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Why are bolsters made of different metals
- Thread starter MaWei
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- Mar 26, 2013
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Personally, it's a knife maker's choice, with cost and aesthetics driving the use of materials. Bolsters, as I'm sure you are aware of can come in materials other than metal, such as bone, ivory, etc...this Lum Chinese has Buffalo Horn bolsters...
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Cost, workability, aesthetics, wear characteristics (or tarnish/corrosion differences).
Why use specific-purpose blade steel for minor strength and/or cosmetic purpose? Considerably more difficult to work/shape, much more expensive and with no real structural benefit for what it is doing. Plus most naive folks like the look of easy-to-cast decorative brass (or what-have-you including aluminum and perhaps even nickle? (maybe for high end stuff that I'm not familiar with) anyway in the strong belief that this signals 'top drawer' quality.
Fact is on any knife I look for a bolster right off (cheap knives and laminated Japanese types don't have them nor do overly thick-blade belt knives) and if it's integral with the blade (mostly for kitchen knives I'm talking about) I will take a second and even a third look.
No doubt aficionados and purists out there will sh&* all over me for these comments but I am only a long time user of knives for various purposes and do not collect custom or designer pieces nor am I willing to put up with junk.
Fact is on any knife I look for a bolster right off (cheap knives and laminated Japanese types don't have them nor do overly thick-blade belt knives) and if it's integral with the blade (mostly for kitchen knives I'm talking about) I will take a second and even a third look.
No doubt aficionados and purists out there will sh&* all over me for these comments but I am only a long time user of knives for various purposes and do not collect custom or designer pieces nor am I willing to put up with junk.
Thanks to all. 300Six - everything you're saying sounds absolutely fine. I don't know squat - so thank you for replying. Apparently there is no "real" reason other than aesthetics and some of what 300Six mentions..difficulty/work shape etc. etc. I'll have sufficient remnants the different steels that I'm working on - 1084 and 440C (sometimes I get in a rush and type the numbers wrong - sorry Planters for the confusion). I see a number of extremely well made knives use a lesser steel or metal for their bolsters (when metal is used) - mostly for aesthetics.
Seems a shame not to use the rest of the steel I have. If I could conserve enough material for another blade I'd try. I have enough to make something with a bolster and spacers. Anyway good to know I'm not violating some aesthetic law of knife making. The con here I'm reading is it's mostly more labor intensive (maybe more expensive - depending on what expensive means. Cool. Thanks
Seems a shame not to use the rest of the steel I have. If I could conserve enough material for another blade I'd try. I have enough to make something with a bolster and spacers. Anyway good to know I'm not violating some aesthetic law of knife making. The con here I'm reading is it's mostly more labor intensive (maybe more expensive - depending on what expensive means. Cool. Thanks
Locutus D'Borg
Platinum Member
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- Dec 1, 2012
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I prefer when the bolster and frame are one integral piece, such as this William Henry Monarch with Mokume Gane (layered, like damascus) bolsters/frame.
Below it is a Spydie Caly3 damascus sprint run, with stainless steel bolsters/frame, which, although a tad heavy, gives the knife perfect balance in the hand.
Below it is a Spydie Caly3 damascus sprint run, with stainless steel bolsters/frame, which, although a tad heavy, gives the knife perfect balance in the hand.
james terrio
Sharpest Knife in the Light Socket
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Bolsters and blades are apples and oranges. I certainly would not want a blade made of nickel silver or brass.
300-series or low-carbon 400-series stainless steels are not "lesser" than say 440C or CPM-154, necessarily. In fact, where the parameters required are primarily corrosion resistance and ability to take a high polish easily, while not being difficult to engrave, they are better steels for bolsters, even before cost is factored in.
On the other hand...
There's nothing particulary "wrong" with using up cut-off's of your blade steel for bolsters. It will certainly work, and since the bar is already paid for, cost isn't a big deal. However one problem is, you will need to fabricate your pins from the same material or they will really stand out and look bad when the bolster is all finished up - they just look different when polished. You will find that makers who use 303 SS (for example) for their bolsters try to use 303 for their bolts/pins as well, so they blend together and look seamless.
300-series or low-carbon 400-series stainless steels are not "lesser" than say 440C or CPM-154, necessarily. In fact, where the parameters required are primarily corrosion resistance and ability to take a high polish easily, while not being difficult to engrave, they are better steels for bolsters, even before cost is factored in.
On the other hand...
There's nothing particulary "wrong" with using up cut-off's of your blade steel for bolsters. It will certainly work, and since the bar is already paid for, cost isn't a big deal. However one problem is, you will need to fabricate your pins from the same material or they will really stand out and look bad when the bolster is all finished up - they just look different when polished. You will find that makers who use 303 SS (for example) for their bolsters try to use 303 for their bolts/pins as well, so they blend together and look seamless.
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