integral bolster

What is an integral bolster and what does it do? How does it impact the performance of the knife?

There's a few different ones, and it seems to depend on makers which style they go for. Instead of a piece of wood for a ferrule, it's metal. It's forged with the blade at the time of forging. Here are some examples:

Maumasi Gyuto With Integral:


Shig Yo-Gyuto With Integral:


Rader With Integral:


These knives have the type of integral that I like. These are my personal opinions, however, to me, they feel comfortable because they help to bring the weight of a blade back to the midpoint. They also give me someplace substantial to hold onto in a pinch grip. Ascetically I also think they look really good.

Now some people say forge welded bolsters are also integral, and I won't argue that. That's where after the blade itself is forged a metal bolster is welded onto the sides of the blade, rather than being forged as part of the blade itself at the time of forging.

Lastly, a type of integral bolster that I dislike is the type where the integral extends all the way to the heel of the knife as a finger guard (as seen below). I just think it makes sharpening difficult because it tends to get in the way. I don't think there's anything wrong with them, they're just not my cup of tea.



- Steve

Edit: I'm exhausted at the time of writing this so hopefully it's coherent haha. I'm just touching on the topic to the best of my knowledge. I'm sure others can weigh in.

Forged bolster with fingerguard -- vintage Sheffield

I get it better now. But why do people make a lot of fuss about it. Sometime all I read is that a knife is integral bolster and it make it sound like a big deal

rami_m said:

I get it better now. But why do people make a lot of fuss about it. Sometime all I read is that a knife is integral bolster and it make it sound like a big deal

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Things usually come down to personal preference So I'd say that's why. Just like some people make a big deal about damascus while others don't.

They do take a lot of skill to execute properly, and I would think more time and energy as well. So that would also add to it.

At the end of the day I love the feel of them, so that's why I'll continue to buy them

- Steve

Benuser said:

Forged bolster with fingerguard -- vintage Sheffield

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These integral bolsters often lead to a reverse belly due to a protruding fingerguard after a lot of steeling or poor sharpening. You should have it flush with a relief bevel. Not such a problem with carbon steel as it is not that abrasion resistant, a lot of work with soft stainless, though.

Judging from what I've heard from the less knife inclined, a bolster on a knife is typically supposed to be the same width of metal as the piece the blade was forged with, and at least in the past it was only possible if the knife had been forged rather than stamped. Many still take a bolster, particularly a thick one, as a marker of a well made blade, and I'm assuming that's who the bolster is marketed to. As a side note, isn't the bolster that reaches out to the heel of the blade just a bolster while the the metal ferrule types are integral bolsters? I could easily be wrong but that's just my assumption.

Having the bolster be integral on a hand-forged knife says something very positive about the skill of the knife maker. Much harder to do than a welded bolster.

Integral means it was created as forged with or welded to the blade, as opposed to a bolster which is pinned or riveted. An integral bolster should not have any gaps for dirt or food to penetrate or water to start rust. A bolster which is pinned or riveted has tiny gaps where water could penetrate or dirt accumulate.

An integral bolster can also be ground, doesn't have to be forged....ryan

Reading all the above it doesn't look like it is that important. Ie the grind and heat treat are far more important that integral bolsters. It might be that people are paying a premium for the makers skill in these rather than the bolster itself.

rami_m said:

I get it better now. But why do people make a lot of fuss about it. Sometime all I read is that a knife is integral bolster and it make it sound like a big deal

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There are several ways to come up with an integral bolster - forged, pinned and welded. A knife with either of these integral bolsters (some are more labor intensive than others) takes more time to produce, hence a cost. I talk hand-made knives here, not factory produced with bolster welded on. For some maker integral bolsters indicate a level of their skill.

In terms of performance, there is no difference between bolster or no bolster knives, in fact, forged bolster knives require some room for transition, so at the heel, the knife could be pretty thick, but given that it is where most pinch grip, it is not as important.

Some balance knives at the bolsters, but most pro users and serious home cooks prefer blade heavy knives, so balance at the handle is actually detrimental - you get a handle-heavy knife.
M

rami_m said:

Reading all the above it doesn't look like it is that important. Ie the grind and heat treat are far more important that integral bolsters. It might be that people are paying a premium for the makers skill in these rather than the bolster itself.

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It's important to some, and not to others. They aren't for everyone. Function and preference are subjective. What one likes in a knife another might hate as people look for different things in their knives; hence why there's different steel types, different grinds, different heat treat, different profiles, different sizes, etc. We all have different tastes in knives and thats what makes this place so great!

A preference for an integral is no different than a preference for no bolster. I'm seeing more and more bolster-less knives, because some have that preference. Integral bolsters are something that tend to cost a premium, some like them and some don't. It's that simple. To say that people pay a premium for a makers skill I think is an accurate insight not just into into integrals but into knives in general. After all, do most of us here not pay a premium for a makers skills? Ex. a Shig, DT, Burke, Rader. The list goes on and on. We're all paying a premium for the knives that we want, compared to the cheap Dollar Store knives out there.

If you don't like integrals, that might be a blessing in disguise :laugh: They do seem to cost more than their non-integral counterparts. So not liking them could save you money, and allow you to buy even more knives with the potential savings.

- Steve

Hi Steve,
To be honest I have never held one. And don't think I would have a chance to hold one for quite a while.
So I was curios about them.

Regards,
Rami

rami_m said:

Hi Steve,
To be honest I have never held one. And don't think I would have a chance to hold one for quite a while.
So I was curios about them.

Regards,
Rami

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If you get a chance to try a Shig yo-gyuto or something give it a go. Integrals are just a bit different feel wise in hand, that's all. I wish you lived near me so you could borrow one and get a feel for what they're like! :biggrin:

- Steve