Traditional Japanese vegetable knife

[Johnny J]

My knifemaking is getting a little more respectable, I think :-) This is what I believe is a traditional Japanese vegetable knife. I've never actually owned one, only seen photos, so I'm not really sure. Blade is an old circular saw. Handle was an oak branch. I cut the blank with an abrasive hacksaw and shaped with files. It's a single-sided chisel grind. Handle is fit kind of like a traditional Japanese sword handle: I split the handle and chiseled a slot for the tang, then glued it back together. Except instead of a removable pin to secure the blade, I made the tang I-shaped so it can't pull out of the slot. Finished with pickled oak stain and tung oil. Haven't used it yet, but boy it seems sharp!