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Wa Handled 240 x 50 Gyuto - In process

Discussion in 'Brock Cutlery' started by Mark Brock, Feb 26, 2020.

  1. OK Jim, you asked to see. Today I am working up a 240 x 50 carbon steel gyuto.
    3.5mm thick stock, so lots of grinding work to be done. 63 hardness.

    Will be wa handled. I'm thinking ironwood and ebony with silver and red manzanita burl spacers.
    Might go oak instead of ironwood as I have some great pieces yet with some very interesting character. Lighter color with red speckles / rays.

    240-50-42100-Gyuto-1.jpg
     
  2. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

  3. OK, a funny thing happened on the way to the grinder.
    I started grinding this knife yesterday, and my back was getting stiff. I had lowered my grinder about 4 inches on a new smaller bench, and I was finding it difficult to stand for a prolonged time.
    So I pulled over one of my shop stools and sat down. No big deal. But the funny thing is, I could grind better! At least rough grinding.
    I could hold steady so much better. I was amazed.
    Then.... Well, on a 3.5mm blade this big I usually go through 4 40grit belts or so. It just takes a lot of grinding and belts.
    But not today!? This belt just kept going and going. I have to attribute it to my steady hold on the blade. Nothing else changed except sitting.
    I was determined to see how far I could take this belt, I was so intrigued. By the time I looked up, well that blade had got mighty thin! OMG! Like under 2mm.
    How the hell did that happen!?!

    So it's a very nice blade, but man, it's the thinnest convex laser I've ever ground. I have to laugh at myself taking off so much steel to get it this thin.
    Funny!
    It tapers from 1.98mm above the heel to about 1mm 2inches from tip. It's soooo light weight!

    This is what it looks like off the grinder after cleaning up today.

    240-50-42100-Gyuto-2.jpg
     
  4. cheflarge

    cheflarge Founding Member

    Yeah buddy
     
  5. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

  6. It's going to be a very interesting knife for sure. Thanks guys!
     
  7. Spaz

    Spaz Founding Member

    Quit stalling and give us more!
     
  8. I know, right? I've been busy finishing up a couple of other projects and trying to buy enough toilet paper. JK. This virus is changing our way of life it seems.
    But that aside, I've also been contemplating what handle configuration I want to put together for the Nakiri and this Gyuto. I am making them a pair. They may or may not sell that way, but I want to attempt pairing them.

    I've done a lot of experimentation over the last couple of years and find myself coming back to simplicity and classic lines and configurations.
    What I am thinking on the handles for these two knives is just a simple split ironwood handle with silver half dollar spacer. A traditional octagonal shape.
    I have some very nice ironwood with blondes, reds, and blacks in it with pretty good definition.
    The top block in the photos below has been sanded a bit and oiled to show what it should look like finished on the knife.
    The lower block is just raw, off the grander. (note the belt burn. It is just on the surface and will come off on finishing).

    What do you guys think about this configuration? Positive, negative, or neutral?

    NewGyuto-1.jpg

    NewGyuto-2.jpg
     
  9. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

  10. Are you saying you think a double silver with ebony or red manzanita spacer would be more desirable? (More like my typical work).
     
  11. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

    For me that sounds like a very nice choice. It looks like you have a single metal spacer currently.. that would be a very elegant choice also.
     
  12. Spaz

    Spaz Founding Member

    Sounds like an idea to me...;) And I love me some Ironwood!
     
  13. I am getting back to this one and working on finishing it this week.
    Here are a couple of pics of the hand sanding process, I thought you all might like a little glimpse into the process.

    This is going from 600 to 1200 grit hand sanding. That is a fairly big jump, but I find if you get the 600 grit done very well that you can make it work without having to put too much work into it.
    The process at this point starts with just getting the 600 grit scratches out as effectively and quickly as possible. Once that is done then I work to smooth out the 1200 grit finish so I can get on to the next, which in this case will be 2000 grit.
    Many folks finish at 400 or 600, but I find the matte finish at those grits is just too coarse for my eye. For me 1000 to 2000 provides a near polish finish with a bit of flatness to it.
    At 2000 it is a reasonable step to buff from there if you want that mirror polish. I don't have a favorite for that final step, buffed mirror or 2000 grit matte finish.
    The big factor for me is my concern about the dangers of buffing. It isn't terrible, but you can't let yourself get too comfortable and not pay attention. It takes a split second to get the wrong angle on it and have the blade grabbed and thrown.
    I know there have been knife makers killed on the buffer and that is always on my mind in the process.

    Sanding1.jpg Sanding2.jpg
     
  14. This is what it looks like taking out the 1200 grit scratches with 2000. You can see it is getting more of a mirror than matte look to it. Knife knerd image....
    This will improve as it is refined at 2000. Not the nerd, but the finish.

    Sanding3.jpg Sanding4.jpg
     
  15. And this is where it ends up after about 5 to 6 hours of sanding work. 2000 grit matte finish.
    When the sandpaper is new it cuts sharp and leaves lines, even at this grit. But after it's been used for a couple of minutes it gets loaded up with metal and fractured grit and that becomes a sort of polishing compound that takes it to a far finer finish that if you just used new clean paper. That is something I learned through many hours of sanding.

    Now to etch my logo and handle it up!

    Sanding5.jpg
     
  16. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

  17. Spaz

    Spaz Founding Member

    Enjoyed following this one, now we need to see the finished product.
     
  18. Glad to do it Jim, and glad you all appreciate it. :)
    This is where I am at now. I think I've finally settled on the handle config.
    Same ironwood (sister piece) as the nakiri, but this one with double silver half dollar spacers and stabilized manzanita which should hold it's color well.

    Handle-2.jpg
     
  19. Everything sanded, trued up on the mill, and ready to cut slots.

    Handle-3.jpg
     
  20. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

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