I had taken a class Rob Gunter taught that was mostly heat treating. Harbor freights ballpeens are w2 and that is coming from the the store rep he had contacted. Thats just some control about where you buy the tool. Im sure other ballpeens could/are different metals.

I had noticed that my blade moves during the normalizing process while in the vermiculite. Every time I pulled it out it would have a rack in it. I would straighten it back up and do the normalize again until that blade didn't rack. Anyone else have this situation? It took at least 2 normalizing processes until it stopped racking.

Saw this post last week and thought it looked like a fun project to finish up this semester of my blacksmithing classes. Here is the final product after doing some testing yesterday. It was a lot of fun to make, even if it was tough to do.

The steel was tough to forge and moved very slowly under the hammer. I broke a tack on the treadle hammer about 3/4 of the way forging it out and had to use my big straight peen. Then noticed my hammer handle was coming out after I finished the forging.

I annealed it overnight in vermiculite and then quenched in oil and drew a nice blue almost purple temper on it.

It took an extremely good edge and then chopped through a piece of 2x6 seasoned oak lumber (didn't know what I grabbed as I left for class till I got there). No chips or deformed edge after chopping and still had a decently sharp edge on it.

I am extremely proud of this thing, and plan on replacing the little hatchet I normally carry with this one. The teacher and fellow students, as well as myself, were pleased at how it turned out. Now can't wait to make a few more. :D

Very nice.

Play nice, Butch.

I can't help it. I think of Butch in the "Our Gang" films.

Play nice, Butch.

I can't help it. I think of Butch in the "Our Gang" films.

He acts a little more like Buckwheat:D

I suppose you know the guy who played Buckwheat turned pro basketball player and changed his name to . . . Kareem O' Wheat.



Frosty

Did that
Normalized after forging and anealed in the coal fire
I got more file work to do
So a spring temper
Thanks
Nice lookin hachet

Play nice, Butch.

I can't help it. I think of Butch in the "Our Gang" films.

Hi Rutterbush,I wondered what happened to you after Keenjunk I think it was,did you ever get your tirehammer built?:)

He acts a little more like Buckwheat:D

Okay wiseguy as soon as I think of something I'll get you back:D

Here's one from a 24 oz ball peen. I drifted it with a larger oval drift.

Mr. Willis, how did you get that moon on the blade? Also those fine inlays how are they attached? That is super clean looking work. You have surely mastered tomahawks.

Matthew, I actually cheated a little on this one. I usually inlay the brass moon but on this one I made a moon shaped punch. Stamped it,then brazed the stamping in and ground it back down.
Here is a link on a tutorial that will explain the sire inlay better than I can. silver wire Thank you for compliments

Edited December 26, 200817 yr by S.Willis

Thank you Mr. Willis. That sounds simple enough.

Very nice job

Here's one from a 24 oz ball peen. I drifted it with a larger oval drift.

Awesome work!

That's looking good Ron. I like the spike. Maybe make it a tad longer.

I made this one just the other day from a 24 oz ball peen and curly Ash handle. I like file work on everything I make. I did a musturd etch on this one to give it an old look. I drift with a rounded off chisle and then a modified small ball peen hammer head to open the eye more then finish off with a large teardrop drift from blacksmiths depot.





Darrel

That is a fine looking hawk!

OK Cutshurt, you got me. What's a mouseturd etch? Uhh.....I read that wrong. It's musturd etch. Anyway, what is it? :blink:

OK Cutshurt, you got me. What's a mouseturd etch? Uhh.....I read that wrong. It's musturd etch. Anyway, what is it?

Well, I would say the acid content in the mouseturd etch, etchs the metal, but it is a very time and money intensive process, first you have to catch the mouse, then you have to train it to do what it does where you tell it to, then there's feeding it, vets visits etc. Sorry CurlyGeorge, couldn't help myself.
As for Mustard etch, we will have to wait for Cutshurt to answer that one. :)

I've never actually done a mustard etch but I have read threads about it. Regular mustard is splotched onto the blade (or whatever metal surface) and allowed to remain long enough to develop a patterned etch. It can produce a look similar to some pattern welded steels... depending on the splotch pattern. It's a simple inexpensive way to add dramatic looking pattern patinas to steel surfaces. You can experiment with different types and brands of mustard and also varied development times and splotching patterns. I have seen some nice looking examples done on high quality blades.

I've never actually done a mustard etch but I have read threads about it. Regular mustard is splotched onto the blade (or whatever metal surface) and allowed to remain long enough to develop a patterned etch. It can produce a look similar to some pattern welded steels... depending on the splotch pattern. It's a simple inexpensive way to add dramatic looking pattern patinas to steel surfaces. You can experiment with different types and brands of mustard and also varied development times and splotching patterns. I have seen some nice looking examples done on high quality blades.

Yup thats how I do it. Its not easy to get that mouse to sit still though.

Darrel

Wow, This thread is exactly 2 years old yesterday.
Nice Hawk Cutshurt. Like you filework.

I would imagine the vinigar base that mustards are made from does the work, while the viscosity of the mustard is what allows for the patterning. I wonder would this be a way to fake the look of a hamon? perhaps etch only the cutting edge, or etch everything except the cutting edge?

Maybe you could fake a hamon with a mustard etch... but WHY? People who can appreciate the subtle qualities of a hamon are not likely to be happy with a cosmetic substitute. Other people will just think the blade is stained.

well, I've seen several of the cheap pakistan blades with the fake hamon, and then seeing this it made me think...is that how they do it. I wasn't considering doing it, but, just thought it might work.