airborne2037
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Can anyone explain the process of file branding.
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File Branding
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longhunter76 said:
If I knew wat that means I would make up an answer for ye.
airborne2037
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i have seen the term used when describeing tomahawk handles and such..the hawk handles in question were descibed as haveing the handles file branded..
Sunkmanitu Tanka
45 Cal.
I've done it once. I heated the file and then pressed the hot file onto the wood tomahawk handle and then completed a full turn with the handle onto the hot file. You then have a darker burnmark all around on your tomahawk handle the width of your file. All the small points on the file show up on the wood ... I like it! You should practice first on a piece of wood so you get it right the first time you do it on the hawk handle.
airborne2037
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OUTSTANDING..i thought that was what it meant...gonna have to try it...thanks very much for the help
It is done as noted by Sukmanitu - one thing do not overheat the file or it will mess things up - here's an original example of file branding:
You can do different patterns by applying the file on only part and also whether you use a single cut or double cut file.
You can do different patterns by applying the file on only part and also whether you use a single cut or double cut file.
TraprMike said:Rifleman1776 said:longhunter76 said:
If I knew what that means I would make up an answer for you.
Apologies.
I forgot. Humor not allowed here.
Just when I thought I had seen it all.....
Interesting.
Interesting.
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crockett said:
Me too. Plains Indians, mid to late 19th c.
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Would one have to heat the file or just soft mallet impress it into the wood and stain darken?
Course that would look like pressed on checkering , Yuck! MD
Course that would look like pressed on checkering , Yuck! MD
50cal.cliff
58 Cal.
I don't know about the process but the heat is not good for the file. It will ruin the file. I had a file that had galled and intended to clean it with my brass rod, to knock the galling out of it.
How ever my son decided to clean it for me he took a torch and heated it, (repeatedly) and used a wire brush to knock out the galling.
Only thing after being heated and allowed to cool repeatedly the file was no longer hard and wouldn't cut diddly squat and wanted to gall even worse!
Oh well, he was trying to be helpful!
So I wouldn't use my favorite file, if you are going to heat it!
How ever my son decided to clean it for me he took a torch and heated it, (repeatedly) and used a wire brush to knock out the galling.
Only thing after being heated and allowed to cool repeatedly the file was no longer hard and wouldn't cut diddly squat and wanted to gall even worse!
Oh well, he was trying to be helpful!So I wouldn't use my favorite file, if you are going to heat it!
As for dates and provenance - I have access to one of the largest private collections of mostly Western Indian goods in the world and the earliest date the owner says he's seen for file branding is from the mid-1840's and while his collection is mostly western he states that based on contact with other collectors of eastern Indian pieces that it file branding is a western thing. The only time it shows up on eastern Indian gear is from tribes such as the Shawnee and Delaware after their move west in the early to mid 1800's.
and yep Cliff one should use an old file or get one of the really cheap imports which are manure to begin with.
and yep Cliff one should use an old file or get one of the really cheap imports which are manure to begin with.
airborne2037
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thanks for all the replies...I was going to do this on a hawk to use with my mid-late 18th century impression...glad i didnt do it after all..
Why you are well welcomed :grin: I have done so much stuff that I found out afterwards wasn't actually pre-1840 that it is embarassing to mention. My problem is I have a bad habit to assume and this shows its ugly head in a million ways. Now I question everything, every screw, nut, bolt. And I am still learning.
Well, at least I get a lot of practice building stuff.
If Chuck is reading this, right now I am making a sheath for a double edge fighting knife and it will be veg tan darkened with vigaroon and harness (14) rivets on the edges BUT the belt loop. I was going to just take a strap of leather and sew it on back and then got thinking....wait a minute- is this PC? I am wondering if an integral tongue on the back piece- folded down and sewn or riveted would be more pc or maybe no belt loop at all and just have a rawhide thong through one of the harness rivets and tie the sheath to the belt. OR- two small holes on the back with a rawhide thong through them (I think I recall a Blackfoot sheath like that).
On the file marks. The other decor if you don't like tacks is porcupine quills braided into sort of a lace and then wrapped around the handle but that might be more Great Lake than Rocky Mt. On the brass tacks- might as well be happy and check out the Trunk Shoppe(sic) if you ask nicely they will sell you a small quantity.
Well, at least I get a lot of practice building stuff.
If Chuck is reading this, right now I am making a sheath for a double edge fighting knife and it will be veg tan darkened with vigaroon and harness (14) rivets on the edges BUT the belt loop. I was going to just take a strap of leather and sew it on back and then got thinking....wait a minute- is this PC? I am wondering if an integral tongue on the back piece- folded down and sewn or riveted would be more pc or maybe no belt loop at all and just have a rawhide thong through one of the harness rivets and tie the sheath to the belt. OR- two small holes on the back with a rawhide thong through them (I think I recall a Blackfoot sheath like that).
On the file marks. The other decor if you don't like tacks is porcupine quills braided into sort of a lace and then wrapped around the handle but that might be more Great Lake than Rocky Mt. On the brass tacks- might as well be happy and check out the Trunk Shoppe(sic) if you ask nicely they will sell you a small quantity.
Cohutta Ranger
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A cheap 4-in-hand wood rasp would work great since it has larger teeth with 4 different file patterns.
Thanks for the post. I have never seen that done before.
Dan
Thanks for the post. I have never seen that done before.
Dan
50cal.cliff
58 Cal.
LaBonte said:It is done as noted by Sukmanitu - one thing do not overheat the file or it will mess things up - here's an original example of file branding:
You can do different patterns by applying the file on only part and also whether you use a single cut or double cut file.
Hey Chuck, I wanted to ask you a question about this pic. I assuming that pattern was done with the end of the file or a short chunk of a file! Have you got anymore insight as too how that was done?
How ever it was done they did a good job on the layout to get the spacing looking so good! It's the pattern of that, that makes it look good in my opinion!
