sloppy guard problems

You just want a couple of light taps. Some will drive it on part of the way and then look at the guard to tell where they need to take off more guard material. It will appear slick where it has been rubbing.
 
I used to have the problem of getting my guard slots oversized a lot. Then I realized this problem can be fixed without too much hassle. If you have an oversized guard slot, lay the guard on a good solid surface (I use my anvil) with the side the blade buts up against facing up. Then, take a small ball peen hammer and using the ball side, hammer lightly all around the slot. What you'll do is peen in the guard narrower. After you do one side, do the the other as well. This will keep your guard from having a rocking motion from side to side. You'll have to grind the face of the guard smooth after this process, but it saves having to scrap what could be a good guard.
 
Last edited:
Weatherman, if you have a good drill press you mite think about a small x y table it will let you drill holes in a straight line, may let you use a mill bit taking light cuts, depends on the quality of the drill press, and use a spotting drill to start your holes.
 
I have the same problem. I figure two attempts per guard. I just never seem to be able to drill a hole exactly where I want it. My "solution" was to buy a carbide spotting drill bit. They aren't cheap like $20.00. But they are stout, a quarter inch diameter and don't bend or flex, but come to a very sharp point. You can use the spotting drill to make a series of pilot holes on the scribed line in the center the guard. Then drill, saw,file, file some more. UGH!! I don't like making the guard slot!
 
two holes, file in between with chainsaw and then 6" file with safe edge.

force it the last quarter inch with pipe or tool.

if you over shoot and grind too big of a slot, peen the face right around the place where there is a gap. you may then have to file just a bit to balance out. But, you can get a seamless fit, and everyone is right, you don't have to scrap it and start over.

I have a mill, and use it a lot. But didn't for the first 4 years (sold a sword, bought a mill, but couldn't make swords for years). Actually, even with the mill, I still have to do the peening trick because I never have ricassos and my tangs are more like blunted triangles than rectangles (I know, that is a trapezoid... but who uses trapezoid in regular conversation?).

I learned from Jerry Rados at Ashokan one year, but this is one of those tricks that has been around forever, and probably with every culture that uses guards on knives or swords.

good luck. Patience is the only thing that works for me. Darnit.
 
Last edited:
Joe Calton took me under his wing and showed me how he does it like you guy are talking and even let me mess up some of his guard material. I think I just need to work slower and I plan on using a file guide to help me with to make it strait to start out with.

When I eventually get something that I am happy with I will post it and show it off to you guys.
 
A good ...OK, a pretty good deal for files is Sears, ask to make sure, but the last files I bought, I got at Seats BECAUSE(!), they honor their LIFETIME guarantee on them! It is true, I not only asked them, when I broke a needle file, I promptly took it back, and they did give me another one! Not to mention this was a part of a set, they actually pulled one from another set and gave it to me no questions asked, nothing more than Thanks! And that was from them! As well as me, it doesn't make sense that they would honor the guarantee for the files when they won't for say, drill bits which is kind of similar situation, I did ask why and they really couldn't give me a definite answer, and I didn't demand it, I just bought more of them! I think it's about time to go through my files and check them to see which ones are dull, load them up and go get new ones! For FREE!
DO ASK AND MAKE SURE YOUR LOCAL SEARS WILL DO THE SAME, if they say they don't ask them to check and make sure, because they have the CRAFTSMAN name on them, they are supposed to. Hope this helps Brian, I know these are probably not the very best quality, but they are at least good quality, and for the money AND never having to buy files again, I think its a pretty dang good deal! Y'all check and see, let me know what y'all find out. THANKS! Rex
 
I agree with Peter, Tai, and Kevin about the peening method, works almost every time (some metals peen easier than others) and can be used as a decorative element for those who get tired of everything being flat and polished all the time... :)
 
I try to keep mine as short as I can while still giving the guard adequate material to butt up against. Reasons I see for this are 1) increase the material in your tang to make it stronger, 2) you can get a nice radius to your shoulders and reduce the likelihood of getting a stress riser during heat treat, 3) the shorter your shoulders, the easier it will be to get them parallel to your guard face and you'll more likely get a nice, seamless fit. If anyone has a different take on this, I'd love to hear it! This is just what I've come up with from my work. I always like hearing of other ways that can make the process easier or the knife better.
 
for the radius, I like to keep them so that the tang is around 75% of the width of the blade at the riccasso. and the spine side is a bit more than the blade side so that I can get the spine and the handle closer together.

lately, Ive been cutting in the tang radiouses after heat treat, so that there is no chance of a stress riser forming there duing the quench. I used to file them in, but now I just use the belt grinder, alot faster also.
 
Back
Top