Photos: How to Wrap a Japanese-Style Handle

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Japanese Style Knife Handle Wrap

The finished wrap should look like this.

Japanese Style Handles

Step 1: Lay the middle of the silk wrap across the handle, overhanging the ray skin a little bit.

Knifemaking photos

Step 2: Start by folding the wrap a half turn down. The trick is to fold the wrap, not twist it.

Wally Hayes knifemaker

Step 3: Fold the wrap a half turn up.

Japanese knife handles

Step 4: Fold the wrap a half turn down, being sure to always turn the half-turned-down part into the handle side.

How to wrap a knife handle

Step 5: Fold the wrap a half turn up and lay it across the handle. Reach around the back of the handle and pull the ends of the wrap tight.

Knife handle wraps

Step 6: Start again on the right-hand side of the handle. Fold the wrap a half turn down.

Ray skin knife handles

Step 7: Fold the wrap a half turn up.

Wrap a knife handle with cord

Step 8: Fold the wrap a half turn down and then a half turn up, lay it over the right side and grip it. Adjust your grip, pull the ends of the wrap tight and re-grip. The wraps will lock into each other. Keep the folds and crossover section in the middle of the handle. Pull both ends tight.

Knife handle wrapping tips

Step 9: Continue wrapping down the handle. The first wrap on each side is left over right. As you continue down the handle, alternate left over right, then right over left.

Japanese Style Knife Handle Wrap Example

Step 10: Once you get to the handle butt, feed the wrap through the lanyard hole.

Step by step knifemaking tips

Step 11: Feed the wrap through the lanyard hole until you cover the entire butt.

Gluing knife handle wrap

Step 12: Hold both ends of the wrap and apply a drop of Crazy Glue® to freeze the wrap in place.

Wrapping a knife handle

Step 13: Turn the knife over and clamp the blade to a table. Cut off the ends of the wrap with an exacto blade.

Gluing a knife handle

Step 14: Being careful not to get it on the ray skin, apply epoxy to the wrap with a small paintbrush.

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The upscale Tribal versions of the Winkler Knives Highland Hatchet and Blue Ridge Hunter feature 80CrV2 carbon blade steel and a black oxide no-glare finish. (hatchet and hunter image by Jerry Sarkody)