I am about to try to cut and shape my first fighter guard. Any ideas, tips, works in progress, etc will be appreciated.

I would like to understand how the master smiths polish finish their damascus knives.

Damascus?

I take the blade to a clean 600 or so. Clean with acetone and then hot water and ivory liquid. Test by making a 30 second etch. Rub blade down with cloth and ferric to make sure no bubbles are on the blade.

Etch in 4/1 ferric for 10 min. Scrub blade down with 1500 -2000 grit papers with the SAME ferric as a wetting agent.

Scrub off the oxide with a piece of clean cloth wet down with the SAME ferric.

Why ferric and not water? Why introduce ???? what ever is in the water into the mix if it is not necessary. Repeat as necessary to get the depth etch you want. Neutralize in ammonia water and carefully blot dry. Oil down and hang for 24 hours; should come out jet black with nice shiny lines.

This is not the only way; it is just the way I do it.

Mike

Why is it that when I sharpen my some of my blades to a razors edge and leave them alone for a few days, when I come back to check the edge its not hair popping sharp anymore? I didn't use them, and they didn't get abused, so does the wire edge just rust off or something?

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Why is it that when I sharpen my some of my blades to a razors edge and leave them alone for a few days, when I come back to check the edge its not hair popping sharp anymore? I didn't use them, and they didn't get abused, so does the wire edge just rust off or something?

Evan,

The first part of any blade to corrode is the thinnest part. It sounds like this is what is happening to yours.

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I am about to try to cut and shape my first fighter guard. Any ideas, tips, works in progress, etc will be appreciated.

Cal,

You haven't given us much to go on as there are all types of fighters. Most will have a double guard but there all types of them. I would suggest getting some ideas from images of other's fighters and picking out one that you like that will fit with the handle style that you have in mind.

Thank you Mike for how you etch and polish your Damascus. Very helpful.

Scott

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I am about to try to cut and shape my first fighter guard. Any ideas, tips, works in progress, etc will be appreciated.

I noticed you said "cut and shape," but don't be afraid to forge as well! Forging guard stock opens up a lot of possibilities and helps stretch your materials farther. 3-series and 4-series stainless steels can be forged quite readily, and in so doing allow you to cant the lugs forward or make Bagwellian C-guards, S-guards, and so forth.

But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, because the first thing to consider is designing a guard that's functional, ergonomic, and aesthetically pleasing. I often sketch several design variations on paper before getting started on the actual guard. What I'll typically do is finish the blade, then trace out a profile of the blade on a piece of paper, sketch out my approximate handle shape, and then draw multiple variations of a guard until I get the dimensions, shape, size and flow to where I want it. Don't be afraid to cut out a template of the full handle and guard profile and place it in your hand to see how it fits. I often use old cereal boxes to do this and it helps me immensely.

For the guard face, you obviously need to have the cross-section of the tang measured out, as well as the blade shoulders and a cross-section of the handle where it meets the guard. Use these as your base and then draw one side of the profile of your guard face on a piece of paper, fold the paper in half right down the middle of the tang slot and then carefully cut it out so that it's symmetric.

Once I have my design dialed in I cut out templates of both the profile and the face, and then get to work on making it. Drills, mills, grinders, files, hammers, guides and bending jigs all come into play here.

There are probably smarter ways of doing things but this low-tech method works well for me, and I hope it helps you too. Good luck!

Mike Williams, thank you, I will try your method next weekend and see how it works. My Damascus just doesn't seem to come out dark enough for my taste.

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I am about to try to cut and shape my first fighter guard. Any ideas, tips, works in progress, etc will be appreciated.

Cal - go to about the 15:00 mark of this movie and see if you can find something there to help you:

[media] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le2lsloX_3E&t=3435s [/media]

Thank you Karl. Excellent video.

Brion

OK I'm not a new member but I do have a question I'd like to ask, something I've been thinking about for a while

Sometimes I see big hidden-tang choppers and bowies with no visible pin in the handle. While I really like the way this looks, I'm not sure how I feel about using nothing but epoxy to hold the handle in place on a big, hard-use knife. Even when using high-strength epoxy and thoroughly cleaning and abrading all bonding surfaces as well as notching and drilling the tang for anchor points, I still sometimes worry that this might not be strong enough under extreme circumstances. Are my worries misplaced, or is there a clever way to add a hidden mechanical fastener that I haven't figured out yet?

Any and all opinions are appreciated!

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I am about to try to cut and shape my first fighter guard. Any ideas, tips, works in progress, etc will be appreciated.

Cal, I don't know if you did this already or not, but I have a WIP that shows how I do a symmetrical oval guard that works with a variety of forms and blade styles. http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/index.php?/topic/3176-my-latest-adventure/

I also use these templates for odd shaped guards.

These are placed on the face of the guard material with the blade fitted in and the tang in a vice. Blacken the face of the guard with a sharpie or some layout dye. Set the corner of the template on the corner of the ricasso and scribe the outside line. Do all 4 corners to ensure symmetry. If that doesn't make any sense, I can post a photo.

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OK I'm not a new member but I do have a question I'd like to ask, something I've been thinking about for a while

Sometimes I see big hidden-tang choppers and bowies with no visible pin in the handle. While I really like the way this looks, I'm not sure how I feel about using nothing but epoxy to hold the handle in place on a big, hard-use knife. Even when using high-strength epoxy and thoroughly cleaning and abrading all bonding surfaces as well as notching and drilling the tang for anchor points, I still sometimes worry that this might not be strong enough under extreme circumstances. Are my worries misplaced, or is there a clever way to add a hidden mechanical fastener that I haven't figured out yet?

Any and all opinions are appreciated!

This is something that comes up in many discussions about knives. I think that good quality modern epoxies, when mixed correctly, are stronger than the materials they bond to. This means that under extreme duress, the handle material will fail before the epoxy does. When you also look back in time and see some very old knives/swords that were held into the handles with cutler's resins (typically a mixture of pine tar, beeswax and charcoal) that are still holding together after decades or centuries even, I think it's a non-issue. My personal field knife has no mechanical attachment to assist the epoxy and it has been together now since 2005 with no visible or discernable separation or movement. That being said, buyer's perception is what's important for the maker, so I usually put a pin into the handle. I also like the look of that single domed pin.