Old Grizz

check out the people at dunlap wood crafts for pre-drilled handles at really good prices. fancy wood too. their e-mail is: [email protected], real nice folks. heavy walled seamless tube is a good (and cheeper!) substitue for gun barrel. the heavier wall thickness gives you more meat in the blade and more room for fancy file work around the bowl. be sure to forge weld in a steel cutting bit. old nicholson file works well and is cheap, as well as water quenchable. for a 'hawk blade draw the temper back to a light blue and it should be plenty tough.

my personal favorite is the guy who just has to try to pick up the drop from your hot cut to hand it back to you, as his 9 year old kid's looking at him going" daddy that's hot....." then there's the "drip of sweat on the anvil trick" and the resulting bang from striking hot steel on the wet spot scares some poor guy right out of his lawn chair....not that I'VE done that to anyone.....i mean..it wasn't my fault the sun came out on a cool spring day and he fell asleep.....GRIN