This is the part you might find usable so I separated this post from the blade.
Although this guard is 416 stainless and I did forge it, I want to show you the sequence of the grinding and heating that makes it easier. At least for me. It will end up in an "S" shape.
Here is the forged guard. Notice it is forged flat on the front face (facing down). I used a chisel to get the slot started (handle side) just to spread the material and keep me from having so much to remove with the mill.
The intimidating part of making an "S" guard, to me, is the finishing. The back of the guard is going to take some hand work starting off with a grinder (to get rid of the forge scale) or by file to refine the slopes and the curves, ending up by some work on slack belt and/or hand sanding in a shoe shine fashion.
This is where what I do might be interesting to you. I do most of my grinding and sanding while the piece is still flat.
I even go to a little better finish than the above pictures show. Notice that I used a flat platen to grind the guard face. You can also use a surface grinder if you like. Now is when I curve the guard lugs. I have the guard clamped in a vise with the jaws covering the area where the ricasso shoulders will sit. That area will remain flat of course. I use a torch and don't get it above a nice red color so as to create any more scale than I have to. I heat evenly and taper the heat too in order to get the nice curve. I don't want it to be jerky looking. Use a light hammer, or a soft face of some sort.
416 will leave a hamon line right at the top of the vise jaw which I do not want on a guard so I will stick it in the forge and bring the whole thing back up to a nice medium red and let it slow cool. This gets rid of the line and keeps it from air hardening so easily.
This picture shows it to be brighter than it actually is.
Summation: By grinding while it is flat I can access it with the platen and get rid of the heavier forge scale. after that, controlling the heat allows me to put in the curves and minimize the scaling so I am closer to my finish when I start hand sanding the face. That is the only reliable way that I have found to get the face of an "S" guard right, hand sanding. A combination of cross hatching the flat area while using long linear strokes through the entire "S" will get it right. This process will give you an understanding of this type of guard if only you dont get frustrated and give up.
Topic: New Bowie under way (Finished) (Read 2196 times)
