Last weeks project..a damascus spike hawk.

[Joe Yanta]

Actually this one was hard, it took ten days.

This is tomahawk is triple tempered forged damascus steel. It is about 9 inches in length.

The haft is hogged out from hickory and is about 20 inches long. The area beneath the head is reinforced with elk rawhide sewn in place with buffalo sinew. Three buffalo sinew/hide glue wraps on top of the raw hide.

The drop is brain tanned buckskin/sinew, walnut dyed, with two red trade beads.

I hope I'm not making a bore out of myself. You folks are the only ones around I can show how my outfit is coming along.

I still have a bowie I'm trying to find a suitable handle for.

My next project is a possibles bag. Got to get ready for the rendezvous.

Thanks for looking, any comment will be appreciated.

Joe

 

[capnwilliam]

Joe, that is a beautiful hawk! Sure wish I had the time/skill/facilities to make something like that! It would be hard to get started on blacksmithing, though, living on a major street in New Orleans, and with a postage stamp yard; barely have room to safely set up an outdoor grill! :crackup:

Capt. William

 

[Joe Yanta]

Thanks Cap'. I've been making knives and such for about 30 years, been using a forge for about the last 5. You really can start forging for next to nothing and you dont need anymore room that a bread box.

My first forge was two K23 firebricks hollowed out to make a chamber. I used two portable propane torches I bought at garage sales to fire the forge. A small flat chunk of iron was my anvil.

But, you really dont even need that to make some pretty useful knives. All you need is good steel(spring from broken trap, saw blade, old file or ?}, I like to use 1095 high carbon steel. This is the carbon steel that Schrade Walden used for all their carbon steel blades. You can use a file to shape it. An open flame stove or two brick forge will get it hot enough for the quench. Heat the steel up until it becomes non-magnetic (cherry red or abouts). When its ready you can quench in ATF or about a 5W oil of some sorts.

Sand off the carbon on your blade and draw the temper in the your oven at about 350 to 550 depending how hard you want your blade to be. The higher the temperature the softer the blade. Straw/gold color hard, blue color soft.

I tempered the spike hawk in a toaster over I purchased at a thrift store for $1.99.

Anyone interested can certainly do it. With what ever you have in you house or garage is probally more than what early pioneers had to work with. It seems like when ever I make something with the simplist of tools, the more proud I am of it.

My Pro Forge 600 is about the size of a microwave oven. I also have a 105 year old Trenton Anvil, a Swedish Kohlswa anvil, Paragon heat treating kiln, grinders and buffers. I make about 2 knives a month, one for me and one for others.

I really think that if you thought about, you have the means and ways to make a nifty little patch knife with what you probably have on hand right now.

Thanks for you comments

Joe Yanta

 

[capnwilliam]

That is amazing, Joe; I really thought you needed a regular blacksmith shop, with billows and all that, to make anything!

How much does a Pro Forge 600 cost?

Capt. William

 

[shmrck1]

Joe Yanta,
very good looking hawk. i to like the Capt. thought it was a lot more involved than what you have
described.
snake-eyes eace: :thumbsup: :master:

 

[Deadeye]

I can't see the damascus pattern but sure like the design.
:thumbsup: :master:

 

[Joe Yanta]

Cap' I think I paid about $500 for the Pro-forge 200 (the model number is 200, sometimes my fingers are faster than my brain). There are several companies making small propane forges for alot less. Around $200 should get you into a small one capable of making small knives. Sometimes you can find them on ebay.

Deadeye here is another pic of the hawk you might see some of the damascus. I didn't etch the head because I didn't think it was necessary.

And you are right. You will need a much bigger forge, anvil and hammers to make an axe or a hawk. But if someone wants to make a patch knife I still think you could file a shape on good steel and heat treat it on an open flame stove. I just thought that would be a good challenge and that is what I will do. I will post a pixture if I am successful or admit shame if I cant.

If anyone would like to see a detail pix of the rawhide and sinew work, I would gladly post a picture of it.

Thanks for your interest and comments.

Joe

 

[Joe Yanta]

Here is a detailed picture of the elk rawhide and buffalo sinew.

You notice the gap down along the back? It was closed when I started. The rawhide really shrinks up. Everything is as hard as fiberglass now. I think I might have forgotten to mention that the head was set onto haft with lead.

Joe Yanta

 

[GobblerKnob]

I don't know much, but I know one thing, Joe. You aren't making a bore of yourself! Like watching a good bird dog work, I thoroughly enjoy seeing other people's handiwork. I am glad there's a place, like this, for us to show off our efforts. My wife is even more glad than I am, if that's possible! She likes my work, just not as much as I do! :crackup:
Keep those pics coming, joe!
Rick

 

[Joe Yanta]

Thanks Gobbler!. I just had to respond. I have some property in SE Colorado about 10 miles west of the Sante Fe trail near the Apishapa River. About 2 miles east of me there is a mountain on the USGS quad map named Gobblersnob.

I really dont want to be a bore or a pain. Everyones comments are very appreciated.

Joe

 

[GobblerKnob]

Ever since I announced to the world a couple years ago that I'm DBA, "Gobbler Knob," I am amazed at the number of places laying claim to the same name. :: As I'm sure is the case with each of those, mine was coined because of a bunch of loud mouthed gobblers raising hell on a hilltop that I now call home.

 

[fatboy]

Nice hawk, I too want to get started doing some blacksmithing knives and such. Got to get some things fix up here at the house first to keep the loved ones happy. eace: