This simple little tool will allow you to create a perfectly fitted guard to ricasso transition every time. I call this tool a Mike Williams tool because I actually learned about a very similar tool from Master Smith Mike Williams several years ago at an American Bladesmith Society Hammer-In at one of the very first ABS Hammer-Ins I ever attended. If you haven’t had the opportunity to be in a hammer-in session or class with Mike yet, I would highly recommend it. He is a fantastic blade smith and always has a very unique take on how to utilize tools and other items in ways those you wouldn’t expect. It is always extremely interesting. So, all credit to Mike on this tool. I couldn’t thank him and all or the other OG Master Smiths with the ABS enough for everything I’ve learned from them on my journey.
When filing the tang/ricasso to receive the guard the file will leave a small radius that will not allow the guard to fit up against the ricasso perfectly. By utilizing this tool along with your existing file guide you will have the ability to remove that small radius. With this tool you also have the ability to check and ensure that the back of the ricasso is perfectly flat and ready to receive the flat guard. By using this tool in conjunction with your existing file guide you will have the ability to perform this operation the first time so you don’t have to remove the file guide to check it against your guard just to find out that it is not perfectly flat, and in turn causing you to have to replace the file guide and start filing all over again. The combination of these two things will allow you to create the perfect transition the first time, every time.
This simple little tool will allow you to create a perfectly fitted guard to ricasso transition every time. I call this tool a Mike Williams tool because I actually learned about a very similar tool from Master Smith Mike Williams several years ago at an American Bladesmith Society Hammer-In at one of the very first ABS Hammer-Ins I ever attended. If you haven’t had the opportunity to be in a hammer-in session or class with Mike yet, I would highly recommend it. He is a fantastic blade smith and always has a very unique take on how to utilize tools and other items in ways those you wouldn’t expect. It is always extremely interesting. So, all credit to Mike on this tool. I couldn’t thank him and all or the other OG Master Smiths with the ABS enough for everything I’ve learned from them on my journey.
When filing the tang/ricasso to receive the guard the file will leave a small radius that will not allow the guard to fit up against the ricasso perfectly. By utilizing this tool along with your existing file guide you will have the ability to remove that small radius. With this tool you also have the ability to check and ensure that the back of the ricasso is perfectly flat and ready to receive the flat guard. By using this tool in conjunction with your existing file guide you will have the ability to perform this operation the first time so you don’t have to remove the file guide to check it against your guard just to find out that it is not perfectly flat, and in turn causing you to have to replace the file guide and start filing all over again. The combination of these two things will allow you to create the perfect transition the first time, every time.
