Thread: wakamisori tsuka

Hello razor fans. Here is a handle for Iwasaki 50mm razor. Bass wood core with #1 grade samegawa, buffalo horn.



Thanks for looking friends. Critique always welcome!

That looks pretty nice,,,,unusual in a very good way.

Thanks Mike. It looks a little different than I imagined

Beautiful in its weirdness!

I like it a lot! Looks spectacularly unique.
How is the balance?

Originally Posted by Johnny J

Beautiful in its weirdness!

lol. maybe it is weird. If it isn't too much bother can you tell me what you think it is so weird. You won't hurt my feelings

Originally Posted by netsurfr

I like it a lot! Looks spectacularly unique.
How is the balance?

I'm glad. Thanks.

The handle itself is not very heavy. The blade heavy feel these have remains. I think it feels alright.

Very unique & intriguing design. Need more input! How did you make the handle? Your process? Just trying to learn here.
It looks to me... from the size of the blade that the "scales"/handle is just a little small (in diameter) for the blade. Please don't take offense as I've never seen one of these, much less held one. I would love to have one of those things in my hands to feel the balance. One day, hopefully, I will have one in my collection (and maybe even in my rotation) who knows
Thanks for your feedback regarding your process.

Its horrible, mail it to me as fast as possible so I can dispose of it. I have been drooling over japanese straits since I was in japan and well sir yours takes the cake.

No offense taken Danny. My thought on the proportions of the handle was to go for a size close to the blue Tosuke grip,as well as be as small as I could get it as often these style tangs are simply wrapped over in rattan. I haven't shaved with it as is, though I did use it six or seven times with bare tang. Which is not a huge issue unless you get careless. My main grip is forward of the handle most of the time, between the thumb and forefinger while the actual tang portion just sorta floats between the other fingers. It's in switching one's hold, some I've come up with are rather precariously light... well I just figured a not so slippery as a narrow strip of steel would be better. fwiw Indirectly i asked iwasaki if he "designed" these to be used unwrapped/ unhandled. They are just sold that way; wrapping is extra....

The details danny not my off topic disclosures you asked about.

The foundation is bass wood. I made it simple by using 4 pieces, about 1/8" thick. Two for the "scales" one narrow strip each side of the tang as fillers. Glued up making a little rectangular box. whittle and file and sand until its more like an oval cone. A couple chunks of horn, rough shaped. I use a japanese style gimlet I remade for drilling horn. The pommel is morticed to receieve a wood tenon that fills the cavity left open in the foundation. The other end is drilled through and, filed to fit the tang. Then the back face reamed out, the wood trimmed down 'til they plug together. All glued together, shapes fine tuned somewhat more.

Next I get out the rayskin rawhide, saw out a little piece that is slightly oversize. Recut it closer then wet it down and clamp it to the core with full length binding of string. When dry, I pry it off and saw again to get rid of the overlap. Test fit, dampen just enough to get some flex. Glue and rebind.

I messed up my length and had to snip a few denticles as fillers, so i'm really not to pleased with it overall, but i can live with it. Finally I work the horn down as flush as i can get it,-(still needs a little more) then final polish.

All that may be confusing and a little more than you wanted but that's the story. But hey if it so unique and weird maybe I should consider it my intellectual propery since I don't have much in either regard