Warther wood handles

C

CraigTbone

Joined
Mar 4, 2019
Messages
120
I purchased two Warther knives: 7" Santoku and 9" chef. Have had them just over one week. So far I am liking them. I wanted USA made. I am not a chef so these are for home use.

These seem well made. Finish is acceptable for the price. Not quite as perfectly finished as higher priced knives but fully functional. Only use will reveal if they hold an edge well.

So far my only gripe is the wood handles. The old fashioned simple flat sided handle shape is fine. The blade end of the handles has squared off corners making a pinch grip a bit uncomfortable.

If I were to slightly round off the corners of the wood (light wood grain, "Natural Handle"), would that cause any concerns?

Is the wood saturated with some sort of finish/resin?

Or just a surface finish? Would un-preserved wood be exposed that would absorb water?

Should the exposed wood be treated with some finish?

I realize that possibly no one except Warther folk will know the answers to these questions but I want to put them out in case someone does.

Any input is most appreciated.

Craig T
 
I rounded the sharp corners of the wood handles with a piece of 220 grit sand paper. Not a big radius, just took off the sharp corner.

There is no change in color on the radius so it appears as if the wood is well infused with resin / stain.

Just a slight rounding makes a pinch grip much more pleasant.
 
I am beginning to wonder if the handles are not wood. Did not feel like wood when sanding. The Warther web site does not identify the handle material.

The corners that I sanded do not have the expected coloration of a sanded wood corner.

Hmmmm
 
From looking on their website, the handles look like some kind of synthetic material to me. Maybe resin infused compressed wood fiber or something similar like Pakkawood or Dymondwood.
 
I found a discussion in Cheftalk forum. Someone said the handles are birch wood, treated with resin.

It does not feel like wood while sanding or look like an exposed corner. But if the wood is highly saturated with resin maybe that is how it would feel & look.

So far I am quite pleased with these knives.
 
I have used these Warther knives for a couple months now and like them very much.

Still do not know if the handles are wood or plastic but there are no signs of water or oils soaking in and discoloring.
 
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