Bolster Questions

S

scherar

Joined
Jun 25, 2010
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I have been reading different posts on this forum for a while now and use it to try and answer many of my questions. This is my first post so bear with me. If there is a link that might help me out then let me know. I have not been able to find anything while searching.

These questions are in reference to having to make two knives for a customer (about bolsters).I have talked to another maker about this and he gave me his method of doing it, but I am just seeing if there are other methods.

1. I am to use mosaic damascus bolster material which he supplied. How do you attach them to the blade and then be able to heat color them. I have always attached (peened) my bolsters (brass or stainless), pinned and epoxied the handle, and then shaped them together. I was told to screw the bolsters on (and possibly the handle), shape and finish everything and then remove them to heat color them (and then re-attach).

2. I also thought about not heat coloring one of the knives (bolsters) and just etching them. I have done regular damascus bolsters before and peened them with stainless pins, but after the etch, the pins were very noticeable. Is there a way to do this without having pins show after etching?

3. I saw a knife in the Jantz catalogue that had brass bolsters with two mosaic pins in them. How are the bolsters attached? Epoxied or JB'd along with the pins? How strong is that method if that is how it is done? I attach with JB Weld (just as a sealant) and peen well when I do mine.

Any advice would be great. Thank You.
 
Ryan Minchew and Jerry McClure do what you have described in #1, using screws. That way they shape, polish with the screws in, then take them off for the heat coloring, then screw it all back together.
 
The screw on thing works great. I use them for my liner locking folders. Fit and finish your bolsters, etch and buff clean, then place on a clean piece of thin metal on top of the stove with the lid thermostat turned about 1/3 open. The bolsters will go from light gold to sort of brown to purple and then blue. If they go beyond blue to silver take them and buff them again and start over. Take them off and let them cool on their own. Place them on the knive and give them a bit of wax. Do not use any sort of cleaning abrasive on them or the colouring will come off. Frank
 
Thanks for the advice on the first method of doing it. Any ideas on the next two methods? I guess the second way of just etching would be the same as the heat color method, but what about knives that have mosaic pins through the bolsters. How are they attached?

Thanks.
 
And I forgot to add, that the screws can be heat coloured if you don't use gold plared ones. Frank
 
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