Poured & other Bolster Material?

[aprayinbear]

Just wondering....

What material do you use when making a poured bolster on your historical knives? I have some "fake pewter" that I bought from.... I think it was TOTW. It is very soft and very bright. I need something that will stand up over time and hopefully take on a nice aged patina.

Also, what do you use for round or octagonal bolsters. I was thinking of buying some rod stack and cutting to size. Even rebar might work.

All suggestions welcome :thumbsup:

 

[LRB]

If you mean for a stick tang knife, the "bolster" would acually be, in most cases, a ferrule. A thin metal band wrapped around the grip base like a ring. This was to give the grip base more resistance to cracking under use. You can also pour this ring of pewter, and although I doubt you would be called on this, pewter bolsters and furniture are mostly speculation, rather than documentable fact. If 18th c. Also brass pins would be very rare. Use iron to be PC safe, as least into the 2nd quarter of the 19th c. Brass guards would also fall into this catagory of being rare, to non-existant. If you use pewter, lead free plumbing solder is easy to find. There is no set definition of pewter, and it is allowed to be more lead than anything else, and still be called pewter. There are babbit like metals containing nickel which work very well, LaBonte can give the details of these, but the plumbing solder is at any hardware store.

 

[aprayinbear]

Thanks for the good info Wick!

One question.... with the wrapped ferrule, how were the ends attached or connected.....pins? soldered? ??

Hang with me, I'm learning as I go!

Many Thanks

 

[pichou]

Defining a time period and region or country of origin would help.

Most 18th c. bolsters are forged, i.e. part of the blade/tang. On these knives, the blade would have a rod of iron welded to it, from which the bolster and tang were forged.

Cast and riveted pewter bolsters are not uncommon. Cast in place caps and bolsters are mid-to-late 19th c. in most cases.

Look for shiny pewter bowls and tankards in thrift shops for casting. They should be marked pewter. Avoid the rough sand cast imitation pewter stuff.

 

[jmforge]

Since we have ready access to good steel and lots of it these days, would it be totally non-PC just to forge the whole thing out of one piece of steel as opposed to forge welding an iron stub to the blade?

 

[pichou]

Do it once, just to say you have? :hmm:


:thumbsup:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

regular mild steel even hot rolled would be better choice than rebar which actually about hi-carbon content.

 

[LRB]

You can go either way, but if soldered it needs to be silver or brass brazed for strength. If pinned, I would suggest a lap joint with the pin secureing the ferrule together and to the grip. I once used a mans wide silver ring that I bought at St. Augustine on a fancy knife.

 

[jmforge]

Oohh!!!! Datsa VERY nice! :grin: Did you make the stud for the sheath? I REALLY need to get some instruction on metal sheathwork.

 

[LRB]

The stud was made from one of those military type holster buttons. I cut most of the ball from it and made a brass button which I silver brazed to the stud. The flower petals were made from sterling sheet, the center piece a brass tack head. The knife butt has a matching flower attached to it.

 

[jmforge]

Too freakin' cool, man! :bow: :grin:

 

[rich pierce]

You could pour "pewter" bolsters from wheelweights in a financial pinch. Might be hard enough. I always used 50:50 bar solder in the old days for poured nosecaps and such applications.