Restoring a DESTROYED Japanese Knife (Rusty & Chipped)

Restoring a DESTROYED Japanese Knife (Rusty & Chipped)
In a recent video (10 Things to NEVER do with a Japanese Knife), Mike completely wrecked one of our stunt knives. This made Naoto awfully sad, so he took it upon himself to bring the knife back to life! In this restoration video, Naoto takes a totally rusted & chipped santoku and removes the rust & chips, thins the blade, polishes the knife, and replaces the handle. Check out this incredible restoration!
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Oh, the Humanity... 0:00
Straightening & Rust Removal 1:18
Chip & Tip Repair 1:54
Thinning the Blade 3:05
Polishing the Bevel 4:50
Sharpening the Edge 8:26
Replacing the Handle 9:55
Reveal & Testing 12:55

[@GrantHendrick]

A fun and very helpful video Naoto. I also learned from the belt sander question.

[@JulienLabelleAffuteur]

Really nice work Naoto! I liked the smooth editing and the soft ambiance. This knife can be useful again 😌

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thank you!

[@Prakriti_Senpai]

It looks really so so good

[@tylerl3272]

Editing on this was fantastic, great video!

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thanks so much!

[@tailibaba]

Cook stuff! Thank you for sharing! I always want to learn how to remove and insert handle. Very grateful!

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thank you! We have a video dedicated to handle replacement on our channel as well!

[@tailibaba]

@@KnifewearKnives Great! Would you please just post me the link? I'll save it and study it very carefully! Thank you very much!

[@donpenney8139]

Amazing restoration job! Great video

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thanks Don!

[@e30Birdy]

Great Video you guys, thanks for the knowledge

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thanks man!

[@paweel2494]

good knife for givaway :D

[@KnifewearKnives]

We were kinda thinking that!

[@SacreDro]

Big like, nice skills and technique, I just ordered 3 Japanese knives that were used in the chicken and will restore them again.

[@mrboom4570]

The man definitely has some skills!

[@daver20007]

Nice work love the mirror finish. I was actually just talking to someone about micro bevels the other day.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thank you!

[@robcarson2728]

This was a great video, and I would love to have a knife that was ruined then restored by Naoto! You should have Lordy wreck one to see if he can outdo Mike!

[@KnifewearKnives]

I love it 😂

[@lgsaenz]

Awesome video!

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thank you!

[@Yamcha1717]

The result is stunning, Naoto did a very good work ! Did people already brought you a knife that damaged to repair it or was it the first time he had to do such a big job ?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thank you! Naoto gets a lot of damaged knives brought to him, some even worse than this!

[@DruSolis]

I don't know how I got here but this was somehow super informative and relaxing.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@redangrybird7564]

4:05 recycling an empty Sriracha sauce bottle, nice. 😎👍

[@sharpfactory3705]

Please more of this restorations and work on the grinding wheel

[@KnifewearKnives]

You got it, we definitely have more planned!

[@Zeus-ly6od]

I got the same handle for my yanagiba last month!

[@KnifewearKnives]

Right on, it's a beauty!

[@stevengagnon5661]

What kind of wood did you use for that handle, and how much would it cost to get my handle changed for something similar? Not that it needs changing, but I am digging that blue wood look!

[@davesmith5656]

Question. I have used a simple belt sander designed for wood to remove chips from an edge. The sander can be set to low speed, and I go lightly for three or four seconds at a time, touching the edge with my finger. The edge gets a bit warm, but never hot. Is that "ruining the heat treatment"? My understanding is that the tempering stage of heat treatment heats the blade - very approximate numbers - to around 600 or even 800 degrees centigrade for some hours, then 400 degrees for some hours, then 200 degrees for some hours, and that 200 C is that final heat applied before cooling to room temperature. So to "ruin the heat treatment" wouldn't the knife have to be heated to at least 200 C?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Hey, great question! Heat treatment techniques vary, but making the blade warm is totally fine. You want to avoid making it hot, and you can do so by carefully monitoring it as you are, and dipping it in water regularly. We use a belt sander at times, and if you're careful there's no problem with that!

[@davesmith5656]

@@KnifewearKnives ---- Thank you. I recently did a knife for a friend. Commonly used German HRC 56-58 steel, then some guy on a blog said a belt sander would ruin the treatment. I think the type of belt sander he was referring to was a one-inch wide 30"+ dedicated knife grinder that throws sparks all over the place, goes MUCH faster, and would heat up a knife too hot (probably leaving a blue tinge). Some other commenter said a dishwasher would ruin heat treatment (I doubt that, but a dishwasher is a good way to damage edges and handles).

[@Owieczkin]

@@davesmith5656 don't forget about dishwasher salt which helps start pitting ;)

[@Prakriti_Senpai]

@@davesmith5656 in video he used a slow and not so powerful wet grinder You can use this type of device It won't ruin

[@WormyLeWorm]

I really want a wheel. Seems so fun to use and nice for heavy jobs. Feels more natural than a belt grinder. What are the grit ratings of the wheels used here?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Green is 180, pink is 800! When they’re moving they are a little smoother in practice, though.

[@davesmith5656]

@@KnifewearKnives ---- Cost, link, please?

[@user-jp1lx9ei7q]

Amazing! I wanted to ask where I can find this wheel stone

[@KnifewearKnives]

We buy them from Japan, they're called Hoyo!

[@user-jp1lx9ei7q]

@@KnifewearKnives Thank you very much!

[@willystreitz4297]

Sorry for asking, but i am not Able to find These kind of machines:/ Can you help Me out ? @Knifewear

[@user-gu9rw9oy2e]

Amazing work Naoto,bring the knife alive again 😂😂

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thank you!

[@sunnachai]

Gorgeous 💗 Given your tools, it would be quite hard to rebuild the shinoki line.

[@lancemillward2462]

you are the knife nurse ;)

[@KnifewearKnives]

😂

[@Owieczkin]

No. 1 people who damage knives: knife sellers who explain and demonstrate how you shouldn't use your knife ;x

[@KnifewearKnives]

😂

[@TophatOrange]

Im a total novice, and new sub here who is at the point to buy a japanese knive (s), question; at 9:40 backwards over the leather it looks like you have a higher angle, is that for a reason or does it not matter that much . (or just camera angle)

[@KnifewearKnives]

It does look higher, if you keep a super light pressure a higher angle can help remove the burr more effectively.

[@TophatOrange]

@@KnifewearKnives Thx, totally hooked and binge watching your vids, lol

[@joachimpearson4892]

at 5:19, is Naoto san rocking the upside down stone holder?

[@KnifewearKnives]

That's his signature move!

[@joachimpearson4892]

​@@KnifewearKnives I think he's got it figured out, so easy to switch between all those stones!

[@jjshane72]

I have a question for Naoto, you said that 15 degree is the angle when you sharpen the actual cutting edge and that it's called a micro bevel. But isn't 15 degree too low of an angle to be called a micro bevel? Just curious

[@KnifewearKnives]

Hey, great question! It's 15 degrees on either side for a total of 30, so great for a microbevel on harder steel!

[@hts6116]

Unfortunately, I have scratched the top of my knife a little and would like to ask you whether this can be polished away again. Or rather, what should I use to polish these small scratches again? I don't want the beautiful drawing of the damask-folding process to be visible anymore.

[@KnifewearKnives]

That's definitely a shame but may be fixeable! Can you email a few photos to hello @ knifewear.com?

[@hts6116]

@@KnifewearKnives Thank you very much for your kind answer. I just made some pictures and will send it

[@twatmunro]

I prefer the original handle, but I guess that's a matter of taste. Great video. I need more whetstones. And more knives. I've just ordered my third japanese -- a bunka by a smaller smith. Curse these videos. I'd still be using my forty year old carbon steel Sabatier if these hadn't gotten me hooked.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Glad you enjoyed the video, I hope you love your new Bunka! Sorry about the addiction 😂

[@tac4bravo]

Is that the 120 atoma diamond plate?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Sure is!

[@jojojaykay]

Any North American retailers for the machine naoto use using?

[@KnifewearKnives]

Not that were aware of ):

[@okashyadatenshi3725]

Do you offer a sharpening service ?

[@KnifewearKnives]

We do! We have in-store services, and a mail in option knifewear.com/products/knife-sharpening-mail-in-service

[@sharpfactory3705]

Did you See the happines in the eyes of Mike while He torture this poor little knife ?

[@KnifewearKnives]

He's definitely evil.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Did you see* the happiness* (...) when* he* tortured* this (...) knife?*

[@ukieflip]

Where can one get a Hoyo wheel?

[@KnifewearKnives]

I'm not too sure sadly, sorry about that!

[@releasethekraken5299]

Congratulations for your work Naoto. Now please, could you also repair Mike's brain because mistreating a knife like he did is a sure sign of some sort of deviance :P Thank you for giving some love to this poor Santoku.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Hahahaha he might need an icepick for that kind of repair 😂 Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hobosnacho]

Watching you tape and care for the handle before doing work warms my heart. Literally just watched a video of “sharp knife shop” dunk a knife including handle into a puddle of stone debris soaked water over and over again while sharpening a knife, completely submerging the wooden handle in water. It triggered me so much. The care you take is excellent

[@KnifewearKnives]

That's the goal, thanks for the love!

[@sinewave999]

you better link the video before pitting canadas 2 best knife retailers against eachother

[@henrylim7779]

Where can I get a sharpening wheel like that?

[@KnifewearKnives]

We get them direct through a supplier, but you may be able to find them online! The brand is hoyo.

[@davesmith5656]

Simple. You must first convert to Buddhism, live in Japan for three years, observe all rules, become fluent in Japanese, climb Mt. Fuji, dive into icy water every morning for two months, fill out the Thousand Forms Application to the local prefecture for permission, and if approved, they'll hide one in the forest, and if you find it within one week, blindfolded without food or water, it's yours!

[@davesmith5656]

@@KnifewearKnives ---- I looked online for an hour and could not find anything like it. The closest was "flat lap grinder" designed for lapidary work. I thought I was joking in my reply to Henry Lim! There are plenty of "bench grinders" with vertically spinning wheels, but I found nothing that spins horizontally with water flow..

[@baoryo4241]

@@davesmith5656 Look for "MSC-1 刃物研磨機" It's like 1k$ before shipping and taxes

[@baoryo4241]

@@KnifewearKnives How does Hoyo compare to cheaper brand like Makita or Shinko? I'm thinking of getting one of those for thinning. Thank you!

[@Nickporter17]

What are these hash browns for ants?!

[@BIGGELATO]

That knife was fine, it just converted into a serrated bread knife with a little sassy ginger'ness to it! 🤣

[@KnifewearKnives]

😂😂😂

[@jamesharmon3827]

ya know, I just bought a knife from these guys. They handpicked one out with a dark handle for me, with a handwritten note. You don't get that kind of service any more...

[@KnifewearKnives]

I'm glad you had a good experience! We work hard to make sure folks have a good time!

[@davesmith5656]

With a USB microscope and a simple USB cable to any computer you can take ,jpg photos of the chips [chips in the knife, not photos of the computer chips], then of the knife after the coarse wheel, after the finer wheel, etc.. The photos.jpg are very easily uploaded and incorporated into the video.

[@KnifewearKnives]

Thanks for the advice, we definitely plan to get something like this!

[@davesmith5656]

@@KnifewearKnives ---- I'll look forward to it very much. An Insider Look at very educated and skilled pros who DO know what they're doing. Seeing you guys do it would provide a significant authoritative benchmark to compare to. As a hobbyist with less than 100 knives experience, I find a microscope useful to get oriented, checking the evenness of the bevel, trying to identify different grits, wondering if I did enough on the last stone! Sometimes, I get very sharp, other times not so sharp. It may seem very amateurish, but it can get confusing.

[@Daniel-xf8zi]

Knife looks sexier than it was originally

[@chimrichalds6090]

The audio on this vid is really quiet. Clicked on another vid and almost jumped out of my seat

[@KnifewearKnives]

Good to know, thanks for the heads up!

[@konradvonmarburg7733]

Yeah, I think once a year I will just take my knives in to be sharpened. I have a black honing rod, but this whole process is to complicated for me. I am a historian by education- not very mechanically or technically inclined, so I would rather pay a few bucks to get them professionally sharpened by experts. :D

[@KnifewearKnives]

Nothing wrong with letting the pros do it!

[@konradvonmarburg7733]

@@KnifewearKnives Better for my knives for sure. By the way, in some of your youtube videos, employees are wearing Masakage t shirts. Do you have any of those? Where can I get one?

[@maxnguyen9966]

Some people have no respect to the craftsmanship and blacksmith who work hard to make this knife, great job on restoring it btw.

[@Philly253]

Looks at Japanese steel wrong without the honing powder and carbon lip-balm applied correctly, *CHIPS *RUSTS

[@KnifewearKnives]

😂😂😂

[@dgtlmoon]

Western style cutting edge on a japanese knife... why?