Dumb, stupid bolster!

[Don Nguyen]

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.

 

[WildBoar]

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.

 

[tkern]

Is it worth it to grind the bolster of that knife vs. just picking up a new knife without bolster?

 

[Mingooch]

I would sell that knife and buy a new one. Too much work for me.

 

[Dave Martell]

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.

 

[TB_London]

If its soft enough you may be able to trim it with a decent file, would be quicker than stones