Knife and Edged Tools Acquisions

[rideon66]

Tiny

So Okubo Kajiya is the sole knife maker in Tokushima prefecture and it is just him and his son. They make these and other fine blades to order and I requested this one taller than his normal 250mm takenoko nakir version, but he also makes a 270mm version. These are designed for harvesting and processing giant bamboo shoots. The 100ft high variety bamboo. Yet they work well on large and small items for meal prep alike and just plain fun to use.

So it is the tinier version

 

[cotedupy]

Very nice! Maxim has been putting some NOS knives on his site and posting on Facebook. I want more single bevels but can't justify it. It would get used once or twice a year at most for the price of sides of fish versus whole fish.

Most of fish work is just salmon but I'll be breaking down some halibut sides on Friday. I use a Konosuke HH 270 suji and a 210 Yananigba I picked up from blue way on ebay for very little. Sadly it took a drop and needs a tip job before I can use it again.

Pretty happy with how this came out...

What did you hone today? -Knife and tool edition

First test of some Penrhiw Welsh stone found by @cotedupy on one of his rambles. It's novaculite, but thankfully not as hard a hard Arkansas or something of that nature. A cement path, SIC, WD paper progression got it flat and smooth. While the stone feels very fine and smooth to the touch...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Got a little Higonokami in blue paper steel today.

 

[Legion]

Yet another little ivory scaled penknife rescue. I can't help myself.

There is no makers mark, which is odd, but it seems good quality. It also has a feature I've never seen before. The blades are physically attached to the bails on each end, and to open them you can press on the bail like a lever and the blade pops out. Kind of neat. Although it is not as easy as a modern knife, this is the first antique penknife I've seen that has a designed feature for one handed opening.

 

[Whiterook]

Ever since AG Russell began sending me catalogs this knife has been tickling my fancy. There is something about this 4" Sunfish that is appealing to me. First the opening nick is widely dished so I don't need to break a thumbnail. Secondly it is a lockback. Lengthwise this is about the same size as a Bugout, but wider and three times heavier. I like the traditional look. What I don't like is Chinese manufacture and 8cr13mov steel. Still, I am pleased with it.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Ever since AG Russell began sending me catalogs this knife has been tickling my fancy. There is something about this 4" Sunfish that is appealing to me. First the opening nick is widely dished so I don't need to break a thumbnail. Secondly it is a lockback. Lengthwise this is about the same size as a Bugout, but wider and three times heavier. I like the traditional look. What I don't like is Chinese manufacture and 8cr13mov steel. Still, I am pleased with it.
View attachment 1719176View attachment 1719178

The groove of the nail nick is wide enough and the top edge of it gives enough purchase that I can open it onehanded with my thumb.

 

[Whiterook]

The groove of the nail nick is wide enough and the top edge of it gives enough purchase that I can open it onehanded with my thumb.

I can do that, but with difficulty. If the nick were a bit farther out I'd have more leverage. I
Maybe it will loosen up with time.

 

[Multum in parvo]

I can do that, but with difficulty. If the nick were a bit farther out I'd have more leverage. I
Maybe it will loosen up with time.

I think so, mine is now buttery smooth after a bit of usage.

 

[cotedupy]

Got a little Higonokami in blue paper steel today.View attachment 1717599

They're pretty cool those little knives. I've always been tempted.

Yet another little ivory scaled penknife rescue. I can't help myself.

There is no makers mark, which is odd, but it seems good quality. It also has a feature I've never seen before. The blades are physically attached to the bails on each end, and to open them you can press on the bail like a lever and the blade pops out. Kind of neat. Although it is not as easy as a modern knife, this is the first antique penknife I've seen that has a designed feature for one handed opening.

View attachment 1717807

Oh dear, have you found another thing to collect...?

You know how that ends don't you? In a year's time you're going to have a big box in the shed full of about 200 almost-identical, small, ivory-handled penknives.

 

[cotedupy]

@Legion Did I send you one with the stuff a few months back? I certainly meant to (just as a little gift, as you can pick them up quite easily here for 5 or 10 quid).

 

[Legion]

@Legion Did I send you one with the stuff a few months back? I certainly meant to (just as a little gift, as you can pick them up quite easily here for 5 or 10 quid).

No, I don’t believe so. Though there were a few other nice items in the box. I use the kiridashi almost daily.

 

[Legion]

They're pretty cool those little knives. I've always been tempted.




Oh dear, have you found another thing to collect...?

You know how that ends don't you? In a year's time you're going to have a big box in the shed full of about 200 almost-identical, small, ivory-handled penknives.

It is more a matter of “saving” (hoarding) ivory items. I have trouble passing over ivory items, especially if the seller has not twigged to what it is.

 

[cotedupy]

No, I don’t believe so. Though there were a few other nice items in the box. I use the kiridashi almost daily.

Ah well, remind me next time and you can have those two little ivory ones I picked up last year. Because I've got something else equally silly to be spending my money on now... loads of beautiful, but functionally-identical kiridashi!

I even excelled myself recently by buying two completely identical ones:

Glad to hear yours is going down well. That was my go-to kiri for quite a while.

 

[cotedupy]

The reason I bought those two identical kiris in the pic above is because they're special...

You see wrought iron cladding being used on old kanna (plane) blades quite often, but rarely on kiridashi. There is some metallurgical reason for this to do with with being easier to work for thicker things or something. But also - wrought iron is quite rare. Nobody really makes it anymore, so if you want to work with it you have to go out and find bits of very old buildings / boats / bridges &c. The iron used on these two is probably about 150 years old apparently, and it will have been made originally in Britain.

A lot of the reason that it's now quite desirable for stuff like this is because of appearance; the grain and feature are interesting to look at, especially when polished. And the reason I bought two of the same is because when you have things are entirely hand laminated and forged - you're going to get differences. So I'm going to pick the one I like most (first pic) and sell the other (2nd pic) at cost. Which shouldn't be too difficult because these are really beautiful knives:

And a little line up shot. These are all iron clad, though the last one isn't wrought iron, and the first is quite clean wrought. The four in the middle have more feature.

 

[cotedupy]

Here for instance is quite a big, dirty-wrought-clad kanna I found recently. It's not really, really common on kanna, but far more common than on kiri.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Mrs. Scandalous likes my higonokami so much I had to buy her one of her own.

 

[Dnallehekaj]

Higos rule!

 

[Dnallehekaj]

I got the 240mm version of a 180mm knife I've been loving for awhile. Yahiko Ginsan Nashiji gyuto.

I sharpened it up today, and have only used it for half of a cabbage, but I love it! So light, so easy to use, and I really like sharpening ginsan steel. It makes me feel like I know what I'm doing!



So far, very pleased

 

[Legion]

Mrs. Scandalous likes my higonokami so much I had to buy her one of her own.
View attachment 1725613

What you got going on there? Black Ark with Tam slurry?

 

[Darth Scandalous]

What you got going on there? Black Ark with Tam slurry?

PA slate with its own slurry. I like the way it polishes and brings out the contrast. I went from SG500 to the Tam, then the slate. Tam is just perched there for the shot.