Thanks for all the comments.
The knife without the guard is a lot easier to make than the style with the separate guard. I don't own a milling machine, so I use a half round file to file the radius in the bottom of the guard. Brass goes relatively quick, nickel silver takes forever. I also file a notch in the blade, prior to heat treat, to retain the guard.
Lee
baumgartknives@gmail.com Baumgart Handmade Knives 
