## valgard

OMG those three are stunners! The suji is my favourite by a hair but damn they all look amazing!


----------



## Dirt

there are quite a few Norfolk pines all over Oahu can't speak for the other islands though, the story I've always been told is that Ozzie brought them back in the day for mast production on there boats.


----------



## apicius9

aboynamedsuita said:


> I did some cursory research and it seems like Norfolk Pine and Cook Pine may both be on Hawaii (?), with cook Pine being the more common of the two. Apparently they often get called Norfolk Pine by default. Either way it looks neat, can't wait to see in person



That's what I heard. I got all my spalted pine from Hawaii's Big Island. Norfolk pine is more colorful when it spalts than Cook pine, but both are very nice. Of course, for knife handles they should be stabilized like any other spalted wood. However, bowls turned from untreated, heavily spalted Norfolk pine are among the nicest things you can do with wood.

See here: https://www.google.com/search?q=nor...=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=Oze6PkyI_k0yzM:

When you turn them thin enough, the wood becomes translucent and spectacular with a back light. I wish I had the talent for that... The supplier I got my wood from in the past said these pines need about two years in very specific conditions to develop the spalting, and it is hit & miss reg. how intense or colorful the spalting will be - thin line between colorful spalting and rotting away. 

Stefan


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Ryusen 110mm pairing/petty knife with a new handle made out of green dyed box elder burl. 

The knife came with a really extra tiny little handle that I felt would have been hard to hold onto and keep from rolling in the hand. The tang was only a partial so instead of going hokey I went with a hidden tang conversion. I then swelled the body of the new handle out a bit to alleviate this small handle issue some. I played around with the feel until I felt it to be comfortable where the bolster is pinched and the handle disappears in the hand. It's still a small handle but it feels less so now.

The customer wanted a crazy green burl and I think this fills that requirement. :wink:

He's been waiting on this since October '16 (rehandle coupon) - I hope he's happy after all this time.


----------



## Matus

I love it Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

Matus said:


> I love it Dave!




That's all that counts.


----------



## malexthekid

Awesome work Dave. If you don't mind saying how was the Ryusen to rehandle?

No major issues with the tang? I have one at home I am tempted to try rehandling at some point.


----------



## Marek07

"_The customer wanted a crazy green burl... _"
Brief fulfilled - in spades! Beautiful work Dave. :2thumbsup:


----------



## Dave Martell

malexthekid said:


> Awesome work Dave. If you don't mind saying how was the Ryusen to rehandle?
> 
> No major issues with the tang? I have one at home I am tempted to try rehandling at some point.




The tang is only a partial so your choices are to either cut a slot into a block the same size as the tang, use scales with a spacer on the bottom side of the tang to fill the gap, or to grind the tang down to hidden style. 

The bolster is very thin walled and unevenly ground on the back side so keep that in mind.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks for the kind words guys.


----------



## El Pescador

Looks great Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

I just finished this job up, and what a job it was. I was tasked to fix any wrongs with the blades which meant hand sanding many of them, then sharpen, and finally to rehandle them all!

The handles were to match, the configuration selected by the customer. He went with exhibition grade koa and black buffalo horn with no spacers, classy. 

The koa was a chore to acquire in this premium level and quantity but in the end we got it all from one single slab & had it stabilized.. The customer spared no expense on the wood and trust me it shows. :doublethumbsup:

I was asked to make handles that fit the knives, no broomsticks allowed. Each handle was cut, drilled, and shaped specifically to each individual knife. A slower process than doing batch work but again the results say it was worth it. These handles actually came out so nice that I'm surprised that I did them. 

The customer's got himself quite a collection, doesn't he? I hope that his new handles suit him well and thank him for the opportunity to work on such a large project. :thumbsup:


----------



## valgard

those knives look great, handles came out very classy


----------



## Bill13

Well now I know where all the great Koa went. Those look great Dave!


----------



## Anton

Super nice!! 
What are the knives?


----------



## Nemo

Love the way you handle Koa!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys 


The bulk of these knives are Watanabe, with a couple of Gesshin Ginga, and a couple of unknowns.


----------



## malexthekid

Now that is a set if blades


----------



## Marek07

Now that's a project! Great work Dave. Wish I could ask you to do something like that one day.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a 240mm Hiromoto Honyaki that I just finished up working on. 

The blade was initially pretty rough finished. I started by re-sanding and polishing to a "high satin" similar to what I do to my own knives. As you turn the blade in the light you can see the hamon now. I also rounded the spine and choil for comfort.

A conversion from full tang to hidden tang was done and then an AZ Ironwood block installed in place of the pakkawood scales. A couple of spacers were added between the bolster and wood for accent as well as a copper/nickel silver mosaic pin installed.

The ironwood is some of the very best I've worked with, and oddly it's some of the least expensive! I'm not complaining mind you. The handle has been treated with 12 coats of my varnish finish.

This knife is headed off to OZ, and hopefully, to a happy new customer.


----------



## daddy yo yo

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a 240mm Hiromoto Honyaki that I just finished up working on.
> 
> The blade was initially pretty rough finished. I started by re-sanding and polishing to a "high satin" similar to what I do to my own knives. As you turn the blade in the light you can see the hamon now. I also rounded the spine and choil for comfort.
> 
> A conversion from full tang to hidden tang was done and then an AZ Ironwood block installed in place of the pakkawood scales. A couple of spacers were added between the bolster and wood for accent as well as a copper/nickel silver mosaic pin installed.
> 
> The ironwood is some of the very best I've worked with, and oddly it's some of the least expensive! I'm not complaining mind you. The handle has been treated with 12 coats of my varnish finish.
> 
> This knife is headed off to OZ, and hopefully, to a happy new customer.


I Hope your customer is unhappy with the result. Please let me know in that case!

Dave, fantastic! Just WOW!!!


----------



## Dave Martell

daddy yo yo said:


> I Hope your customer is unhappy with the result. Please let me know in that case!
> 
> Dave, fantastic! Just WOW!!!




Hahahaha Manuel! Thanks


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have a brand new Watanabe (suminagashi?) suji with a handle made out of ancient bog oak (carbon dated at 3400 yrs old!) paired with streaked blond buffalo horn. A simple handle, looks very similar to a Japanese ebony handle, a clean design by the knife's owner.

The bog oak is some of the oddest wood I've worked with. This particular block was VERY hard - like a rock, it was like shaping glass! It's strange to be wet sanding at 2500x and feeling grit (like little pieces of sand - minerals?) falling out of the block and rolling around under the wood. :bigeek: Very little scratching happened though - again - odd. I believe what you see in the pictures as little shiny flecks are these minerals in the wood.

I took the liberty to fill the heavy open grain with drying oil prior to finish sanding and applying the finishing coats but the handle had a glass like surface before I even put any oil on it, I just made it more even.

Picture taking of this handle proved to be the biggest challenge of all, see for yourself... :dontknow:


----------



## daddy yo yo

Bog oak... :viking: Now we are getting closer! :doublethumbsup: What a beauty!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Manuel


----------



## Nemo

Really liking that Hiromoto honyaki.


----------



## cheflarge

Frickin beautiful, Dave, the blond streaked horn really adds that "icing" on the cake!


----------



## Dave Martell

Nemo said:


> Really liking that Hiromoto honyaki.



I know that's a pretty nice knife. 





cheflarge said:


> Frickin beautiful, Dave, the blond streaked horn really adds that "icing" on the cake!



All the credit goes to the owner on that.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Hiromoto honyaki gyuto that's been thinned & polished wearing a new handle made from ironwood burl...


----------



## Benuser

Very nice, I like especially the warm tones of the burl.


----------



## Dave Martell

Benuser said:


> Very nice, I like especially the warm tones of the burl.





Thanks Ben!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Shun bread knife, sold through Williams Sonoma, that's been modified a bit.

It was supposed to have had a simple handle upgrade by changing out the plastic for a burled wood but that all went south during the execution. Small poorly ground hollow bolster and soft wood forced my hand to poor craftsmanship so that coarse of action was scrapped. In it's place we went with grinding off the bolster and going for an octagonal wa design.

The customer requested African Blackwood, black buffalo horn, white bone, and a mosaic pin as the components....he got them all.

I hope you like it John!


----------



## mc2442

Alright, this is kind of scary. I was just thinking/dreaming of a rehandled bread knife....not even sure why.


----------



## WildBoar

Nice, Dave -- very classy-looking Shun.

Glad to see some rehandle work pics.


----------



## dough

Very nice. That’s so clean looking.


----------



## milkbaby

ABW against black horn is very subtle, very bling but still understated handle. Nice job!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys!


----------



## Dave Martell

A 3-pack of Watanabe knives in for rehandling!


----------



## cheflarge

WOW!!! Quit the trio.


----------



## Duque

The owner of the watanabe trio must be with the police


----------



## ecchef

Huh?


----------



## Dave Martell

Duque said:


> The owner of the watanabe trio must be with the police



It's possible since Watanabe owners are bad people.


----------



## Dave Martell

Dave Martell said:


> A 3-pack of Watanabe knives in for rehandling!




Here they are all finished up....


----------



## sudsy9977

besides all of the carters I've sold, i miss the watanabes a lot too....they r great knives...ryan


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have a 240 mm Sukenari ZDP189 damascus clad gyuto with a brand new handle made out of desert ironwood and an 11 spacer stack of copper, nickel silver, & G10 spacers. 

What do you think?


----------



## KCMande

I really like that spacer combo Dave, looks great with the ironwood


----------



## Dave Martell

KCMande said:


> I really like that spacer combo Dave, looks great with the ironwood



Awesome to hear! I'll get it shipped off to you tomorrow. 

Thanks again,
Dave


----------



## daddy yo yo

You nail it every single time with Ironwood. The shining reflections are drop-dead gorgeous!


----------



## Dave Martell

daddy yo yo said:


> You nail it every single time with Ironwood. The shining reflections are drop-dead gorgeous!



Thanks Manuel! 

BTW, I'll be working on koa real soon!


----------



## playero

They’re super.


----------



## Dave Martell

playero said:


> They’re super.



Thanks Jose


----------



## Migraine

Dave Martell said:


> Here they are all finished up.... View attachment 45988
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 45989
> View attachment 45990
> View attachment 45991
> View attachment 45992
> View attachment 45993
> View attachment 45994
> View attachment 45995


People night have picked up by now I have a bit of a thing for black and orange and that middle handle properly rings my bell.


----------



## Dave Martell

Migraine said:


> People night have picked up by now I have a bit of a thing for black and orange and that middle handle properly rings my bell.



Ironwood! That was my favorite of the bunch too.


----------



## TDj

So ...

A long time ago, I had Stefan make a handle for me out of a vintage piece of bakelite. It was amazing. I loved it. I left kkf thinking I'd never need another knife again ...





And then ... a month ago ... I came crawling back ... because ...
I FOUND A CRACK IN THE HANDLE! 

I guess some water must have seeped in (we think between the horn and the spacer) and over time caused a problem. I sent it to Dave, begging for his help. Of course, it ended being a bit of a nightmare to fix apparently, but Dave did it! Just when I thought the handle was doomed, and the knife was never to be used again, it's now back in my hands, proudly showing off its CA "scar":





Many thanks to Dave and his excellent work. I know he was disappointed that it "wasn't perfect" - but in my mind, that's not the point. We go through all these lengths to get these knives and then use them. And over time, just like an excellent pair of raw denim, they begin to show off the wear unique to the user. It makes it beautiful. Thanks Dave, for saving the Stefan handle live to fight another day! It's not like I could easily find a Konosuke HD (1st gen) and Stefan Bakelite handle just lying around to make another of these!

(I also had him sharpen it for me - so it's basically like new!)


----------



## parbaked

Like


----------



## Dave Martell

TDj said:


> So ...
> 
> A long time ago, I had Stefan make a handle for me out of a vintage piece of bakelite. It was amazing. I loved it. I left kkf thinking I'd never need another knife again ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And then ... a month ago ... I came crawling back ... because ...
> I FOUND A CRACK IN THE HANDLE!
> 
> I guess some water must have seeped in (we think between the horn and the spacer) and over time caused a problem. I sent it to Dave, begging for his help. Of course, it ended being a bit of a nightmare to fix apparently, but Dave did it! Just when I thought the handle was doomed, and the knife was never to be used again, it's now back in my hands, proudly showing off its CA "scar":
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Many thanks to Dave and his excellent work. I know he was disappointed that it "wasn't perfect" - but in my mind, that's not the point. We go through all these lengths to get these knives and then use them. And over time, just like an excellent pair of raw denim, they begin to show off the wear unique to the user. It makes it beautiful. Thanks Dave, for saving the Stefan handle live to fight another day! It's not like I could easily find a Konosuke HD (1st gen) and Stefan Bakelite handle just lying around to make another of these!
> 
> (I also had him sharpen it for me - so it's basically like new!)





I'm glad to be able to have helped Terry, thanks for the work!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Watanabe cleaver that was originally western handled, now converted to octagonal wa. The customer supplied the wood, wanted a slightly larger handle, and for it to be flush it to the blade. The wood is maple burl. I hope this works for you Ryan.


----------



## Ryndunk

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a Watanabe cleaver that was originally western handled, now converted to octagonal wa. The customer supplied the wood, wanted a slightly larger handle, and for it to be flush it to the blade. The wood is maple burl. I hope this works for you Ryan.
> 
> View attachment 53434
> View attachment 53435
> View attachment 53436
> View attachment 53437
> View attachment 53438
> View attachment 53439


Looks great Dave! Thanks


----------



## Dave Martell

This one is a slightly different handle than I normally do although I hope to do more of these in the near future. 






The wa handle is made from figured maple and blond buffalo horn. The wood was provided by the customer who got it from his uncle. As you can see in the before and after shot the color of the maple was originally very natural (blond) yet the customer wanted color. Since I was fortunate to have him here in my shop for a class we were able to come up with a plan of attack for this as well as he picked out the horn that looked good to him.

What I did to achieve the look of the wood's end result was a several part process....

First I used nitric acid/iron to bring out the figuring quite a bit. This is an old technique used for hundreds of years in the rifle making industry of Pennsylvania, etc. Google it up, it's very interesting stuff.

The customer also wanted the wood to be burnt so I scorched it....lightly.

Then I dyed/stained it using 5 different types of products to get just the right look. We were shooting for some red tones and some flash of orange/gold/yellow and got pretty close to what we both were looking for.

In person this handle has crazy movement and flash but in the pictures looks sort of blah in comparison but at least the customer should be pleased when he gets it in hand.

The knife is a Fujiwara something or other that's been thinned by the gents down at District Cutlery with the spine and choil rounded/polished by myself for comfort.

I hope it serves you well Nick!


----------



## daddy yo yo

You are an artist, Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

daddy yo yo said:


> You are an artist, Dave!




You're too kind Manuel!


----------



## nwshull

Looks great Dave, can't wait to use it.


----------



## Dave Martell

nwshull said:


> Looks great Dave, can't wait to use it.



I'm glad to hear that you like it Nick. Thanks for the opportunity to do this.


----------



## Matus

To say that this is ‘nice’ would be a gross understatement. And thanks for the detailed description


----------



## milkbaby

Very nice! Pictures can never show the depth and character of the wood that you see in person. Sometimes videos are closer but still not like the real thing in hand.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys.


----------



## Geigs

that looks awesome!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Geigs


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a Mizuno gyuto with a brand new handle upgraded to ironwood burl and buffalo horn. 

The ironwood block is soooooooo nice I can't even explain it, just real nice! The customer chose to let the wood do the talking and went with a simple black buffalo horn piece with no spacers, elegant. I really like this handle a lot.

Here you go Salvatore....


----------



## daddy yo yo

It‘s, uhm, okay...

















It is just wow! The wood is simply awesome, the figure, colours... Gorgeous, Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Manuel


----------



## Marek07

I love all AZ Ironwood but this is exceptional!


----------



## cheflarge

The wavy burl is SICK! [emoji106][emoji41]


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Al!


----------



## Keith Sinclair

Very nice Dave I like simple, horn & wood.


----------



## Nemo

Gee, you do some nice work in ironwood.


----------



## Dave Martell

Click on the picture to see more images of this knife....


----------



## cheflarge

Simply AMAZING!!! [emoji106][emoji41][emoji108]


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Al


----------



## Jeffrey Kramb

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a Mizuno gyuto with a brand new handle upgraded to ironwood burl and buffalo horn.
> 
> The ironwood block is soooooooo nice I can't even explain it, just real nice! The customer chose to let the wood do the talking and went with a simple black buffalo horn piece with no spacers, elegant. I really like this handle a lot.
> 
> Here you go Salvatore....
> 
> 
> View attachment 54848
> View attachment 54849
> View attachment 54850
> View attachment 54851
> View attachment 54852
> View attachment 54853
> View attachment 54854
> View attachment 54855
> View attachment 54856



This is beautiful. I think I might want to have a knife or two rehandled. How much does something like this cost? Can you reuse the buffalo horn from another knife?


----------



## Dave Martell

Jeffrey Kramb said:


> This is beautiful. I think I might want to have a knife or two rehandled. How much does something like this cost? Can you reuse the buffalo horn from another knife?



Hi Jeffrey,
The cost for rehandling can be calculated *HERE
*
Unfortunately buffalo horn can't be reused on one of my handles.

Thanks for the kind words. 
Dave


----------



## Jeffrey Kramb

Do you ever let people come to your shop to learn about handle making?


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's a little 75mm Takeda NAS Kogatana AS with a custom handle I made out of desert ironwood burl sandwiching a core of 3000 yr old ancient bog oak with nickel silver pins brought to a satin finish. The handle shape is a modified butcher's handle. You like?


----------



## sudsy9977

Awesome!


----------



## tgarn

Nice job!


----------



## Brian Weekley

One of my most used knives in my kitchen and you’ve taken it to a new level Dave. Great!


----------



## Dave Martell

sudsy9977 said:


> Awesome!





tgarn said:


> Nice job!





Brian Weekley said:


> One of my most used knives in my kitchen and you’ve taken it to a new level Dave. Great!




Thanks guys!


----------



## Dave Martell

Here's another (ironwood) rehandle I just finished up on....

This wa octagonal handle is made out of desert ironwood burl paired with black buffalo horn on both ends. The butt piece horn has a nice patch of color showing through.

The knife is a 165mm Yoshikazu Ikeda Honyaki (oil quenched) Santoku made from Shirogami #3


----------



## daddy yo yo

What a classy handle for a classy knife. And, Dave, you seem to be the master of ironwood treatment!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Manuel


----------



## Uguisu

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a little 75mm Takeda NAS Kogatana AS with a custom handle I made out of desert ironwood burl sandwiching a core of 3000 yr old ancient bog oak with nickel silver pins brought to a satin finish. The handle shape is a modified butcher's handle. You like?
> 
> View attachment 67818
> View attachment 67819
> View attachment 67820
> View attachment 67821
> View attachment 67822
> View attachment 67823
> View attachment 67824
> View attachment 67825
> View attachment 67826



I'm the lucky owner and all I can say is that the photos (as nice as they are!) does NOT do this handle justice!

I can't decide which I like better - how it looks or how they feels!

Every detail (the pins, the bog oak, the buffalo horn, and of course the wood!) is so perfectly selected and meticulously finished. 

Thank you Dave!!!


----------



## Dave Martell

Uguisu said:


> I'm the lucky owner and all I can say is that the photos (as nice as they are!) does NOT do this handle justice!
> 
> I can't decide which I like better - how it looks or how they feels!
> 
> Every detail (the pins, the bog oak, the buffalo horn, and of course the wood!) is so perfectly selected and meticulously finished.
> 
> Thank you Dave!!!



This is awesome to hear, thanks Bob!


----------



## domrun

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a little 75mm Takeda NAS Kogatana AS with a custom handle I made out of desert ironwood burl sandwiching a core of 3000 yr old ancient bog oak with nickel silver pins brought to a satin finish. The handle shape is a modified butcher's handle. You like?
> 
> View attachment 67818
> View attachment 67819
> View attachment 67820
> View attachment 67821
> View attachment 67822
> View attachment 67823
> View attachment 67824
> View attachment 67825
> View attachment 67826




What a beauty !
a jewel
What luck has the owner!


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Dom


----------



## spyken

just found this. umm, yes to all. anyone done buffalo horn bolsters and snakewood?


----------



## Dave Martell

spyken said:


> just found this. umm, yes to all. anyone done buffalo horn bolsters and snakewood?



I've personally stayed away from snakewood after hearing so many fails from other makers. I like the looks of it though, just can't run the risk.


----------



## spyken

any reason for the failure of snakewood Dave? it's a dense oily wood, correct? and not usually stabilized? does it feel smooth to touch or "grainy"?


----------



## milkbaby

spyken said:


> any reason for the failure of snakewood Dave? it's a dense oily wood, correct? and not usually stabilized? does it feel smooth to touch or "grainy"?



While I'm not Dave, snakewood always feels brittle to me. It is very smooth and not open grained at all. While I haven't used it for handles myself yet, one piece of advice I've been given for working it is to never let it heat up, same as when working ebony, because it'll look okay but then have a tendency to check and crack later on.

Another issue would be if you used a piece that wasn't fully dried yet. I know somebody who complained to me about buying snakewood logs because there is so much loss during the drying due to cracks.


----------



## Dave Martell

I just finished up these two rehandles.

This customer supplied the (ironwood burl and black ash burl) wood and also supplied his ideas on the direction of grain orientation to be seen as well as size requirements - I think he did well on this, don't you? 

The knives are Hinoura River Jump and Shigemitsu Ito Tamahagane


----------



## daddy yo yo

The ironwood is stunning!


----------



## Horsemover

Beautiful work as usual Dave.


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks guys!


----------



## Geigs

These look brilliant. Saving for my hiromoto upgrade someday!


----------



## Dave Martell

Geigs said:


> These look brilliant. Saving for my hiromoto upgrade someday!



Awesome, thanks


----------



## Gunslingerheel

Dave Martell said:


> I just finished up these two rehandles.
> 
> This customer supplied the (ironwood burl and black ash burl) wood and also supplied his ideas on the direction of grain orientation to be seen as well as size requirements - I think he did well on this, don't you?
> 
> The knives are Hinoura River Jump and Shigemitsu Ito Tamahagane
> 
> View attachment 73547
> View attachment 73548
> View attachment 73549
> View attachment 73550
> View attachment 73551
> View attachment 73552
> View attachment 73553


FWIW I think you both killed it


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks G


----------



## Dave Martell

*Vintage Forgecraft*

Rehandled in circassian walnut that's been made as a 3-piece sandwich construction , using G10 as the core. The style of the handle is very much like the factory original, just larger for a more full grip.

The blade was rusted, pitted, and well used. I removed the rust (yet some pitting remains to speak for it's age), thinned the bevels, rounded the spine/choil, and refinished the blade.


----------



## cheflarge

Frickin nailed it, Dave!


----------



## playero

Dave Martell said:


> I just finished up these two rehandles.
> 
> This customer supplied the (ironwood burl and black ash burl) wood and also supplied his ideas on the direction of grain orientation to be seen as well as size requirements - I think he did well on this, don't you?
> 
> The knives are Hinoura River Jump and Shigemitsu Ito Tamahagane
> 
> View attachment 73547
> View attachment 73548
> View attachment 73549
> View attachment 73550
> View attachment 73551
> View attachment 73552
> View attachment 73553


you also did extremely well


----------



## ma_sha1

Amazing!

Is this one river jump on the left? If not, what is it?


----------



## Dave Martell

Yeah it's river jump. Thank for the kind words!


----------



## camochili

Dave Martell said:


> I just finished up these two rehandles.
> 
> This customer supplied the (ironwood burl and black ash burl) wood and also supplied his ideas on the direction of grain orientation to be seen as well as size requirements - I think he did well on this, don't you?
> 
> The knives are Hinoura River Jump and Shigemitsu Ito Tamahagane
> 
> View attachment 73547
> View attachment 73548
> View attachment 73549
> View attachment 73550
> View attachment 73551
> View attachment 73552
> View attachment 73553



The handle on the Tsukasa makes the blade even better looking. Great work!


----------



## birdsfan

I am really grateful that someone rediscovered this thread. I had never seen it before. Lots of beautiful work here to admire, Dave!


----------



## Dave Martell

This rehandle isn't really a rehandle, more like a collaboration of sorts, put together by the customer. He commissioned Harbeer of @HSC /// Knives to make him a cool ass blade and then allowed me to attach a handle of my making onto this stellar knife. 

The customer designed the handle and even supplied the golden koa wood.


----------



## HSC /// Knives

Looks great Dave


----------



## Dave Martell

Thanks Harbeer, but it wasn't easy to meet your quality work!


----------



## Geigs

Wow, what a package. Great job all involved.


----------



## cotedupy

This thread is absolutely fantastic. Beautiful work Dave, and lots of inspiration.


----------



## juice

cotedupy said:


> This thread is absolutely fantastic. Beautiful work Dave, and lots of inspiration.


I've been read a page of this thread here and there for weeks, yeah


----------



## Dave Martell

cotedupy said:


> This thread is absolutely fantastic. Beautiful work Dave, and lots of inspiration.





juice said:


> I've been read a page of this thread here and there for weeks, yeah




You're both too kind - thanks!


----------



## Dave Martell

This is a vintage Chinese vegetable cleaver that was the property of the customer's grandmother. It came to me with a cracked handle that was to be replaced but the customer also asked about refinishing the blade so I gave that a go as well.

The blade is pretty unique in a couple of ways from what I normally see as it's highly asymmetrically forged, it's also convex ground on the right side edge, and has two different patterns ground into lower sections of each side the blade. If you look closely at the pictures you can see the difference as I didn't change this appearance at all.

The customer designed the new handle, he went with an octagonal wa made from amboyna burl, blond buffalo horn, and added nickel silver/brass, & black G10 spacers.

My hope is that this cleaver can serve him as long as it did his grandmother and can then be passed down to the next generation. 


_PS - I forgot to take before pictures but I was lucky in that the customer had shot some himself and shared them with me._


----------



## Dave Martell

Today we have a brand new 240mm Yoshihiko Akitomo Kobuse Gyuto that came with a handle that was too small for the blade. The supplied handle was a very nice one it just wasn't wide enough to cover the spine and choil to tang intersections and allowed the user's hand to get rubbed from a sharp corner. The customer had the options of either re-working the blade to accommodate the handle or making a whole new handle, he chose the latter.

The new handle is made from African Blackwood and streaked blond buffalo horn. My youngest daughter picked out the horn for this handle and I think she made a nice selection. I do really like this simple combo, it just works.

The blackwood and blade are really nice looking and something to see in person yet I didn't manage to capture, in the least, their beauty within my pictures, sorry about that.

Anyway, here she is.....


----------



## juice

Dave Martell said:


> The supplied handle was a very nice one it just wasn't wide enough


Did you get it off in a reusable form?


----------



## Dave Martell

juice said:


> Did you get it off in a reusable form?



Yes! I had to beat the **** out of it though.


----------



## Dave Martell

Here we have a Sukenari Nakiri in ZDP-189 with a new handle upgraded to a stabilized figured maple with an ivory/blond buffalo horn ferrule.


----------



## daddy yo yo

Drop-dead gorgeous once again!!!


----------



## daveb

Like


----------



## Keith Sinclair

Beautiful Dave how are you doing these days?


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## Dave Martell

This new handle is attached to a Shanghai made cleaver which is a stout little guy, thick like a meat cleaver. The customer requested an oval wa made from African Blackwood with a G10 ferrule. I shaped the handle a tad different than what a typical oval is normally seen as because some woods (African Blackwood being one of them) don't show very well on rounded parts so what I did was to flatten the sides to give the wood some subtle bling effect. I also shaped the taper a bit different in that I didn't flair it in all directions, well I did expect for the top which I left flat to the spine. You can notice this by looking at the rear end of the handle on the bottom side, it flairs out there. This gives a nice look when such a straight spine is found on a knife (like this cleaver) and also allows for a proper size fit up in both the front of the handle and for overall grip width. Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest differences and I think this handle design shows this off well.

The customer requested a sharpening of the blade but asked me to leave all marks/patina alone to preserve it's history, I presume.


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## Dave Martell

Today I've got a 160mm nakiri to share that has a brand new handle I just made for it. 

The handle's wood is a really nice piece amboyna burl that was selected by the customer and is attached to a buffalo horn ferrule along with nickel silver/copper/G10 spacers.

As you can see in the pictures the amboyna is some real nice stuff but it challenged me a bit as the block came with one half as one color and the other half another with the divider running nearly down the middle length. What challenged me is that I really didn't want to make two different colored sides so I stared at this block for quite some time trying to imagine what was inside. I decided to nibble away at all sides/ends until I came to the point that I was happy with what I was seeing and had the appropriate size required to get going with drilling and glue up. Well, it turns out that I likely make something like 9-10 cuts before I found that perfect middle section I was after. I realize this may sound stupid to talk about but it's a big thing for me when I look at the finished results as I feel it makes a positive difference and was worth the effort.

So what do you think about how the balance came out?


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## HumbleHomeCook

Absolutely stunning! I think you found a beautiful piece in there and it turned out astoundingly well.


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## cotedupy

Dave Martell said:


> This is a vintage Chinese vegetable cleaver that was the property of the customer's grandmother. It came to me with a cracked handle that was to be replaced but the customer also asked about refinishing the blade so I gave that a go as well.
> 
> The blade is pretty unique in a couple of ways from what I normally see as it's highly asymmetrically forged, it's also convex ground on the right side edge, and has two different patterns ground into lower sections of each side the blade. If you look closely at the pictures you can see the difference as I didn't change this appearance at all.
> 
> The customer designed the new handle, he went with an octagonal wa made from amboyna burl, blond buffalo horn, and added nickel silver/brass, & black G10 spacers.
> 
> My hope is that this cleaver can serve him as long as it did his grandmother and can then be passed down to the next generation.
> 
> 
> _PS - I forgot to take before pictures but I was lucky in that the customer had shot some himself and shared them with me._
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 96910
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Cool! I've done a couple of cleaver handles recently. I think they work well with octagons both functionally and aesthetically.

[EDIT - I just re-read your post and I think I misunderstood you.]

Anyway here's a picture of one I did this week with a noticeably asymmetric RH grind (it maybe slightly exaggerates the effect). I *assume* this is intentional as I see it quite often on what I would term 'caidao', but not on super skinny 'piandao' type slicers, or obviously on bone cleavers.

(Sorry to hijack your thread briefly there!)


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## Dave Martell

Here's a Hiromoto AS petty with a brand new handle I just made for it. The wood is maple burl and the pins are nickel silver.


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## Dave Martell

Here's a 270mm Mazaki Gyuto with a new handle made out of amboyna burl and buffalo horn.

The customer wanted something a bit different and selected a block of amboyna burl, that to me, is very unique in how it looks. He made a great choice in that the wood worked wonderfully and gave great results in all respects. I paired it with a streaked piece of buffalo horn that was a bit more streaky before it was sanded down but still shows some of what I hoped it would. The handle really pairs up well with this very nice knife even though my pictures don't due either justice.


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## daddy yo yo

Oh boy, what a handle! Absolutely stunning, once again...


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## Keith Sinclair

Nice Dave just horn and amboyna

Made me think of couple handles made few years ago. One went on culinary students knife.

The other same piece of amboyna kept almost forgot I had it, still looking for blade to put it on.


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## Dave Martell

Keeping it simple often provides great results.


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## tostadas

Dave Martell said:


> Here's a 270mm Mazaki Gyuto with a new handle made out of amboyna burl and buffalo horn.
> 
> The customer wanted something a bit different and selected a block of amboyna burl, that to me, is very unique in how it looks. He made a great choice in that the wood worked wonderfully and gave great results in all respects. I paired it with a streaked piece of buffalo horn that was a bit more streaky before it was sanded down but still shows some of what I hoped it would. The handle really pairs up well with this very nice knife even though my pictures don't due either justice.
> 
> View attachment 127265
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Stunning work as always Dave. Very classy


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## Dave Martell

Today we have a Watanabe nakiri that's been completely overhauled to include edge damage repair, bevel thinning, kuroichi re-finishing, and a new handle installed that's been made out of exhibition grade koa and black buffalo horn.


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## daveb

Like


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## Keith Sinclair

Jeez where did you find that koa? Nothing is too good for a Watanabe


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## Dave Martell

Keith Sinclair said:


> Jeez where did you find that koa? Nothing is too good for a Watanabe




The customer purchased it at www.sheltonpacific.com


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## Dave Martell

Here we have a wa to western conversion. The customer went with straight grained ironwood with a G10 ferrule.


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## HumbleHomeCook

Gorgeous work.


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