Horsewright's Bolster Process

Are you just carefully grinding the bolster to match the blade? Are the handles already to final dimensions? Do you leave some ‘meat’ at the bolster and handle to compensate for the grinding? Also, the holster with the flower carving? What backgrounder did she use? Very nice contrast.
Thanks, Jon
 
Ken H> said:
Boy have public schools changed my when I was in school - That was a FFA class trip, to a farm to help castrate hogs 'n beef. Each boy had to do at least one of each. Most of us wound up doing quite a few head over the course of a year. Can you imagine the outcry these days for the same type of "class trip"?
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Our little rural mountain town (where AG is the third largest employer), our schools don't even have an AG program anymore. Haven't for years. @Bigfattyt here on BF is doing his part. He takes the Boy Scouts out to a friends ranch for brandings. he's posted pictures in the past.

tump said:
Great info. How do you tapper your bolster holes
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Thanks. I use to use a tapered carbide reamer. These little guys are expensive. Had one for years and then it finally broke. Bought several more that broke right away and started using a tapered punch and a hammer. Haven't looked back.

JonBishop said:
Are you just carefully grinding the bolster to match the blade? Are the handles already to final dimensions? Do you leave some ‘meat’ at the bolster and handle to compensate for the grinding? Also, the holster with the flower carving? What backgrounder did she use? Very nice contrast.
Thanks, Jon
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Ya bet Jon! The next step I do on these guys is to glue one side of the handle material on. The handles are slabbed but not cut to shape. I always do the right side first just because. That way when you lay em out you are not doing a lot of fumbling and turning the knife over and matching up. Ya know where that handle piece goes. After they are dried I use my portaband/swag table combo and trim excess bolster and handle material off. I'll then take em, to the grinder and profile the bolster and handle material to the tang. After both sides are done and I'm ready to shape the handles I'm mostly taking the handle material down flush to the bolster. Except with bone where the pieces might be very thin, then I'm bringing the bolster down to the handle material. Nichole my wife, only uses Barry King tools for her leather carving. The back grounders are called Bar Grounders (they're on Barry's site under Grounders on the menu) she has several different sizes.

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We made this set, she did the tooling, I did the construction, for a fellow BF member. Knife is by TK Steingass.

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