Tips on making bolsters?

M

mt_hangglider

Member
I'm still pretty new at knifemaking and have to rely on other people for blades, liners, hardware, mosaic pins, etc. With my shop equipment, I am basically a glorified handle maker / fileworker / finisher. I'm ok with that and maybe one day I will invest in and explore my options as far as sole authorship. Anyway, I wanted your opinion on something...I have been making some "kit" knives using damascus blades I have made for me, fileworking the liners, making a backspacer and making and finishing the handle. This is a picture of my latest and I am pretty pleased with it:

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Anyway, I don't really like the rough, cast metal bolsters that come with the knife as they are pretty plain and have many inclusions from the casting process. I am beginning to get more ambitious and am going to attempt to make my first set of bolsters using Chad Nichols or Doug Ponzio mosaic damascus:

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The pieces being offered are approximately 1-1/4 x 1-1/8 x 1/8 - pretty much perfect to replace my kit bolsters. This will be for a new knife, not the one shown above. My plan is to take my "kit" liners and drill holes in the appropriate places on the bolster pieces then countersink for the screw heads (something I have gotten good at making these folder kit handles). Once they are drilled and countersunk, my plan it to attach them to the liner and then grind/sand the excess down to match the liner. From there I will make the handles, attach them and go through the rest of the finishing process as normal. The final step will be to re-etch the bolsters (which I've found a couple of good online tutorials for.) My question to you guys who make these (I'm sure most of you from scratch), do you have any suggestions or things I should pay attention to while doing this? Is my methodology good or would you do it differently? Thanks for your input! Below is a little ironwood fixed blade I made this weekend. Hadn't done one in a while and I'm pleased with the way it turned out. -Chad

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Had my friend with a laser engraver add the Wyoming "Bucking Bronc" to the handle as well:

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It looks like you have things well in hand here. You didn't say if you were assembling a fixed blade or a folder. If it is a fixed blade you will need to shape the leading edge of the bolster before attaching them to the tang. You could use double stick tape to hold the bolster scale blanks together or you could put temporary pins through the blanks to hold them together for shaping.

Don't feel second class because you "only" assemble finished blades and other elements into knives. That is actually much more traditional than making your own blades and finishing them with handles. That makes you a cutler. It's fine if you want go for 100% sole authorship but most of us purchase things like mosaic pins and fancy bolster materials, such as you showed in your post. Many farm out things like engraving or even heat treating.

Doug
 
Thanks for your reply Doug! I am assembling a folder very similar to the one shown in my first picture. I haven't figured out what handle material (be it wood, carbon fiber, mammoth, etc.) will be. It will have to be something that goes well with the damascus patterns on both the blade and the bolsters.

I'm glad to hear you say that about authorship. From my experience, there are some people on these forums and in real life who really look down on you for using kits or blanks to make knives, especially when it comes to blades. I've had it happen so it makes me reluctant to talk about knives with makers (hence my disclosure). In my mind there is nothing second class about it, experience with people has made me a little head shy about it. It's a very enjoyable hobby that constantly makes me push my self to do better. Thanks again for your reply! -Chad
 
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Chad, If its working for you i wouldn't do anything different with the Damascus.. Get the etch down and your gold. After doing a few already i am sure you realize were problems can go wrong. Thats exactly how i got started in knife making.. I finally got the funds for a grinder and crossed the line late last year.
The other Doug
 
Thanks for your reply too Doug! I actually haven't done any etching thus far. My blade maker usually does a fantastic job when I order blades so I have 0 experience. From reading a tutorial from a guy named Dave on another forum, you basically take 50% Ferric Chloride (etching solution from Radio Shack) and mix it with 50% white vinegar. One has to be sure to pour the white vinegar first to avoid a flash reaction. You watch your damascus carefully and let it get a little blacker than what you would want from a finished product (as some of the black carbon will wash off when neutralizing the acid). One can use a variety of things like baking soda to stop the reaction. One must also make sure all the ferric chloride is washed off and the piece is thoroughly dried before oiling or waxing. Any contradicting thoughts, tips or tricks on that or should I be ok with a little experimentation? Next I need to find a good heat bluing tutorial that doesn't require any special ovens. I think I remember Frank Niro telling me he used a spatula on a stove to heat blue his parts. Does that sound familiar? Thanks for the help guys! It's greatly appreciated!
 
I wish I could help you out, I am new the game! You have come to right place for help though!!!! As far as to what others think about using kits or buying blanks and putting handles on them, don't let there judgments bother you. If you are enjoying what you do than that is all that matters. From what I see you are a skilled craftsman so keep up the good work!

Martin
 
Chad, I really dont have any experience with etching either but i am about to learn myself. Ive got six or seven blades to etch real soon. I suppose each combination of metal will have its own recipe. I know alot of guys use ferric chloride and distilled water 50/50. Wearever you get your bolsters ask them what they used to etch them.Maybe we will get some experienced guys to chime in. Buy all means experiment Thanks for the compliment. Sure, give me a holler if you ever need some engraving.
Doug
 
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I'm in the same boat, handle maker!! but this site has been amazing for advice for me, and i too will one day do it all so to speak..got to start somewhere! Can't build a city over night...
 
As martinjj said, don't let it bother you. Just be up front and honest that they are kit knives. If they ask, you can tell them what pieces were from the kit and which pieces you fabricated yourself (like the backspacers and bolsters). I started out with a couple of kit knives (some of the) Darrell Ralph ones. I finally made the jump and started making some simple fixed blades and realized how addicting knife making is...

Did you do the engraving on the bolster?


Ric
 
No way am I an expert, but I have done some etching of damascus so here goes. Etching solutions for ferric chloride range from 4:1 to 1:1 cut with distilled water or white vinegar, everyone kinda has their favorite. If you are etching stainless damascus you will need muratic acid (becareful!). Was your blade or bolsters off with soap and water and rinse well. Place in etching solution for 5-10 minutes. Take out and wash off all of the black stuff. If you want a deeper etch, put it back in. Repeat until you get the etch that you want. Then wash well with soap and water. For my blades I boil them in distilled water with a couple of tablespoonfuls of baking soda in it for about 5 minutes. This sets the oxides. Then remove rise well, dry and oil. I use gun oil. and let them set overnight. Hope this helps.

Kevin

By the way, stop now and save yourself...I began doing handles and guards in the early 90's. Since that time I have been sucked deeper and deeper into knifemaking. I built a shop but it was not enough so I just tore it all apart and rebuilt it bigger and better. Grinders, buffers, drill press and milling machine.....steel stacked in the corners, boxes of wood, shed antlers in the rafters. I tell you this addiction is bad. There is no Knifemakers Anonymous. Aw heck, never mind, if you are this far into KNIFEDOGS, you are hooked!
 
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