ScandiChef with Curly Birch Handle Scales WIP thread (photos)

C

CreativeMan.com.au

Member
thought I could share some photos of putting handles on a blade I made last year.
The blade is this chef blade I keep making in slightly different versions, I call it the "ScandiChef".
If nothing else I am Scandinavian and it is a chef blade :)


The blade is in 12C27, stock removal, heat treated by quenching in canola oil from 1080 C and tempering 2 x 2 hours at 200 C. Estimated 56 HRC after having similar blades hardness tested after this heat treat recipe before.
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Handle scales are flattened on the inside by sanding on a piece of glass with coarse sand paper on it. Then drilling holes for the 1/4" steel pins. I clamp and pin the scales to each other first and shape the front to final shape, as well as sand to final grit. This is easier to do on the front now, than after when the blade is between the scales. The photo below is before they were clamped and the front shaped, a dry-fit to make sure the holes line up
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After epoxying on the scales, I shape them to the profile of the handle first.
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Then start rounding to final shape, and thinning the front section towards the tang. I find making a sleeve of cardboard is better than just a couple of layers of masking tape. As if (when) I touch the blade to the belt by mistake, the cardboad seem to hold up better.

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The scales in stabilised Curly Birch dyed "chocolate brown" are being hand sanded. I start hand sanding at 180 grit, cutting strips and backing with masking tape. Then shoe shine back and forth to even out any ridges and making the final shape more rounded and even. This also removes any last scratches in the handle from the coarser belt.

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Photo of the final handle, sanded to a high grit and sealed with a handle finish of resin and shellac leaving a hard wearing layer of shiny goodness :)

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The final result, a "scandichef" with curly birch handle scales. Thanks for looking!
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Beautiful handle there CM. I have to ask about the blade shape though. Is it a typical scandinavian shape as it has quite a bit more belly on the front of the blade than a typical chef knife. It would make a fantastic steaking knife with that shape.
 
Von Gruff said:
Beautiful handle there CM. I have to ask about the blade shape though. Is it a typical scandinavian shape as it has quite a bit more belly on the front of the blade than a typical chef knife. It would make a fantastic steaking knife with that shape.
Click to expand...

I don't think there is a "Scandinavian traditional chef knife style" as such. Or if there is, I have never seen one.

This is just my own little design of one, drawing on the Scandinavian style of straight blade back and a more standard chef blade width than a normal puuko style. It started as stick tang which is more traditional Scandi and always with Curly Birch as handle material, being my favourite.

Over time this went from being a stick tang to a fulltang, maybe it was more traditional in the stick tang?
handle800pix.JPG

ScandiChef-set.JPG
 
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