Just to update, the maker has sent me a new punch.  I'll have to get a picture of it the next time I'm out in the shop, but suffice it to say that's it's far more like what I had originally asked for and seems to be doing a good job at moving into the railroad spikes.

As for the old punch, I'm thinking about turning it into a round-nose punch for the other hooks I make.  I already have a "round-ish" punch that I use, made from an old welder's hammer, but you can't have too many options.

Now all I have to do is decide if I want to forge on this H13 or just throw it in the lathe and turn the thing down.  I was hoping to get a 3/8" round nose, but I don't know if I'll be able to use the punch with the shaft so short.  Might be easier, actually, because it'd be more stable......

Great news.  A round nose punch is goof for making the tooth in a cap lifter.  

Good outcome, sounds like. Glad to hear. 

A good friend and long time user of H13, cooled /quench a H13 tool around 1000-1200 degrees and it went soft.  He repeated process and the same thing happened.  Heat it up and straighten it, reheat and air cool rapidly.  Good luck

Glad you got final satisfaction, and also that you didn’t immediately put the makers name out there, even though he didn’t take care of business at first. I’d second the notion that possible scenarios were that the maker grabbed the wrong material, was sent the wrong material, or skipped the heat treatment (as stated it would have been turned from FULLY annealed.