Custom Made : Japanese Leather knife 1 for Left Hand

I hand shaped the handle with walnut wood. 
Walnut is my favorite wood for tool handle.
They are brown color and ages very nice.

When choosing the leather craft tool.
It is hard to find left hand tools.
I am left handed so, I need to always find left hand ones.

for Japanese leather knife, the selection for the knives are very limited and more expensive. 

Typical Japanese leather knife is usually 24mm & 36mm

36mm for most of tasks.
24mm for small leather works and tight curves. 

it's really hard to find 24mm left hand ones. 

for the time finding one + price of the knife, It would be too expensive anyway.
so I decided to custom order 24mm blade from my friend.

I have old walnut blank from my friend some time ago.
I started to shape the wood to handle shape. 
after 2hours, I finally made the shape. and drilled holes for the 
blade and finished with oil.

I am waiting for the blade to arrive.

The steel is ATS 34

When 154 CM first came out, it was very popular to knife makers. Quality Control became issue. so knife makers were looking for new steel. 

What they found out was Japanese used their own version of 154 CM. That is ATS 34. 
It was cleaner and finer steel similar to 154 CM.

CPM ( Crucible Particle Metallurgy)soon introduced CPM 154, powder steel version of 154 CM. 

Current produced 154 CM has no problem.

I found out that 154 CM and ATS 34 is same steel but I can not tell you without using them both.


CPM 154 CM  is wrong terminology. 

CPM 154 CM is CPM 154. 

154 CM → Making them with powder steel technology → CPM 154.

So, it should be just "CPM 154"



ATS 34 , 154 CM , CPM 154

These three steel are all known as good steels.