ThomasPowers

I never heat my tongs till they glow, I consider it bad practice. I like the medium carbon tongs as they can be a lot lighter than mild steel or the old wrought iron tongs.

note that any formulation that has a "drier" added to it will be toxic too even if the original components were safe.

A bit on the heavy side. May I commend to your attention "The Celtic Sword" by Radomir Pleiner

Good tough steel for a job that's pretty rough---I applaud your choice!

Well there is a niche for the fellow who is the "go to guy" for oddball tools once you get known for them

One of my adzes has a pad of HC on the back of most of the workiking end it's less than 1/8" thick and was a factory made item. My broad axe has a strip of HC welded on the edge Some of my old chisels have a steel layer all the way along the back. (Ohio fleamarkets have a lot of *OLD* tools...

What steel? as a cutting tool I assume something with a good carbon content...

I think Maille maker has the right of it in that it's easier to split and insert on a axe preform than on a finished and worn axe. Though that video on the old axe business did use the wrap method...

Don't forget but welds and lap welds too!

Arbalast has had 5 years to practice now...

I was thinking perhaps Ti; but would try to avoid giving a friend something that can land them in jail. Why don't you prototype in the purple heart or bloodwood?

the thick heel and small drop from face to table as does the lack of an indentation on the bottom does not make me think of trenton

What does the underside of the base look like?

Use will polish out minor pitting----- so get to work!

My question would be if the "feathers" will be light strap stock welded at the base and allowed to move back and forth supporting the free floating eyes?

Practical Blacksmithing would be 1889, 1890, 1891. I have a book from around WW1 on smithing. With the information in the Civil War you are getting some nice spaced dates. However a lot of info tends to get copied over and re-used from time to time without re-examination, often causing difficulties. (even Theophilus was guilty of this in 1120 A.D. with the "how to carve rock crystal" section.)

Hammer, Sword, or "reach out and touch someone---long distance"; my money's on the big guy

at that price buy both, sell one for twice as much and have a free anvil!

I use old mine timbers that were well creosoted 50+ years ago and so are not "sticky" anymore

The first item is a stake plate designed to hold sheetmetal stakes---won't stand up to heavy forging on them and they are quite pricey new. Pexto is a more common manufacturer and hold onto your had if you look at "new" prices on them! The Stake looks to me to be missing the bottom they generally have a taper to fit in a stake plate or a bulge to allow it to fit on/in a stump. I use my stake plates for armouring and my stake like that for making bracelets as the one I have has a nice size to fit them on.

well hopefully none of us are on opium...

Have you studied how the Statue of Liberty was made/repaired? They were using copper but the same techniques do work for steel---especially if you use very low carbon deep draw steels!

soak it in borax

Have you seen the working being done by Ugo? He's an armourer doing Negroli level stuff!

It definitely was cast, it's quite visible in how the regimental emblems attach to the body of the piece. Is there a regimental historian you can contact? I've been to one regimental Museum in the UK and they were a massive resource on all things pertaining to their regiment.