Making Santoku - Part 5

Once the tung oil fully hardened, I could proceed to the final step in surface finishing – polishing the handle. First, with a polishing paste made from beeswax and amorphous silica, then with pure beeswax.

This gives the handle an evenly shiny surface, pleasant to the touch. Plus, the beeswax can be reapplied at any time manually with a cloth.

And finally, I sharpened the blade. Like every kitchen knife, I sharpened it at an angle of approximately 15° to the central plane of the blade. I describe the process in detail here -click-. And like any blade made by a knife maker with a modicum of self-respect, it is now razor-sharp.

All that remains now is a few pictures.

Unfortunately, I was unable to take good pictures of the chatoyancy (cat's eye) effect on the olive wood, because it is very subtle on this specific piece. But it is present, and the handle does change color slightly based on the angle of viewing.

In the picture, the knife appears smaller than it really is – it is a big boy. Yet despite its size, it feels light in the hand, albeit with noticeable blade presence. A wide blade should guarantee good direction of a cut, and the rounded ricasso ensures safer work.

Now, just to send it to its final home.