Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

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ChefJeff
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Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by ChefJeff »

Bought one of these http://www.chefknivestogo.com/gibl2gy21.html and am extremely happy I did. The nicely fitted handle looks like the one in the photo except mine has a few grain lines. The page says it's oak, Steve's video says magnolia. I'm happy either way but the surface is dead flat with open grain, which leads me to wonder if it's bare or finished. The pores are open so If it was finished it definitely wasn't filled. I don't mind that at all. In fact, this surface makes the handle a little more "grippy." Just wondering if I should be doing something to it and if so, what.

PS - I'm pretty fussy about wiping my knives clean and dry and the gap at the tang is nicely filled. Just my OCD showing.

PPS - If I put this in the wrong topic, please move.
SteveG
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by SteveG »

Hey Jeff,

Sometimes handles change over time w/certain knife lines and sometimes I get my info from the product page or just make an educated guess if there's no good info ;-).

I like to seal my non stabilized handles with a few coats of Watco Danish Oil. I find that it stays pretty grippy when wet and provides good protection. It's also easy to add a coat or two periodically when you feel that it's needed. If you're in a home environment that shouldn't be very often, maybe once a year.
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by Kalaeb »

If it were me I would raise the grain (get it slightly wet) hit it with high grit sandpaper (only the body, not the ferrule) and then oil/wax it. Should not loose any of the"grip".
ChefJeff
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by ChefJeff »

Steve, no offense intended. I understand your videos are a snapshot in time, taken from the specific sample you had at the time. And while I'm at it, let me send a big thanks for doing what you do. As a compulsive/obsessive over-analyzer with a minor in over-thinking, I really appreciate the human touch you bring to the statistics. Your videos probably contributed 75% of what I went by as I made my choices.

I have several shades of Watco Danish Oil and their wax finish in stock. I use it on the wooden-gear clocks I build as a hobby.... and to save my marriage of 53 years and counting. I'll give the Gehei a few wipe-on, wipe-off coats and see how that goes. I should have said this in my post but I suspect there was already some kind of finish on this handle because I had tried wetting with no effect.
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by SteveG »

No offense taken Jeff. I appreciate the kind words. Congrats on 50+ years, quite the milestone. You must be very detail oriented and fastidious to build wooden gear clocks - that's pretty cool :-).
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by dAviD »

On the one I own it already feels like there is some kind of finish on it, so I just lightly oil it every so often after I clean it realy well. It also sees allot work use at work so after I clean raw meats using it I like to sanitize it really well.
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by Bensbites »

ChefJeff wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:27 pm Steve, no offense intended. I understand your videos are a snapshot in time, taken from the specific sample you had at the time. And while I'm at it, let me send a big thanks for doing what you do. As a compulsive/obsessive over-analyzer with a minor in over-thinking, I really appreciate the human touch you bring to the statistics. Your videos probably contributed 75% of what I went by as I made my choices.

I have several shades of Watco Danish Oil and their wax finish in stock. I use it on the wooden-gear clocks I build as a hobby.... and to save my marriage of 53 years and counting. I'll give the Gehei a few wipe-on, wipe-off coats and see how that goes. I should have said this in my post but I suspect there was already some kind of finish on this handle because I had tried wetting with no effect.
Care to share some photos of your clocks? If you have them posted on social media feel free to point us in that direction. I looked into making some a while back, the time commitment stopped me.
ChefJeff
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by ChefJeff »

Sure, although I hope nobody minds if I hijack this (my) thread.-
I first got the bug building this laser-cut kit: https://wooden-gear-clocks.com/tranquilityclock/
DSC00423.JPG
DSC00424.JPG
Then moved on to building kits and cutting parts from plans by: http://www.woodentimes.com/ Here are a few.
http://www.woodentimes.com/Gallery/pict ... category/9
http://www.woodentimes.com/Gallery/pict ... category/4
http://www.woodentimes.com/Gallery/pict ... ategory/12
http://www.woodentimes.com/Gallery/pict ... ategory/13
http://www.woodentimes.com/Gallery/pict ... ategory/14

I have another of David's designs (Sextus) complete and in the running-in/tuning phase and two more (Tertius, Quartus) in the cutting-parts stage.

Most recently, I 3-D printed two simple clocks as proof of concept. They run but their designs need improvement, which will first require that I improve my design skills. A work in progress.
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by ChefJeff »

Ben, if you're still thinking about building clocks, feel free to PM me. I'll be happy to share what I've learned, a lot of it the hard way.

Jeff
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by Bensbites »

ChefJeff wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:53 pm Ben, if you're still thinking about building clocks, feel free to PM me. I'll be happy to share what I've learned, a lot of it the hard way.

Jeff
Thanks. Thinking about it, yes. In reality it will not happen. I am enjoying the handlemaking side gig, and looking to expand bensbites into cutting boards and wooden magnetic knife bars. When I get back there I will ask you questions.
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by ChefJeff »

Sorry, Ben. I thought you were a woodworking novice. I've been gradually reading through this forum and just found Bensbites way down at the bottom. You have mad skills! If you can make intricate handles like those I'm sure you'll succeed at and enjoy clock building, especially if you begin with a simple, well-designed 3-D routed kit like this one: http://www.woodentimes.com/SEPTIMUS/Septimus.html

My best advice for would-be clock makers is: When properly built these clocks will keep time as well or better than the 17th century clocks they emulate... which is not very well. If an, accurate, trouble-free timepiece is what you're after, buy a $10 digital clock from Walmart. Also: Whenever you find yourself pressing to get a task finished, stop, take a walk, have a glass of a decent cabernet and think about why you're doing this. To paraphrase Star Trek, the wanting (and in this case, making) is often better than the having.

Good luck.
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by Bensbites »

ChefJeff wrote: Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:27 pm Sorry, Ben. I thought you were a woodworking novice. I've been gradually reading through this forum and just found Bensbites way down at the bottom. You have mad skills! If you can make intricate handles like those I'm sure you'll succeed at and enjoy clock building, especially if you begin with a simple, well-designed 3-D routed kit like this one: http://www.woodentimes.com/SEPTIMUS/Septimus.html

My best advice for would-be clock makers is: When properly built these clocks will keep time as well or better than the 17th century clocks they emulate... which is not very well. If an, accurate, trouble-free timepiece is what you're after, buy a $10 digital clock from Walmart. Also: Whenever you find yourself pressing to get a task finished, stop, take a walk, have a glass of a decent cabernet and think about why you're doing this. To paraphrase Star Trek, the wanting (and in this case, making) is often better than the having.

Good luck.
Nothing to apologize for, I think of myself as an all around DIY type. The handles are a recent adventure in that theme. I thought I would enjoy making the gears, assembling the clock and having the "artwork" on the wall. Now I have two kids to chase after and make a few handles at night, I don't see myself getting back there anytime soon when I am busy building the bensbites brand. Maybe in a few years.
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Thezep
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by Thezep »

A few coats of tru-oil (put the first coat on mixed half with mineral spirits, sinks it deeper into the grain), buff it out with some 000 steel wool and dab with tack cloth between coats. After 4 or 5 coats wait a couple days for it to really cure and give it a light buffing with the steel wool again. Leaves a nice satin finish that is still quite grippy.
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Re: Should I finish Gihei Blue #2 Gyuto 210mm handle?

Post by ChefJeff »

Thanks!
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