Old Engineer
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2014
- Messages
- 9,427
I do agree with you on the functionality of the Rat Tailed Bolster . Beautiful Knife and great picture too !!!
Much has been said about the horn on these Guardians Lambsfoot knives, and for good reason. It's been so much fun to follow this thread as they arrive and view and appreciate them all. From the most fantastically feathered to the deepest, darkest onyx, they are each unique and wonderful.
It's too early to say for sure, but I think what may prove to be my favorite feature of the GL is not the handles, but the bolster. From the get-go I've admired its simple, yet elegant, look. What I didn't realize until I had mine in hand, though, is that, in addition to being handsome, it's functional. Given the hard-working nature of the pattern, I now wonder if the motivation for its historical precedent in Jack's Unity lambsfoot was as much about utility as it was aesthetics.
As as example of what I'm talking about, I find that sometimes for fine detail work, pull cuts with a grip choked up on the blade offer the most control. This morning I discovered that, for my hands at least, a grip with my middle finger resting in the flute of the bolster, the top joint of my index finger wrapped around the spine, and my thumb laying against the blade and my index finger yields a confident grip. I haven't put it to work yet, but I think it will be very effective. It's similar to a grip I've become very comfortable using with puukkos and Moraknivs through my practice of spoon carving and also some times use with other slipjoints when whittling. Having the flute in the bolster as an index for the middle finger is really nice, in terms of feel, confidence, and repeatability.
I fully expect as I handle the knife more and put it through its paces I'll discover other functional advantages of its bolster.
I'm curious, are others also finding its bolster design to be advantageous in use?
Harry