Howdeydodat? Bowie Guard Embellishment Question

[Jamey Saunders]

I'm working on my first bowie knife, and I am looking to put a heat blued mild steel guard on the knife. I want to file a "channel" around the edge of the guard like in the following photo:



I know that this is done with round files, but is there a trick to getting the "channel" straight, true, and consistent? Do you cut a "leader channel" with a triangle file first, to give the round file a groove to ride in? I want this to be consistent, and I don't mind if it turns out to be a complete #@$$^( to do, but if there's an easier way, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks in advance.

[Jeff Higgins]

I do mine with a scraper I made out of aluminum scrap and an indexable lathe bit. I start the groove dead-center, then finish with files and paper. Anyhow thats how I get mine straight, and it takes surprisingly little time to actually make the groove by hand.

[Jamey Saunders]

Hey, now! That's a way I hadn't thought of. Pretty slick. I'll give that a try. Thanks, Jeff!

[george tichbour]

Slowly, carefully, start with small diameter file the work up to final size.

[KandS_KNIVES]

You can get exact centers, by chucking up a diamond disc in the drill press and work that around the profile of the guard. Then it is just a matter of working with the files.


Ken Beatty

[Ron Claiborne]

that's a great idea Ken , thanks
I got some small ball cutters that I bet would be good to use that way and the side of the shaft could be used as a stop for depth of cut ,
Same tool to be used as grooving the but caps to match the guard,grad idea for the guy that don't have a mill .this is good stuff.
thanks

[Jamey Saunders]

That may be the way I go about this. Great ideas, all of you. I'll just use whatever method I can get together at the time.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

[Geno]

I use the drill press, and pull the guard around the head, flip and do again to keep things exactly in the centar, the file just cleans up the groove.
I like putting a twisted wire inlay in that groove too, just solder in place, and maybe gold plate it.(don't use lead solder with gold).
It adds a nice touch.:cool:

[Jamey Saunders]

Originally posted by Geno
I like putting a twisted wire inlay in that groove too, just solder in place, and maybe gold plate it.(don't use lead solder with gold).
It adds a nice touch.:cool:

Is that a challenge I hear?

Good idea, Gene. That wasn't what I had in mind, but actually sounds pretty cool. I may have to change my plans. I was planning on blueing the guard. I was originally going with a heat blueing, but I was in Wal-Mart the other night and I picked up a bottle of cold-blue for guns. I'll probably use that so the blueing is consistent.

I'm thinking now with a blued guard that a silver twisted wire would be nice. On the butt-cap, too.

Thanks, Gene.