OKT Kiridashi Guard

[Exyzzy]

Very cool. I would love to see a double rib at the bottom, covering the tip.

Is that for aesthetic or safety reasons? As far as safety goes the kiridashi is flat on the back side so the blade tip is very snug against the bamboo backplate, it is in no danger of snagging anything. The ribs are keyed so that the kiridashi cannot go past the end of the backplate with any normal force. I did some testing on v1, hammered a screwdriver through the guard where the blade goes to see when the joints would fail - the bamboo eventually broke, but all the joints held. Certainly the kiridshi is sharp and pointy, so with enough force it will break the guard, but I suspect it is safer than many natural sheath materials. Aesthetically, I kinda like that the blade is visible through the ribs, but I'll think about alternative designs. Thanks.

 

[Tim the Wizard]

It looked to me like it might cut up my leather wallet or otherwise mar another item in the pocket. But, since I have not handled it, I acknowledge that is only conjecture. I appreciate the work and your photography. It looks great to my eye in all other respects!

 

[Exyzzy]

It looked to me like it might cut up my leather wallet or otherwise mar another item in the pocket. But, since I have not handled it, I acknowledge that is only conjecture. I appreciate the work and your photography. It looks great to my eye in all other respects!

Thanks for the feedback, I do appreciate it. No, I do not think the tip will cause any problems as long as the flat side is placed down. It only protrudes about a quarter inch beyond the last rib and lies very flat to the back. Also the height of the rib itself keeps things away. It does mean though that for folks who have a left-handed kiridashi I will need to flip all the ribs (mirrored) so that it can lie flat - so people will need to specifically ask for RH or LH guard.

The only issue I see with in-pocket use is that the magnets are strong and will stick to anything ferrous they get near.

I may be able to reduce width by another quarter inch or so to make it a bit smaller in-pocket.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Wow. Patent it!

Maybe a slight improvement could be to have the magnets not go all the way through the wood. This way they wouldn't touch the knife directly and avoid scratches. Also it would secure the magnets and prevent them from falling out since they only experience force toward the wooden barrier and there wouldn't be a hole.
This would also reduce the magnets strength depending on how much wood you leave between them and the knife.

 

[Exyzzy]

Wow. Patent it!

Maybe a slight improvement could be to have the magnets not go all the way through the wood. This way they wouldn't touch the knife directly and avoid scratches. Also it would secure the magnets and prevent them from falling out since they only experience force toward the wooden barrier and there wouldn't be a hole.
This would also reduce the magnets strength depending on how much wood you leave between them and the knife.

Yes, agree that would be good. I don't have a means to automate that and lack the skills/tools to do it manually with enough precision that is needed. The laser cutter can cut to 1000's of an inch accuracy, but it cannot route. I use clear epoxy to set the magnets and cover them on the blade side, the kiridashi never touches metal. thanks