macbruce Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Me and a friend of mine, Jim Fleming, got a commission from the NPS in the mid 70's for 20 pipe hawks, 25 ''squaw'' hatchets and 25 tomahawks to stock the store at the newly re built Bents Fort, in Colorado........A huge commission at the time. Never done so much filing in my life!........According to the nps people the hawks were not traded with handles included, hence, no handles.......mb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 When, 1978? Those look nice are they the ones you did then or are you doing more now? Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 The reconstructed fort was opened in 1976.............What you see is all there is, made in 1975. They're probably considered antiques by some at 36 yrs old........not unlike the makers at 63 ............http://en.wikipedia....l_Historic_Site edit::: I don't mess with blades much any more.......ornamental, and sculpture mostly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.pierson Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 The reconstructed fort was opened in 1976.............What you see is all there is, made in 1975. They're probably considered antiques by some at 36 yrs old........not unlike the makers at 63 ............http://en.wikipedia....l_Historic_Site Macbruce, Do you have plans for those? I would like to try one of those this summer. Brian Pierson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 Macbruce, Do you have plans for those? I would like to try one of those this summer. Brian Pierson We had certain general parameters we had to adhere to make these but no plans per say,,,,,,,,for instance the tomahawk had to be 7''+- oal and the eye 1 1/4'' round, made from 1 1/4 x 1/4'' flat stock.........The shape is common and easily replicated . The pipe hawks were pretty much the same, only harder. They were forged from black powder gun barrels, and the hardest thing about forging them was making a mandrel for the eyes......Filing the pretty stuff was and is pretty much to your liking....mb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagkver Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 thats a big pile of heads!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 That would be a lot of pounding. Did you have a power hammer then? Nice job. I like the idea of using muzzleloader barrels for the pipe hawks. Thanks for posting. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 A power hammer? One of those was just a gleam in my eye at the time.......We did a little research an learned that pipe hawks were often made from scrap gun barrels and we had a resource to get them, so gun barrels it was . The NPS didn't really care what they were made of..............mb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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