Need some help with this guard.

Guindesigns

Well-Known Member
So I was asked to fix and finish this knife by a man whoms knifemaker friend pasted away before he could finish. Only problem is his friend had more experience than me. So I'm confused on how he planned to put a gaurd on this knife. The end is wider than the area at which the guard goes and there is no pin holes for me to slide a gaurd on and pin it. I see the holes for the bolsters but nothing for the guard. Any thoughts.?? Or suggestions?? I'd really like to finish this how it was originally designed but if I had to will just do away with the guard all together but I'd rather not.
 

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Someone else may give a better answer but judging by that spike near the place the guard would fit he may have intended to do a slotted guard. I believe those top two holes are intended for the guard. If you use a slotted guard and scales you should be able to finish it up. I am not sure those next two holes are in the right place for a bolster because they look too close to the guard holes but that could just be the picture. Good luck with it If you search slotted guard here I think I remember seeing a post on how to do them.
 
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I agree with Chris. The spacing doesn’t appear to be correct for bolsters. Does your friend know where they may be other knives made by this maker that may help.
 
Unless this particular blade has deep sentimental value, it would be much easier to start over. It’s just a piece of metal at this point. It will take an inordinate amount of headache to find the slotted guard the original maker had in mind and match up the holes.

It is never an easy task to read someone else’s mind and finish their work, especially without the parts and materials they were using.
 
Unless this particular blade has deep sentimental value, it would be much easier to start over. It’s just a piece of metal at this point. It will take an inordinate amount of headache to find the slotted guard the original maker had in mind and match up the holes.

It is never an easy task to read someone else’s mind and finish their work, especially without the parts and materials they were using.



My thoughts exactly. That particular blade us wrought with problems.
 
Unless this particular blade has deep sentimental value, it would be much easier to start over. It’s just a piece of metal at this point. It will take an inordinate amount of headache to find the slotted guard the original maker had in mind and match up the holes.

It is never an easy task to read someone else’s mind and finish their work, especially without the parts and materials they were using.
It does have sentimental value for him.
 
It does have sentimental value for him.

The blade does, or the connection to the recently passed maker?

If the sentimental connection is to the maker, I would suggest he keep the blade in its current state as a memory piece.

I don’t want to come across as insensitive here. Please know that is never my intention. But that blade does not appear to be worth pursuing for several reasons.

If the customer is in love with the shape, then I’d use it as a template to trace out the shape onto a new piece of steel. Then you can make the knife in your own way rather than combing the Earth for materials that will line up and fit.
 
The blade does, or the connection to the recently passed maker?

If the sentimental connection is to the maker, I would suggest he keep the blade in its current state as a memory piece.

I don’t want to come across as insensitive here. Please know that is never my intention. But that blade does not appear to be worth pursuing for several reasons.

If the customer is in love with the shape, then I’d use it as a template to trace out the shape onto a new piece of steel. Then you can make the knife in your own way rather than combing the Earth for materials that will line up and fit.
I believe it is the connection to the maker.
Out of curiosity what are some of the problems with the blade it's soild, well made, it is already been threw heat treatment.
 
I would answer your question with a question first.

Do you feel obligated or otherwise compelled to take on this task? Especially when you mentioned the original makers skills were beyond your own?
 
In my opinion, this knife would be a challenge to complete nicely by the original maker. That would be compounded and magnified by a maker of lesser skills attempting to take over part way through.

In my opinion, there are better ways to make a knife with a guard than slotting and pinning a guard to a full tang blade......such as a hidden tang.

IF I was going to attempt a guard of this type, I wouldn't have that protrusion extending out over the tang. That won't finish out very nicely or look very good in my opinion.

Where is the original intended guard piece(presumably pre-drilled)? How do you plan to make a guard that matches those pin holes exactly? (It can be done but will require some considerable forethought, precision and prep work.)

The knife really doesn't have very clean plunge lines, good grinds or really much in the way of pleasing lines, shape or good flow......again in my opinion.
 
I would answer your question with a question first.

Do you feel obligated or otherwise compelled to take on this task? Especially when you mentioned the original makers skills were beyond your own?
Yes he asked me to finish the knife not to use but to remember his good friend. So in a word, Yes.
 
Someone else may give a better answer but judging by that spike near the place the guard would fit he may have intended to do a slotted guard. I believe those top two holes are intended for the guard. If you use a slotted guard and scales you should be able to finish it up. I am not sure those next two holes are in the right place for a bolster because they look too close to the guard holes but that could just be the picture. Good luck with it If you search slotted guard here I think I remember seeing a post on how to do them.
I was thinking of a slotted guard but the back (for lack of better term) flares are wider than the handle of the blade or where the guard will rest. So I am not sure what to do.
 
Does it need the guard? And can the bolster just be incorporated into the scale using two different contrasting
Materials? Or does the owner want it to be exactly as the previous knifemaker designed?
 
Does it need the guard? And can the bolster just be incorporated into the scale using two different contrasting
Materials? Or does the owner want it to be exactly as the previous knifemaker designed?
He just asked me to finish it. I was wondering if there was a way to finish it kinda in the ballpark of the original thought behind the knife but without talking to the maker that is looking to be impossible. I'm thinking I will take that spur off and just add a bolster and scale.
 
I'm not trying to be insensitive or argumentative, but this is a challenging build.....to do it right (which should be EVERYONE'S main goal). If this is beyond your skill set, what's wrong with telling the gentleman that this is above your current ability? And there's no shame in admitting that.
 
He just asked me to finish it. I was wondering if there was a way to finish it kinda in the ballpark of the original thought behind the knife but without talking to the maker that is looking to be impossible. I'm thinking I will take that spur off and “just add a bolster and scale.


I like that idea, maybe put a finger grove where the spur is.
365949D5-B24D-427A-9B49-80FF758AD210.jpeg
 
I agree with John that if he want's it for sentimental reasons, isn't that kind of going the wayside by having someone else finish it?
to me that would be kind of loosing any sentimental value.
I hate to say it but I've had the same request to me, finishing others knives which I ALWAYS turn down....now matter where it goes, your name is attached to it. and no matter how it turns out to some extent it's going to reflect your craftsmanship, not the person that started the build.
unfortunately, your in a spot now...as John said I would talk to the owner and tell him after much consideration I would like to turn down the request and honor the deceased maker by not altering the knife from it's point in completion.
 
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