u/khoosyi

A customer recently asked us to polish the kireha on this Yanagiba from Nakagawa Kajiya, with the knife finished by Shimizu Masaya made from Ginsan #3.

We took our time with the polish, working all the way up to 5,000-grit sandpaper before finishing it with Autosol. The goal was to bring out a clean, deep mirror finish while keeping the kireha looking sharp and defined.

We were really happy with how it turned out, but even better, the customer loved the result. That’s always the most satisfying part of the process.

I absolutely love the curve on this Yanagiba. It makes the whole knife feel so elegant and really unique. I’m also really happy that we got the chance to craft the handle and saya using a beautiful yellow-brown burl sourced from a local Malaysian forest, but do feel strugle on make the saya curve. To make it fancier, we added white horn to the handle hahaha

The polish by Ajioka Hamono is stunning too, with that subtle kasumi finish that really brings out the character of the blade. Great job as always by Ajioka-san

A beautiful Japanese blade paired with a piece of Malaysian wood. Hoping to restock more of this knife soon in my store.

we received quite a lot tamarin wood which is kinda rare, which we call Asam Jawa here in Malaysia. People rarely cut this tree tho. This time, we got enough extra wood that I could finally make a matching saya casing with it. So I thought, why not?

And honestly, I think it turned out gorgeous. I know some people might not like the look because the natural grain and darker patches can make it look a little bit like there’s dirt on the handle and saya. But personally, I really love it.

There’s something about the combination that reminds me a little of an army or military uniform, if I make any sense hahaha. Maybe it’s just me, but I think it looks pretty damn cool.

Can anyone guess what knife is inside?

** I'll put the answer in the comment section

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Fujitora Tojiro V10.

After trying quite a few factory-made Japanese knives, it still stands out as one of my favorite Western-handle knives. It comes scary sharp, has great balance, takes a beating, and for the price, I honestly think it's one of the best values you can get. Here in Malaysia, it's almost impossible not to recommend it to someone looking for their first "real" Japanese knife.

But... there was always one thing that bothered me.

The handle.

Not because it's bad, it does the job perfectly but visually, it never excited me. Better than Global tbf haha

Obviously I can't change the blade itself, but I can change the handle.

So I swapped the original G10 scales with our signature Malaysian burlwood, Surian Emas , added mosaic pins and gave it our usual finish coating. It looked nice... but it still didn't feel special enough.

A few weeks later, I came across a Nigara with an incredibly polished Western handle. It had that deep, glass-like finish that made the wood look alive. I immediately asked a friend to teach me the process.

I won't lie, it was exhausting.

There was a lot more polishing, and buffing than I expected. Always need to careful to overheat the blade and time to time i keep accidentally scratch my fingers. I kinda questioned whether it was even worth the extra effort.

But when I finally finished it...

I couldn't stop looking at it.

It still has the same Fujitora blade that I already loved, but now it actually feels unique. The handle completely changes the personality of the knife.

We'll probably have to charge a little more because of the extra work involved, but I think the final result really cool

Now I'm thinking... what should be next?

I'd love to find another Japanese knife with a really good blade but a more interesting finish, maybe more highend. maybe something with a kurouchi finish or damascus that would pair well with a custom Western handle.

Does anyone have recommendations? Preferably makers or brands that are open to B2B/OEM supply. I'd love to hear your ideas because I think there's a lot of potential not only boost my shop also promoting how beutiful our local wood

The Kasumi finish on this knife is exceptionally clean. The profile is beautiful, especially with the k-tip, and the taper along the spine is done so well that the whole knife feels incredibly refined.

Personally, I always feel a little disappointed when I introduce Itsuo Doi's work and the first thing people think of is the Homura Guren series. Many don't realize that Doi-san has other series that are just as stunning, if not even more elegant. To me, the Homura Guren has a much rougher character, and the finish isn't always as refined as his other work. The Kasumi series, especially in shapes like the Gyuto, Petty, and Sujihiki, tends to have a much thinner, laser-like grind compared to the taller and heavier Homura Guren.

I really love how the Kasumi series carries such a majestic and timeless look. I genuinely hope more people will come to appreciate this side of Doi-san's craftsmanship instead of only focusing on the Homura Guren. Somehow, this finish also reminds me of his father, Keijiro Doi. ** i was able to hold Keijiro Doi Unagisaki when i visited my supplier. Perhaps it's because some of Keijiro Doi's knives were also polished by Ajioka Hamono too? giving them a similarly refined character.

The kurouchi, tamper and profile. I love everything about this knife and ill get one for myself too. One of the most classic and cool looking kurouchi finish too.

Hello friends,

I recently tried doing a forced patina on one of my knives using a boiled vinegar ball method. I left it on for around 20 minutes, then washed it off. After that, I used baking soda and soap to neutralize and clean the blade. I wiped it completely dry and finished by applying oil.

The result actually turned out really great and beautiful, exactly the look I was going for. However, both sides of the blade came out a bit uneven in terms of patina coverage.

What do you think about the final result? And do you have any recommendations on how I can improve the process in the future to get a more even finish?

Would really appreciate any advice 🙏

Just received this Manaka ATS-34 Sujihiki 270mm, and somehow it looks completely different from the other ATS-34 Manakas I've seen before.

I know some people probably won't like this finish, but personally, I think it's incredibly unique. The more I look at it, the more I like it. Actually, "like" might be an understatement, I absolutely love it.

My original plan was to rehandle it with something else, but after seeing the blade in person, I felt it deserved something equally distinctive. So I ended up using one of the last two-tone red Rengas handles + yellow asam jawa ferrule I had already made in advance, and I think the combination works surprisingly well.

P.S. The handle isn't properly installed yet. It's only test-fitted for now, so if it looks a little loose or not perfectly seated, that's because it hasn't been glued or mounted permanently yet.

​

​

This is the first kurouchi petty with a Western handle I've come across, other than those from Teruyasu Fujiwara.

​

A customer sent this knife to us and requested a full handle conversion, replacing the original black G10 scales with Malaysian Red Kempas burl and adding mosaic pins. The transformation gave the knife a completely different style, and the customer really love the final result.

Been a bit busy lately with clients visiting the workshop and updating the website, so the schedule has been packed until late night. Still managed to finish the final coating on these wa handles tonight. I usually prepare and cut the wood blocks in advance before shaping. Planning to experiment more with mixing ferrule materials with the burl patterns soon.

I’ve always been fascinated by the unique knife shapes coming out from Tosa, but this Inasa by Tsukasa Tokaji really caught my attention differently. The tall front profile gives it such an intimidating presence, yet it still feels elegant and traditional at the same time. Knowing it was made by the son and apprentice of Tadayoshi Tokaji makes it even more special to me, like holding a small piece of Tosa’s knife-making heritage in hand.

Honestly, I feel like the Tokaji family knives are incredibly underrated. They’re not flashy “showpiece” knives, but true workhorse blades made to be used every single day. Tough, practical, comfortable, and with performance far beyond their price point. For the value, their knives are seriously, seriously good.

What makes this one even more personal is the handle custom-made in Malaysia using Arang Bunga wood. I really love how it blends Japanese craftsmanship with our local materials and identity. their petty is one of our fastest-selling knives hahahah

Hopefully one day I’ll finally be able to visit the Tokaji family workshop in Kochi, the heart of Tosa blades, and see their craftsmanship with my own eyes.

About two years ago, this knife shop was honestly just a small part-time thing for us. Most of my time back then was spent working in kitchens while doing my part-time bachelor degree. After classes and long shifts, I would stay up late reading about Japanese knives, studying steels, and slowly experimenting with woodwork.

We started really small too. Mostly selling simple Japanese knives like Tosa knives and Tojiro. Nothing crazy at all. Just pure interest and love towards Japanese craftsmanship. Never thought it would slowly grow into this.

Now somehow, we are here making handles for knives by Naoki Mazaki. Still feels a bit unreal honestly. Mazaki-san is known by many enthusiasts for making some of the most handmade kitchen knives out there, so getting the chance to work on these pieces means a lot to us.

This week felt extra special. One of our final two Mazaki knives the Shirogami #2 Migaki Gyuto 210mm has already been picked up and will be flying to the U.S. very soon. For this one, we made a special pentagonal handle using two-tone red rengas with spotted keteng ferrule. We also added a small mosaic pin at the bottom just to make it feel a little more special without overdoing it.

The last remaining piece is the Hon Sanmai Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm. That one was fitted with a two-tone red kempas handle. Sadly we didn’t have enough lighter kempas left to continue the same look onto the saya, so the saya ended up using only the deeper red part of the wood. But somehow, that made the whole piece feel even more unique and personal.

Hello everyone, hope you’re all doing well 👋

I recently watched a video of Baba Hamono using a stamp-style method for blade engraving, and I got really curious about how the process actually works.

From what I understand, it’s a reusable stamp with custom kanji, which is already pretty interesting. But I was thinking, how is it actually applied in practice?

Is the stamp used cold and simply struck with a hammer to imprint the steel, since it looks hardened enough to leave a clean mark? Or is there any heating involved during the process? My concern with heating is whether it could affect the heat treatment of the blade.

Also, if it’s done cold, does the stamp itself have a very sharp/hardened profile that allows it to penetrate the steel cleanly just from impact?

And one more question where would one even go about getting a custom kanji stamp made for this kind of application?

Would really appreciate any insights from people familiar with this technique. Thanks in advance 🙏

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYWkCeWEmDc/?img\_index=1&igsh=MWh0ajRvMTBmdHJ0eQ==

For the Nigara SPG STRIX series, we were only able to secure the blade itself. From the beginning, I knew I wanted to do something special with it. something clean, not overly complicated, but still different from what’s already in the market.

I’ve always loved the profile of the bunka in this series especially. The finish also look very cool. It already had so much character on its own, so we wanted the handle to complement that without overdoing it.

That’s when we decided to create our own handle using Malaysian red rengas wood. The deep reddish tones, natural grain, and warm feel gave the knife a character that felt unique to us. A simple idea, but one that carries its own identity.

Hello,

Im selling some wa handles with ferrule that i made by myself using malaysian wood that we sourced from native people in forest.

Most of handle are 138mm and suitable for gyuto/kiritsuke 210mm and 240mm except the last 3, picture no.13 suitable for blade 180mm-210mm, no.14 suitable for blade 150mm - 180mm and the last one is 140mm and a bit thin suitable for sujihiki or yanagi.

Each handle cost 40Usd and exclude shipping fee.

Some burl we not sure what is the specific name but the wood has been use a lot in Malaysian traditional blade such as parang candung or keris.

Shipping fee to US around 47usd and Euro 42usd. If around asia would be cheaper i believe. I recommend to get 2 or more to make the shipping fee worth.

Hello,

Im selling some cool wa handle made from Malaysian local wood. All handle size is 138mm perfect for gyuto/kiritsuku 210mm or 240mm except the last/bottom wa wa handle brown Pauh Kijang Burl 133mm. Each handle cost 37Usd and exclude shipping fee.

Some burl we not sure what is the specific name but the wood has been use a lot in Malaysian traditional blade such as parang candung or keris.

Shipping fee to US around 47usd and Euro 42usd. If around asia would be cheaper i believe. I recommend to get 2 or more to make the shipping fee worth.

Hey knife nerds of Reddit,

I just wanted to share a handle project that somehow started simple in my head and slowly turned into a full lesson in patience, geometry, and why did I think this was easy

So I’ve been working on a pentagonal wa handle design inspired and imported from Isamitsu Hamono. I’ve always liked how their handles don’t scream for attention, but when you hold them, everything just feels intentional. Clean geometry, nothing extra, just right.

For materials, I used asam jawa for the top and front section, and red rengas for the main body. The red rengas we used here is actually a two tone piece, which is quite special and honestly pretty rare to come by. That natural colour shift inside the same block gave the handle way more character than I expected.

Last minute, I randomly decided to add a mosaic pin at the bottom just to make it look a bit more fancy. Funny thing is, I actually borrowed the mosaic pin from my friend because I suddenly felt the handle needed “something extra” at the very end 😂

Completely unplanned, but somehow it ended up tying the whole handle together way better than I expected.

In my head, I genuinely thought it would be simple. It’s just a pentagon how hard can it be

Yeah… famous last words

First attempt I rushed it. Misread the angles, lost the geometry, and ended up ruining a really nice burl piece. That one actually hurt a bit

Second attempt I switched to plain wood for practice. Still failed. Slightly better, but it exposed something worse I didn’t actually understand the structure, I was just guessing my way through it

That’s when the frustration really kicked in. The kind where you start overthinking every cut and wondering if you’re just overcomplicating something simple

Third attempt back to burl. Slower, more deliberate, checking alignment constantly, no rushing the finishing

And finally it worked and 100% how to do it hahahaha

Funny part is I actually have a Mazaki migaki blade that i have update in my website shop, and it pairs surprisingly well with this handle concept. Something about the clean migaki finish and this geometric pentagon vibe just works together perfectly. I feel like it give a serious workhorse energy.

At this point I’m just staring at it thinking… anyone wanna accidentally spend money today for this baddie? 😂

We’re also thinking to use this handle concept for an upcoming new series under strict direction from Daruma Hamono, so this whole process became way more important than I expected.

Anyway this whole thing really frustrated me at times not gonna lie. But I also love it because it’s exactly this kind of struggle that makes the final piece feel earned, not just made.

Would love to hear if anyone else has had a “this should be easy” project turn out like this

the Touroku Sakai Maruyama Shirogami #2 Bunka is one that really caught my attention for how refined and comfortable it feels in hand.

The grind is probably my favourite part. From the spine down to the choil, everything is polished beautifully and it makes the knife feel extremely comfortable in hand. You can really feel the attention to detail every time you pinch grip it. Also it kind of workhorse you will love so much.

Sharpen by : Maruyama Enjiki

Blacksmith : Made in Sakai by skilled local craftsmen, though not tied to one specific blacksmith.

Last February during my Japan trip, I had the chance to meet Nakagawa Kajiya and Shimizu Masaya through our supplier. While looking at the blade, I casually made a small promise to them, if I got their knives back to Malaysia, I wanted to finish it with something that felt a little different. Something with a local touch.

The knife already had amazing craftsmanship from Sakai, so I didn’t want to just throw on a normal handle and call it done. I decided to go with two-tone Kempas wood because the contrast and warmth of the wood felt really unique to me.

What I didn’t expect was how difficult it would be to actually find the right piece. The wood comes from native villagers living near forest areas, so we really depend on them whenever special pieces are found. You can’t really just order a perfect two-tone Kempas anytime you want. Sometimes months go by without seeing a good piece.

And honestly, I became very picky with this project. Some pieces had weak contrast, some lost their yellow tone after cutting, and some just didn’t “feel right” for the knife. Because of that, the project kept getting delayed over and over. Some wood also has too many holes especially on the yellow part 😌

Then finally, months later, the supplier contacted me saying they found a suitable piece. When the wood arrived, we got really lucky it still had a beautiful natural yellow tone running through the grain, not much, still enough for saya. The moment the handle was mounted, I felt like the whole knife finally came together the way I had imagined back in Japan.

The nicest part for me was when Nakagawa-san and Shimizu Masaya-san themselves liked the final design too.

It may just be a small detail to some people, but for me, this knife became a mix of Sakai craftsmanship and a small piece of Malaysia.

***i have a few more pieces of the 2-tone Kempas wood but as you can see in the second picture, most of it only has a few small areas for yellow part