SOTW #8 - Creating a Hand Carved Aikuchi Tanto Mount

http://islandblacksmith.ca/
...Sounds of the *woodshop*, that is...a.k.a.: the quiet edition. Sit back and chill to the sounds of sharp blades and smooth wood. This is a collection of clips documenting the steps and sounds involved at most every stage of the process of hand making a traditional aikuchi tanto mount from reclaimed driftwood. The project began as a large piece of Nootka Cypress driftwood and is worked entirely by hand through each step, employing tools and techniques as they would have been used centuries ago when this style of knife was developed in Japan.

The blade is made from century-old shear steel from a horse drawn carriage spring and based on design elements of the 13th century Aizu Shintogo tanto:
http://islandblacksmith.ca/2014/04/aizu-shintogo-kunimitsu-tanto-kata/.

Read more about the process of making this work on the photo essay page:
http://islandblacksmith.ca/process/making-aikuchi-tanto-kuro-urushi-koshirae/

The next step will be to finish the surface with natural urushi lacquer.