A VERY Special Project

Very cool! Looks as sharp as it is.

Bravo sir! You should definitely wrap the handle. That'll look sweet!

good job, Chris.

Excellent work. +1 on handle wrapping

2 issues I may have to address...It's a little difficult to handle due to how smooth the tang is. I'm thinking of either wrapping it with nylon or making a sandwich-style handle, like a knife for it...Something to give me a little bit bigger handle and better grip...

Wrapping would definitely help.

[Image: 25833d1244134716-japanese-straights-pict0496.jpg]

Those wraps look great but BadDad does beautiful work on scales.  This blade had to be greatly modified.  How cool would it be if Chris could make modified scales to go with this blade?  Then, it would truly be an unusual straight to add to his collection.

In the end, wrap or scales would make for a sweet overall makeover.  Whatever you decide, Chris, we'll be looking forward to any final result.

So...I was trying to figure out what shape and size to make the handle for this thing. I wanted to try and drill a second hole higher up on the tang, (and I have a high speed steel-cutting drill bit that *should* be able to make the cut without damaging the steel), and use the Toxic Green Kirinite I have here. I may still do this at some point down the road, but for now...



I had some OD camo paracord laying around. Rather than have a bulky wrap, I pulled the inner nylon cords out of the sheath and wrapped it flat. I think it came out pretty decent. I used CA glue to secure the top over-wrap, and the knot at the bottom...

Definitely feels better in hand, and the location of the knot feels like it will help me in controlling it better. I think it will help increase my control, along with the added grip of the wrap itself.

I'm looking forward to giving it another try. I would really like to be able to handle the blade without dulling down the spike points. It's a challenge, but I've never been afraid of a challenge...

EDIT--You can see a fairly deep scratch from my Dremel on this side of the blade. I haven't been able to polish it out, but I might be able to get it if undo the wrap and put on a handle set...

Nice save, Chris. What was it they used to say: "when given a lemon, make lemonaid!"

Awesome, Chris! You're a magician!

So...I shaved with this guy again last night. As expected, the wrap definitely improved both the handling control and the grip I had on the razor. The location of the knot also provided a more familiar feeling, as it mimicked the location of the scales during a shave, to a certain degree. All of this put me in a position to have a complete 3-pass shave without any nicks or cuts, and without dulling down the spike points.

However...the removal of so much metal has resulted in an extremely light-weight razor. There is no heft to the blade, which makes me want to apply pressure as I'm shaving. We all know that ends...

I will keep it around, because I simply LOVE the way it turned out, and I do think it will work really well for cleaning the cheek lines around my beard, but otherwise, it will be more of a display than anything...Proudly displayed, but not used as a regular part of my rotation...