Sending more photos. The venue is Flowering Mountain, a 'sort-of school' 6 miles south of Ojo Caliente, New Mexico, USA. The teacher, Martin Prechtel, is an artist among other things, and he drew in outline his version of a Sythian deer head with the scrolly horns, seen as a big finial atop the large thumb latch and as large hinge finials. We had them water-jet cut and arc welded them to the strap; then disguised the weld. The rest of the design work he left up to me and my helper, a rare treat and a pleasure.

One more item, a horizontal bolt not yet attached.

very nice Frank.

Yes that is really cool looking work! Evident quality!

I am amazed and impressed with your forging skills. 

Beautiful work! In the third picture, there is a piece with a hole in the diagonal that is just too perfectly done. How did you get that to come out so nicely on the end of the bar like that? I tried playing around with it tonight in some 5/8 square, and failed miserably. I love the way it looks.

Sooo good!

DanBrassaw,

 

Winslow Morgan, now working in Pennsylvania, made the cane bolt finial. It was in my saved junk pile, and I lap welded it to the 1/2" stock. I don't know how he did it, but I went to the shop this morning and slit/drifted one near the end of the bar. Then I ground, sanded, and filed cold till I got a reasonable shape. Then, reheated and wire brushed. If there is another, better way, I'm from Missouri.

 

Zeroing in on the corner of the stock with a slit chisel is iffy at best, so I flattened the opposite corners a little bit to help center the chisel.

Thanks! I was hoping there was some easy trick, but is there ever? I'll just have to practice more.

Great stuff Frank, as always. I'd lost track of Winslow a few years ago. Will have to track him down.