Dumb, stupid bolster!

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Don Nguyen

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
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bolster1-400.jpg


How do you deal with this thing?

I can't grind it off even if I wanted to, because I only have hand tools (and I'd prefer not to spend many, many hours on such a knife that isn't even mine). It's already got a slight recurve to it. What I have done is ground and sanded off enough of it to fix the recurve and give it a usable heel. For future reference though, what the heck do you do?

Honestly, what's it even for? I can't even think of anything useful for it.
 
These bolsters/ guards are what moved me into Japanese knives. In order to sharpen the blade at the heel, you basically need to grind/ abrade the bottom a bit. I think some people will use a dremel, although you can get there on the stones. Grinding into it does kinda ruin the look of the knife though.
 
I would sell that knife and buy a new one. Too much work for me.
 
9 out of 10 full bolstered knives that I see here need (and receive) bolster reduction/correction and re-belly profiling BEFORE I can sharpen them.
 
If its soft enough you may be able to trim it with a decent file, would be quicker than stones
 
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