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Handle Information If your busy and it seems like my site has to much information, but you want to order something, then I suggest you look through my photo albums 1 and 2 and see if a photo attracts you. Then call or write and send it's link, and we can start from there. This way you can bypass all the details and hoo-ha and I will work out a plan with you by e-mail or phone in less than 10 minutes. It is part of my job - not only am I good at it, but I like it.
Woods below are included in all prices quoted on the price list.
Woods now available for handles are as follows:
Light woods are Tiger Striped Hard Rock Maple (check for availability), Madrone Wood, Yew Wood & Hickory.
Dark woods are Black Walnut, English Walnut and Claro Walnut.
Basic standard handle
Standard Basic Model ~ all the basic models have their prices on →the Price List and the Order Form.
All add-ons cost more, and are detailed below.
All the basic knives have a handle composed of natural wood & brass bolsters. All natural woods (above) come included in the price of each knife.
Add-ons
Add ons are materials added to a basic handle which adds to it's uniqueness as well as price. You can add spacers, brass, special stabilized wood, stainless trim, reconstituted gemstones, etc.
You can pretty much ask for anything you want, and I will make your knife to taste.
But with me as in life, if you play you pay. Generally, each add-on adds some cost above the cost of the basic kitchen knife prices shown in the price list. Add ons are below...
Stabilized wood
Handles that have stabilized woods rather than the in-house standard woods . Selection and costs can be found at Burl Source. Marks web site explains all about stabilized wood. Extra cost for using this wood is $20 plus the full cost of the stabilized wood you choose and shipping. Shipping is always $5 from Burl Source as they are in the next valley over. Send me the number of the wood scales you want and I will include the cost plus shipping and $20 into the invoice.
→Here is a link to my Home page. Scroll down to the 3rd gallery called 'A Few More Sets', that shows some of his woods used in my work.
Fancy Handles - bolster and bed spacers
Fancy handles use spacers as a decorative effect and to highlight the wood color. I use them in several different ways using different spacers. This Photo Album shows various galleries that display all sorts of bolster spacer combinations. They all are on the side of the handle resting between the wood and the bolster.
Here are some handles with a few bolster spacer ideas:
Top is white .090 spacer with Bog Oak, then 1/8" red/white/red, then .090
white with 1/8" black times two.
I use 1/8" and .090 thickness spacers in red, white and black in various combinations. Your choice or leave it to me. The spacers are placed to enhance the wood. Black spacer next dark wood is a no no, but white adjacent to dark wood is a go go !!
Costs for bolster spacers added to knife handle between the wood and the bolster:
1 insert for $15.00
2 inserts for $25.00
3 inserts for $35
Bed spacers run horizontally below the wood, your choice of colors:
1 spacer - $32.00 per knife
2 spacers - $45.00
3 spacers - $60.00
See below for 3 pictorial examples of Bed spacers.
Yew wood handle with two .090 thick vulcanized bed spacers.
In this example I used black/white. I also hard red. There is also
a bolster spacer using Cocobolo and brass.
Click this photo below to enlarge
Extra Fancy Handles - click link here and see top gallery
Extra fancy handles come with black/white or red spacer arrays, as well as a fancy wood insert and with nickel silver insert.
I use various wood inserts picked for their richness and depth. I also have in stock Malachite Tru-stone.
So you get a wood handle then a nickel silver or titanium spacer, then the wood insert, then two spacers, then the bolster.
Cost is $55 extra.
Below a few extra fancy idea
Left photo on left has black/white spacers and green stabilized Box Elder Burl wood and then a slim brass spacer.
then on the right is a handle with Cocobolo wood with double brass bolsters.
Right photo: Extra fancy handles using sterling silver bolsters, with Malachite Tru-stone, sterling .090 spacers and Cocobolo.
Double brass bolsters are another choice for a handle.
Click link above and see second knife from the right.
It costs $40. Click photo below to enlarge.
Western style handle or an Asian style handle is a free option choice.
See the first gallery below called 'Some handle ideas for add-ons'.
Western has the small knob on the butt of the handle and the Asian style is pretty much straight. Both taper slightly. You can also fine tune the handle size by referring to this photo and telling me of your preferences.
Stainless bolsters - $40.00 per knife. These are secured usually with nickel silver pins.
Sterling silver bolsters - call me and we can discuss the cost.
Handle Finish
Currently I am applying a coat of wax-free Bulls-Eye Shellac to handles, to seal the grain. Then, once it is dry, I steel wool the wood with grades 1, 00 and then 0000 steel wool, and finally add a coat of my oil/wax finish and hand buff.
Some handle ideas for add-ons
see also
Photo Album #1 - 2013-2014
Photo Album #2 - 2014
Two different profiles of a handle - top is large than the bottom. Western style handle with spacer array and green dyed stabilzied Buckeye wood.
A closer look at my company chop with the classic western style bump on the butt. Currently I am using aluminum instead of brass for the outer 1/4" circle.
I make my chop rivets, in shop, using 12" brass tubes and fill it in with 1/16" brass rod and a center of carbon steel 'lion hair'. Then I inject dyed epoxy (black or red) , and once dried cut into lengths. Handle choice also has to do with the width of the handle (when knife is laid down flat) as well as the thickness.
Let me know your preferences or I will let the wood and size of the knife dictate handle size.
An easy way to figure this out is to head towards a knife you have now whose handle fits your hand. It could belong to a relative or neighbor, just as long it feels good to you.
If this handle does fit your hand nicely, measure it and let me know or get similar measurements as above. You can also trace it or jpeg it and get it to me and I can re-create. If you cannot do any of the above and are fairly sure you want a smaller/larger handle, & then let me know. Knife handle is : Green dyed stabilized Buckeye burl wood with B/R/B 1/8" spacers.
The thicker style spacer is 1/8" thick and comes in combos of white/red/black. You can have either two or three inserted in whatever way you like.
Below are a few photos of different options (click photo to enlarge).
You can order with your knife:
1 spacer or insert for $15.00
2 inserts for $25.00
3 inserts for $35.00 Asian style handle with Black Walnut wood. Extra Fancy Handles come with any combination of red/black/white spacers,
as well as a fancy burled wood insert and then brass band, before the wood of the handle. See below. I use various wood inserts picked for their richness and depth. Cost is $55 extra. Single spacer with walnut. Three spacer array, 1/8" thick with Claro Walnut. Top:
1" x 5" - all havedouble brass bolsters. Top two have Black Walnut wood.
1.5" x 6" in the middle.
Bottom has Hickory wood, 2" x 7".
A closer look at my company chop with the classic western style bump on the butt. Currently I am using aluminum instead of brass for the outer 1/4" circle.
I make my chop rivets, in shop, using 12" brass tubes and fill it in with 1/16" brass rod and a center of carbon steel 'lion hair'. Then I inject dyed epoxy (black or red) , and once dried cut into lengths.
A few handle woods in use
see also
Photo Album #1 - 2013-2014
Photo Album #2 - 2014
I always try to pick through the woods in stock, that display the best characteristics of the species, from what is available. The photos below are representative of the quality of the woods I have in stock, only.
Madrone is very hard and grows wild all over the west coast. It exhibits swirls and waves & at it's best is pinkish and very hard. I call it the Northwest's answer to Pink Ivory combined with Bamboo. It is in my opinion, ideal for kitchen knives. Hickory or Pecan Wood is very hard, stiff, dense and shock resistant. There are woods that are stronger than hickory and woods that are harder, but the combination of strength, toughness, hardness, and stiffness found in hickory wood is not found in any other commercial wood. It is used for tool handles & bows. 6 of 12 steak knives, 3 woods each. Top three are striped or flamed Maple, and botton is very rare orange Yew wood. Top three are Claro Walnut wood and bottom are English Walnut wood. All walnut woods are harvested in Oregon or California. Black Walnut wood with thin maple/black spacer sandwich.
Madrone is very hard and grows wild all over the west coast. It exhibits swirls and waves & at it's best is pinkish and very hard. I call it the Northwest's answer to Pink Ivory combined with Bamboo. It is in my opinion, ideal for kitchen knives.
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