This was commissioned by a Zombie Squad member as a present for his sister.  Most of the forging was done with Gunnhilda, my homebrewed power hammer.  I started with a piece of new leaf spring stock, forged out the neck and spread out the preform for the socket.  I actually used math to figure up the size of the socket to fit a regular hoe handle with a bit of shaving on the handle to ensure a tight fit.

 

 

 

Then I rolled the socket and cut the hoe free from the parent stock.

 

 

Then I spread the blade out and thinned it down.

 

 

 

Because the neck got forged a bit off-centered when I forged it, the blade came out off-centered.  I trimmed it more even and ground the edge bevel in.

 

 

I stamped my touchmark on the blade, the first time I've done that on a hoe.  Then came the part of the process that is most difficult for me, bending the neck into the appropriate angle.  If the angle's off a bit, it won't work very well.

 

 

Then I hardened the blade and neck in commercial quench oil.

 

 

 

 

After that I tempered it in my kiln.

 

 

This morning after pulling it out, I drilled a hole and forged a little nail to make sure that it stays on the handle once it's fitted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now it's off to its new home, in time for Christmas.  :)

Nice looking hoe!  

Good thing this is not a gardening forum, you'd end up with 300 different oppinions as to angle and blade shape as well Lol.
Gardeners are a persnickety lot, I live with one (so glad she hasn't seen it)
As to your hoe, great peace of forge work, I imagine it will be a handmedown from "granny" some day.

That is nice work. Itnis tough to find good hoes these days. Most just use a shaft that get friction fit to a hole in the handle.

Thank y'all!

 

Bnewberry - Yep, the first one I made was for myself.  Didn't see the point in paying money for a stamped out crappy tool that wouldn't work well when I have the technology to make my own.  :)

 

Charles - I don't doubt it.  I angled this one like my daddy angled his field hoes, and they work well for me, at least.

Nice work on the Hoe, Yes all of our tools and clothes come from China and other places where we shed our blood, I still remember the first time I saw something (gloves) at work that was made in Vietnam, I thought I would throw-up. The challenge for today is to find something made in the good old USA. Sorry for the vent, price over quality rules these days.

Hoe ! that is sweet well done i make most all my garden tools also they last for many years much better then any store bought ones .

 

Sam

Looks kinda like an antique hoe I saw in a shop for around $50 because it was old and hand made by a smith, something rare this day and age.

What was the dimension of the parent stock?

Nice work as always stormcrow. I really like your style.

Trinculo - The leaf spring is something on the order of 1/4" x 2" or thereabouts.

Stormcrow you really make it easy to copy your ideas! Thanks!

Nice hoe, I've made a couple but somehow they just don't feel well balanced  they felt more like bludgeons than hoes.  so I never use them. I need to try again and pay attention to what styles used to be made. I have made  forest service type MacClouds(sp?) they seem to lend themselves to different proportions and are great universal dirt grubbing tools. I've never made a mini one for the veggie garden but now the wheels are starting to turn.Hmmmm.

thats great! i think i might actually make one of them... might make me look after it better...