Slipjoint Bolster Question

[Depeche]

Just bought a Case 6.5 Bonestag Trapper, and whoever did the finishing did a real number on the bolsters and the bone. Sent that one back, and got a replacement that frankly isn't much better. Uneven grinding on all 4 bolsters from side to side and back to front; a noticeable divot or dip on one of the bottom bolsters where it meets the bone; worst of all, really thin bolsters on all of the pivot end bolsters including one edge with a width that's equal (or thinner) to the brass liner directly underneath it. If I ever felt the need to polish the bolsters, not sure what would be left of them. Yeah, the transitions are smooth but at what cost?

Otherwise the knife is really great, only minor flaws elsewhere, and I really like the chunky bone. I always buy users, rather than collectibles, and can deal with some imperfections (like the backspring gap) but it always steams me to see things - like this, but also things like aggressive blade grinds - that essentially puts years of use on the knife before I even cut one piece of string with it.

I've put in a query to Case customer service, but haven't heard back yet. But my real question is - what is the purpose of a bolster on a traditional slip joint? Is there a structural purpose to them, or are they essentially cosmetic? Is there a potential usage issue with having such thin bolsters at the pivot?

 

[Rookie82]

Metal is more durable than most handle materials. So bolsters allow a bit of protection on the ends of the knife so that the handles are less likely to be damaged/cracked. That's my theory at least, I'm sure some experts can give a more historical and technical reason.

 

[Will Power]

Rookie82 I'd agree and add that in the case of multi-blade knives /double ended knives with 2 pivots they provide integral strength and cover the pivots. If we look at Copperhead bolstered knives- always same end or single blade then the Copperhead bolster acts as a way of shielding sharp tang ends, better in/for the pocket.

Another rôle, bolsters look good against the scales

 

[Depeche]

.

 

[Depeche]

Rookie82 I'd agree and add that in the case of multi-blade knives /double ended knives with 2 pivots they provide integral strength and cover the pivots. If we look at Copperhead bolstered knives- always same end or single blade then the Copperhead bolster acts as a way of covering sharp tang ends, better in the pocket.

Another rôle, bolsters look good against the

Thanks for the replies. So is the consensus that bolsters this thin at the pivot will likely be an issue at some point? Or am I worried over nothing?

 

[Sacto]

I don’t think it’s anything to worry about structurally. There are plenty of knives out there with no bolsters that hold up just fine. It more just depends on if it bothers you aesthetically or not.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Bolsters are Aesthetically nice and they add strength to the Knife. To be honest the Knife you have shown I didn't think was too bad- I personally would not have worried too much with the example shown, and I also would weigh up how much I paid for that knife- which does realistically come into it.
I personally don't know this as the only Case Knives I own are from the 70's, but a huge percentage of comments do say that the Quality control has dipped immensely in the more modern production knives from Case, yet at times in certain releases, Case seem to get back on board with their earlier days of QC.

This is always a hard one because people have so many different expectations, their taste, their idea of bang for your Buck etc, I think it's good that Case still have ( again from what I hear) a good service of replacement etc.
I owned a Tony Bose / Case, the Spring Broke- they replaced it and stated I should Oil the Joints, I did oil the joints and don't have one Knife in my house that you cannot hear oil dripping from at night but - again, they fixed it, so that's a very good thing to have within this company.

I guess what I would do is ask myself, " How much did I pay for this Knife"? then look at the materials and the build of the Knife. I think me personally I would decide that I haven't done too bad. Again- it's personal preference

 

[mrknife]

you can never have enough bolster or end cap

 

[mrknife]

double post

 

[meako]

Aesthetically its poor.
First glance at the pic I thought "amateur" .I have quite a few Case knives and happy with them...I certainly expect better qc from them than what I see with this one. Keeping in mind Cases love of aesthetics ..think of the scales emblazoned with all manner of patriotism,commemorations and celebration of grandchildren etc etc....not too mention the massive array of beautiful coloured synthetics as well as jigged bone which they do so well....I'm afraid to say dodgy uneven bolsters are unacceptable.
Campbellclanman ...oil dripping from them all night... Classic Duncan. Cheers.

 

[Depeche]

you can never have enough bolster or end cap

that's kinda always been my feeling as well

 

[mrknife]

that's kinda always been my feeling as well

yup, one of my edc knives is basically a customized gec 15 but during the polishing or reassembly, the end bolster on one side has been polished down quite a bit vs the other side and it has been setting off my ocd. my love for bolsters and end caps know no bounds, if it was lighter, id have a knife with all bolster but at that point theyd just consider it metal scales i think.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

The nickel silver bolster adds a lot of strength and support for anchoring the pivot, in the form of resistance to deformation of the holes drilled to support the pivot pins. The brass liners underneath are much softer and would otherwise be prone to wallowing out or widening of the pin holes with use over time. I don't think I've ever seen or heard of a N/S bolster failing in that regard, unless perhaps it was drilled/fitted incorrectly (too loose) for the pivot pins or not properly attached to the liners, or if the pins themselves weren't adequately peened to keep them snug.

And as mentioned previously, there's also protection from impacts, drops, etc. to the ends of the handles, which otherwise could crack or chip the handle covers. Any dents or dings in the ends of the bolsters can usually be sanded out as well - the material is easily worked that way with some SiC or aluminum oxide sandpaper.

Occasional polishing of the bolsters won't take too much away from them either. Polishes made for this metal are fine enough and gentle enough to only remove a few microns' thickness of metal at a time. The testament to that is seen in decades-old traditionals that've been used, cleaned & polished over all of that time, with little or no significant structural damage to the bolsters in all that time.

The asymmetry seen in the thickness of the bolsters is purely an aesthetic issue, to me. In that regard, I could see a valid reason to exchange or return it for something better, if you choose to do so. But I wouldn't worry about it structurally or functionally - the bolsters will still do what they were designed to do, to 'bolster' (support, strengthen) the pivot, as the definition of the term implies.

 

[brownshoe]

If you drop a bolsterless knife and one of the ends hits stone or concrete there’s a significant chance you will take out a piece of bone and give it a crack…been there done that with a Sunfish Forge trapper. Not so if the knife has a bolster.

 

[GaiusJulius]

If you drop a bolsterless knife and one of the ends hits stone or concrete there’s a significant chance you will take out a piece of bone and give it a crack…been there done that with a Sunfish Forge trapper. Not so if the knife has a bolster.

This right here is why I’m an outspoken proponent of bolsters and endcaps. Concrete and lovely bone don’t get along well.