Hi guys.

This is the first time I posted over here:) . I just finished this today and want to have the bolsters engraved with a simple initials on the bolsters:

http://home.kc.rr.com/dracsknives/dracsk1.gif

on:

http://home.kc.rr.com/dracsknives/Copy_3_of_Brians1.jpg

This is a SG4 from KnifeKits.com with sambar stag. I believe the bolster material is 300 series, not sure which one (Alex, Darrel, help!!).

I have no idea how much a simple engraving would be let alone on this material.

Thanks for your time,
Jim

Thanks for posting Jim.

I'll try to give you some guidelines with this.
If the bolster material is indeed 300 series stainless, doing a nice monogram will be a challenge, if not a down-right pain for the engraver that accepts the job.
To give you an idea of cost, my charge starts at $60. and up for an elaborate monogram.
Some engravers charge less, some a lot more.
Regardless, with good engraving material like 416 stainless, you'll get more bang for the buck with a better result from your engraver.

Tim

Thanks for responding Tim,

I noticed a lot of ifs in there. Finding someone who will do this will be the hardest part? I guess I just have to settle for the way it is, Bummer:( .

Thanks for your time,
Jim

Hi jim.. Tim is right if the bolsters are 300 series ss i tell all of my customers not to call be .. If you want to save some money and dont want a fancy job take it to a trophy shop or a jeweler .

Jim,
I saw your post about engraving the BM initials. I would be happy to cut them for you if you would like. I don’t have any problems cutting 300 series stainless. It will take just a few minutes, so there would be no charge. Noticed you are from Kansas City. I had a close knifemaker friend who folks lived there. Jim Hardenbrooke. After he married he lived in Cortez Colorado where he made beautiful fixed bladed knives. He died in a hunting accident around 1984. Seeing your first name and where you are from and that you just started to making fix bladed knives made me think of him. He was in the lead of the knifemakers along with Buster W. and all of those. Doesn’t seem fair it was all cut short.

Anyway I would be very happy to cut the initials for you.

The mailing address is:
Steve Lindsay
3714 W. Cedar Hills
Kearney, NE 68845
Phone 308 236 7885
www.LindsayEngraving.com

Geez...Your very first post here!

It's a real honor to be the first to welcome the great Steve Lindsay to the CKDF!!!

Steve, you're going to find that this is a great community, and I'm sure you'll know a lot of the folks who hang out here. We sure do welcome anything you have to contribute.

If you need to post any pics (please!) feel free to drop me a line, I't be my privelege to help any way I can. (We can all be reached through the "profile" at the bottom of each guys latest post or in "members" ...click button towards the top of the page.

Hey guys, is this place the greatest or what?:D

Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!:smokin

Ron Nott just pointed out to me over the phone that Steve's been here before...most have been prior to the big CKDForums design change...that's why his post count is "1"...

Well, welcome anyway Steve! Hope to see you around more often...for sure!!!

Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!:smokin

PS. Hey Jim- If I were you I'd drop everything and get that knife over to Steve's right away...an offer like that doesn't come along every day...especially from someone of Steve Linday's stature.

Dennis,

He also sent me a private mail on the offer, and trust me I called him as soon as I saw it. I just have to do a sheath before I mail it out so as to protect the blade, and anyone else if it pokes thru the box.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I would have used 416 but it's hard to substitute it on the SG4s. It did polish nicely and shaped well.

Thanks again,
Jim

Welcome aboard Steve!

Thanks for helping Jim with this. I have a hell-of-a-time cutting 300 series stainless. I been procrastinating about ordering some gravers from you. I guess I should get on the ball soon!...:)

BTW...Thanks for the reference link to this forum on your website.

Hope you can be a regular participant here!

Tim

Jim-

I have yet to try one of Darrel's fixed blade kits. I just took a quick peek over at the knifekits.com website, and from the looks of it, I daresay that the bolsters look like they'd be pretty easy to duplicate and replace with 416.

I'm just finishing up an EV folder for a customer. We kicked it around and decided to go with 416 for the bolsters...there's so much real estate there that they'd be especially suited for engraving. Although I've now replaced a number of my kit bolsters with damascus, this was my first time to try 416. I couldn't be more pleased...what a great-looking finish!

The bolsters on the folders are a little bit tricky since you have to hollow out an area in the back to allow for the pivot pin. I have to think that the bolsters for the SG4 would be a bit easier to do.

If you've got minimal equipment you can do it. Give it a try,...I think you'll be amazed at how easy it is to "customize" your own bolsters on the kits. (I'm still amazed at what I've been able to do...really! I would never have found out if I hadn't tried. ;) )

Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!:smokin

Dennis,

The shape isn't the problem, it's the size of the holes in the handle for the bolsters. I may have mismeasured the but when I mic'd them they were not a standard size that I could replace with 416 and I don't have the equipment for turning my own rod stock.

I've tried using the trick of placing it in a drill press and sanding it down but I messed that one up big time, it was when I was trying to make the 1/4" tubing fit a TC4 handle.

I still like the way the SG4 turned out.

Jim

jim -
i would suggest that you not mail the knife in a sheath - too much chance of damage (don't ask).
instead, i recommend wrapping the blade with several layers of cardboard snug to the bolsters and 1/2" longer than the blade. then wrap these with duct tape to make an indestructable blade cover. drop the knife in a crew sock, then wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap and tape well. works fairly well, in my experience.

Wayne,

That definately sounds like a been there, done that story in the making. I give that a try. I was worried about mailing as I recieved a TC4 from KnifeKits and the tip was blunted. When I called UPS they said it was the packagers fault. It was hardened steel for Pete's sack what more protection does it need. It looked liked they had dropped a paper bokk or something on the end and drove it into the floor of the truck.

Thanks for the warning,
Jim

JIm-

Don't get me wrong, your SG4 looks like a fine knife. I also happen to really like the design of the EV4N1's bolsters, without any changes. But as it so happens, by going with the 416, the EV's bolsters got even better looking in my opinion...and they're now ripe for engraving.

I feel your pain about the odd sizes. Many of the measurements involved with the kits are metric...and seemingly off-the-wall ones at that. I've had to make steel spines for my kitknife folders without benefit of any sort of precision ground steel, as the required thicknesses do not conform to anything standard. Without the benefit of a surface grinder, that's been no picnic. On the other hand it's forced me to learn some new skill sets that I know will always come in handy as I continue my knifemaking education.

By the way, regarding those hole sizes...Instead of reducing the pins, how about enlarging the holes?...

The one fixed blade model I've worked on incorporated a Jantz blade which came with holes much smaller than the 1/4" ones I desired. (I wanted to make a real statement with some Barry Posner mosaic pins from TKS), This was some time ago and just about the only tools I owned at the time were my trusty dremel, and a drill press. One of the existing holes had to be opened up by grinding with my Dremel. For the other two holes, I simply repositioned from the original (too small) holes and drilled my new 1/4" holes using a solid carbide 1/4" bit in my drill press, and some cutting fluid. It got the job done and I wound up with my ivory micarta "Bird's head" carving knife...(and some great looking 1/4" pins from TKS).

Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby! :smokin

Thanks for the welcome guys.

Regarding packing: Once received a SR Johnson dirk from Steve with 1/4” of the point sticking out of the box. This must have been around ’82. Luckily the knife point was not damage. Told Steve about it and ever since I’ve received a knife from him he had a cork on the point.

Thanks again for the warm welcome :)

Steve

James,

Congrats on doing a fine job on your hunter. It sure looks good! I mean it. :) You can play with Dennis' tips on your next one.

And a welcome to Steve also. Man, the talent in this place is amazing! All the guys are *very* giving, and just as varied in styles. You know that.

Coop

Good Grief!

I leave town for a couple of days and Ron post a half a dozen new projects and Joe Mason shows us some great stuff.....Tim tries to drum up a little business with a new poster and the Big Guy,Steve Lindsey offers free work. My wife just told me the president just landed a F-18 on the deck of a carrier.....what the HECK is going on.........

Jim...If you really want to push the edge a little....see if Steve will do those initials in GOLD...........

Joe......Ron....Nice work and Tim keep trying.....I'll give you a call in a couple of day regarding the Atlanta show.

Steve....really great to have you join us..........

Jim

Coop,

Thanks for the kind words. This is going to be for my brother-in-law. I make knives mostly for gifts for her brothers(3) and she gives me the good wifely nod with wide eyes saying "that's REALLY interesting, dear". We both know it's just an excuse to play, but we both play our parts and her brothers get all the "practice" pieces.

Jim,

I have a feeling that I won't be disappointed by what ever Steve does to the knives. The big problem is making 2 more knives for the other two brothers so the no one can go "naa-naa" to the other:rolleyes: .

Steve,

Thanks for the tip(:( , sorry bad pun). I have to order some leather for the sheath so I'm going to send the blade out and work on the sheath when it comes back. Thank you again for your generious offer on the engraving.

Jim