Forged my first hawk today

[rifleshooter2]

Here she is my first hawk. I used a railroad spike for the steel. I think on the next one I'll upset the tip more so I can get a wider edge.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I think that is awsome! :thumbsup:
but something looks odd with the handle going through the eye.

 

[rifleshooter2]

I think it may be the angle or the wrap under the eye. The handle looks smaller above the eye than below it. Its not but it sure looks like it in the photo.

 

[lonehunter]

Nice work

 

[MSW]

nice!

 

[Darkgael]

How did you go about tempering that?
Sure is purty.

Pete

 

[rifleshooter2]

I heated it up till she was non magnetic then quenched the blade in oil. after that I heated the edge to a straw color.

 

[Alden]

Cool! Had I known I'd have saved a coupla my grandads ball-peen hammers, one large and another small, to send ya.

 

[LRB]

It is probably ok for what it is, but heating to non-magnetic is never enough for the hardening process. You need it to get to about 2 shades of red above non-magnetic for iron and carbon to make a well mixed homogenous solution of carbon and iron. In the case of a RR spike, you can go a little hotter than that. At any rate though, RR spikes, even the so called high carbon spikes are not really high carbon. They usually test out at around .30%, give or take a tad. They are commonly listed at .35, but very few are. Below .40 is normally considered non-hardening steel. Also with a RR spike, no temper is necessary because it will not get hard enough to need it.

 

[LRB]

That said, a very nice piece of work. You might want to try ball peen hammers. They usually have just enough carbon to make a decent enough chopping tool, and they are of a tough steel.

 

[rifleshooter2]

Wick thanks for the advise. I have always admired your work. I'll give it a try.

 

[necchi]

Even with Wicks sage advise,
I must say the level of work you put in to fining and polish really makes the piece.
If this is your first hawk as you say, your work shows your no stranger to the forge,
Well done sir.

 

[LRB]

I agree with Necchi. I enjoy seeing clean forge work. The rough hammer and scale marked finishes one often sees today is rarely found on original forged goods, especially blades. Our late Stuart Willis did some marvelous tomahawks often using ball peen hammers as a base. Rifleshooter2 is off to a very good start with that tomahawk.

 

[rifleshooter2]

I will be at the flea market next weekend looking for some nice old ballpeen hammers. I know there is better steel out there than railroad spikes but I like to make stuff from found things. I get a kick out of turning garbage into something usefull or fun.

 

[Rifleman1776]

even the so called high carbon spikes are not really high carbon

I belong to too many forums.
Read recently that there were (are?) really three different grades of rail road spikes. What they are depends on where they are used. e.g. on curves more strength is needed. Might be a cheap source for some steel purposes but getting exactly what you want could be problematic.
BTW, there must be billions and billions of rr spikes being wasted. A walk along any stretch of track will find many. As the cross ties are replaced (by machine) the spikes are discarded to the side. Wasteful indeed.

 

[LRB]

There may be three types. I've only seen the two common ones. Plain head, and those with the HC marking. I don't doubt there is a third, but I would think it would have an ID mark of some sort. Yes, many of these discarded spikes go wasted, but unless collected for scrap, or by a smith, what good are they? I used to use them for trot line weights when I did commercial fishing.

 

[Rifleman1776]

what good are they?

Yer right. But that is waste. Something Americans are known, and widely criticized for. I don't like waste.

 

[Uncle Levi]

I wonder if using a RR spike, then forge welding a piece of leaf spring to it for an edge would work . I may have to try that in my blacksmith shop. I need a handle drift first, though.

 

[MOwoodsman]

split it and yes, it should work. Iron was used for the main body with HC steel bit back in the day.

 

[M. De Land]

I..............like it! Very cool indeed and good workmanship throughout.
I'm currently trying to make some more chert knives and eventually some stone axes as well.
Steel tomahawks are another item I'm wanting to try.
I have some old RR spikes and cannot see why they cannot be forge shaped, file out and deeply case hardened to hold an edge.
Were tomahawks ever made of stone or where they an adaption from stone axes when American Indians encountered iron? Mike D.