A Hatchet From The Turkeys At Track Of The Wolf

[Glenfilthie]

Well I finally got my pioneer's hatchet from the fellers at TOTW and I am just tickled. It has that old 'head chopper' style blade and tiny hammer head on the other end.

I am going to embellish it with skip line checkering and maybe a few subtle inlays. My question is this: it came 'disassembled'. Should I put the handle on before doing the work or after?

Second, I got the hatchet head without any finish. I suppose you could call it 'in the white' but it is more descriptive to say it's 'in the grey'. How would you finish the metal to emulate a period correct tool?

The experts in the peanut gallery are solicited for comments and instructions - your two cents are sincerely appreciated.

 

[gmarc]

Temper-blue it in the oven at 450F for one hour...or brown it via rusting...or gun-blue and bleach....or brown via LMF browning solution. There are many ways

 

[necchi]

Well the peanut gallery say's they don't offer a "pioneer hatchet", What'd ya git? One of the belt axes? http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartList.aspx?catID=9&subID=60&styleID=233

The head is sposta look like wrought iron, I'd leave it be and let it pick up rust or rust brown it.
I'd at least fit the handle to the head before doing alot of work to it. It'd be a shame to have to file or sand off any work too make it fit.

 

[Flintlock]

You could try warm bleach, just drop it in a pan of warm bleach for awhile and it will start rusting in short time. Some people coat it in cold blue or mustard before bleaching it.

 

[LRB]

Cold blue it. Put in clorox bleach. Rust starts immedietly. Give it 10 minutes, and you can probably start the cleanup. You might want to ask if it's heat treated. May be, maybe not.

 

[Troy Allen Christianson]

I would let it age "gracefully."

 

[omarick1948]

Wanting to put some skip line checkering and a few inlays, sounds like your trying to turn a working tool into some type of ceremonial tomahawk!

Just finish off the handle and let Mother Nature take it's course!...As for calling the fellas at TOW turkeys! .... If your unhappy with your purchase. ..Just send it back for a refund!

Rick

 

[necchi]

As for calling the fellas at TOW turkeys!

Well I doknow!! I've met Dave personally, :shocked2:

Just teasing, they're good folks down there, I wish they'd bring back Saturday morning hours though, they only have the shop open to public from 1 till 5, M-F and it can be a dickens to get down there.
All them guns for sale,, well you can ask to look at'm. They have some really nice stuff to fondle for awhile, some top notch craftsmen have their guns go through that shop. Dave is a shrewd trader.
I think Glenfithie is just bein jouvial, :wink:

 

[Glenfilthie]

I am just pleased as punch with the guys at TOTW and maybe you are right Horner, maybe I shouldn't refer to them that way...they are life savers in my neck of the woods, we don't have any serious traditional blackpowder support out here at all. I am a jovial fellow and that doesn't come through properly on the internet. :redface:

Yes I am pimping the hatchet to look like those fancy hawks - I am trying to learn the skills involved so that when I am ready to try building a rifle I will be able to carve, do inlays and other farkles that spruce up a good long rifle. I will do a hawk too.

Somebody on this forum recommended doing hatchets and hammers and other tools to get the hang of such things and it was the best advice I have seen yet.

I am well into it now and I suppose my only complaint is the handle is cheaper hickory. Good hickory seems to checker much better.

Can anybody recommend a good 'hatchet handle making tutorial'? I have a real nice piece of curly maple I would like to try...

 

[necchi]

:grin: http://www.google.com/search?q=hat...ox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGIH