Let's see your bolt knob checkering - looking for ideas.

[DWB]

Bolt knobs should be uncheckered.....for the palm loading dg users anyway.....

Here I am going the exact opposite! Checkering gives you 100% more positive grip!
Ever slapped yourself on the forehead with a nice open palm because your hand slipped off the bolt?
I did

Bolts absolutely need to be checkered!

Photo of my 500's bolt before blueing:

 

[Russ16]

Here I am going the exact opposite! Checkering gives you 100% more positive grip!
Ever slapped yourself on the forehead with a nice open palm because your hand slipped off the bolt?
I did

Bolts absolutely need to be checkered!

Photo of my 500's bolt before blueing:
View attachment 670693

It also looks nice and has no downside. It’s not like a checkered bolt is harder to work with your palm.

 

[Frederik]

I have a rubber ball on my 458 Lott bolt that helps as my boltknob is smooth standard CZ550.
I totally agree with @DWB more grip does help on the boltknob when loading fast.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi,

When I work a bolt from the shoulder, I don't want the knob to drag in my fingers or palm with any checkering...but of course others would like it!

 

[BeeMaa]

Blaser R8 Checkered Steel Bolt Knob. Also available in a wide variety of styles. My wife fell in love with it so of course, I got one for each of us.

 

[DWB]

Hi,

When I work a bolt from the shoulder, I don't want the knob to drag in my fingers or palm with any checkering...but of course others would like it!

You must be doing it wrong

 

[rookhawk]

If anyone is curious why such a big deal, let me explain the nuances.

When you see a bolt knob with 5 panels, it’s a big show-off for the gunsmith. 360 degrees doesn’t divide easily by 5. You need a dividing head or a rotary base on a mill to layout the panels. Very expensive and time consuming. Then laying out and flawlessly checkering the steel, then the round parts. Perfect borders on pear shaped panels. Then a variety of cutting tools to do the round bottom.

Tons of expertise + expensive tools + complex math = functional art.

While many of the examples above to the layperson look equally beautiful, some of them are 10x harder to execute than others merely by the number of panels.

I love artistic expressions far beyond my ability to execute. Perhaps less than 100 people in North America today could complete the knobs in this thread successfully.

 

[IvW]

Could that maybe be the source of checkering on the bolt knob?

The English stalkers and hunters using the finger technique, often with gloves, necessitating more grip there, while a big bore rifle user, using the palm technique, is better off with a slightly larger but fully smooth bolt knob?

Have no idea to be honest but for me in Africa I dont wear gloves when hunting and with the open palm technique I dont need the checkering

 

[IvW]

Here I am going the exact opposite! Checkering gives you 100% more positive grip!
Ever slapped yourself on the forehead with a nice open palm because your hand slipped off the bolt?
I did

Bolts absolutely need to be checkered!

Photo of my 500's bolt before blueing:
View attachment 670693

I dont grip the bolt when cycling the bolt and no I dont slap myself in the face when cycling the bolt. As with all things each have their preferance...for me smooth uncheckered bolt is what I prefer

 

[RR 314]

I prefer checkering as well. I don't want something that will take the hide off, but do prefer some texture. Some beautiful examples here.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I think some bolt checkering is just for show, but mostly it’s to provide better grip when cycling the bolt, wet, slippery hands can grip the bolt knob better than a smooth one
Gumpy

 

[CBH Australia]

Blaser R8 Checkered Steel Bolt Knob. Also available in a wide variety of styles. My wife fell in love with it so of course, I got one for each of us.
View attachment 670714

Now straight pulls have entered the conversation. I guess it’s still a bolt handle.
Lol

 

[KJE81]

Now straight pulls have entered the conversation. I guess it’s still a bolt handle.
Lol

The topic was after all only bolt knob checkering

 

[BeeMaa]

Now straight pulls have entered the conversation. I guess it’s still a bolt handle.
Lol

I do like the additional purchase it provides when operating the action. The original was a smooth polymer that could be a little slippery, especially in sweaty or wet conditions.

Looking at the current price that’s nearly double what I paid in 2019…glad I did it when I did.

 

[CBH Australia]

The topic was after all only bolt knob checkering

Just having a dig at our friend above. Hence, the lol.

I’m glad he got in early on the purchase.

 

[KJE81]

I can confess that I choosed engraved/checkered bolt knob only because it, in my mind, looks great, the bolt knob on my pictures above was not finished when the photos were taken and I have yet to take delivery of the rifle but cant wait to see how it turns out.

 

[Dholupko]

This is how the bolt checkering looks on my incoming custom rifle, not yet delivered so these are taken by the engraver.
View attachment 670248
View attachment 670249

I really like the percentage of coverage and the style of engaging on your new gun! I have M-98 that I’ve built and would like to have similarly engraved. Might you be willing to share who the engraver is for your gun? The guy I was using passed away a couple of years ago.

 

[Dholupko]

35 Whelen m-98

 

[KJE81]

I really like the percentage of coverage and the style of engaging on your new gun! I have M-98 that I’ve built and would like to have similarly engraved. Might you be willing to share who the engraver is for your gun? The guy I was using passed away a couple of years ago.

Its a german master engraver who is doing the engraving on my rifle, his name is Manfred Fleischer.

 

[Ku-winda]

Moving this one to the top, as I'm still looking for ideas to share with @MNR . Thanks to all who have contributed!