Japanese leather knife?

[zuludog]

Well, I've got one -- it's the type shown by FREDK , and I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it is

Once you starts Searching you'll find this knife all over the place - Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, and a few leathercraft suppliers. The prices vary quite a bit, between about £4 and £15. I saw one at £3-83, and thought that at that price I might as well try it

Import duty brought it up to just over £5, say $6-50. Stated delivery time was 4 to 6 weeks but it arrived in 7 or 8 days

The blade is polished, aligned properly with the handle, and is not wobbly or loose. The finish on the handle is a bit rough, which is fair enough at that price. I sanded it but did not strip off all the varnish completely, and oiled it, which improved things; in fact as the grain is partially revealed, it looks quite attractive

It was sharp from new. I gave it a brief touch up on a fine stone and than a strop; now it's very sharp

So far I've only tried it on scrap, and to make its own slip cover, but it works well enough for both cutting and skiving. There is a noticeable secondary bevel but I'll probably grind that out as I resharpen it

If you're interested or have never used a Japanese style knife before I can recommend it