Last two for awhile....

[Raymond Richard]

Just finished these two, both were forged from 1" 1084 bar stock. The spiked hawk head is 9" plus. The belt ax has a 6" head and is on a 16" stick.

[cactusforge]

Doing good there for a Old Fart. OF#2

[whv]

these 2 going to eugene next week? man, i'm getting ready to go! see you friday morning, ray.
thanx

[Raymond Richard]

Wayne, I'll see you in Eugene on Friday, looking forward to this show. I'll have table V-7......

Great stuff Ray, love your finishes.

[Mike Sader]

Ray, looks like you got the hawks down pat!!! they are beautiful!!! Good Luck at the show, Mike

[whv]

I'll have table V-7

as well i know!
.
i think it's a pisser that they didn't publish the table arrangements as they did last year.
.
.BUT , there is a way to find out.
.
see ya friday!

[Will]

Thouse look great!, the belt axe looks like it would be real handy in the camp. What's the handle material?

[Raymond Richard]

Will, As far as the handle material goes I'm not sure. I bought a batch of handles from Robert Washburn. I can't remember if he said what they were or not. Alot are made out of hickory and ash but I don't believe these are. I'm thinking maybe birch or maple. There's a few reasons for me to think this, weight, color, and density. I did use leather dye on the belt ax handle as well as on the one thats wrapped with buckskin....

[Ramsey]

Ray, those are two great looking hawks. You make me feel like I'm moving in slow motion anymore because everytime I turn around you have a new hawk finished. I also wanted to say that is a good looking hammer and looks like it could definitley move some metal. I miss seeing the rebar knives. You inspired me to to try some rebar so.....here I went to Lowe's and found some that had 60 Germany marked on it. I bought several bundles of it along with some 4' bars but none of them have turned into knives yet............:confused: Might help if I would get to work. I did do a little brake test for hardness and it checked out great. I have some nostalgic (for around here) rebar from a couple of bridges that were demolished a few years back and had the notion to make knives out of them for local history. The bridges were considered historical land marks by some but not by the city or state (progress) I guess.....?

R. Ramsey

[Raymond Richard]

Thanks, Ramsey! I feel like I'm in slow motion most the time. I should be getting three times as much done as I do but when the economy is so bad guess there's no need to rush. I've been forge welding some hawks. I like doing the solid bar ones better. I can hammer the flats only on the welded ones, kind of defeats the purpose of forging if I've got to grind the profiles. I must be getting lasy.

As for the rebar I've never bought any for knives. I'd be alittle leary with what Lowe's or the Depot has. Mine all came from jobs I was on or was given to me. Have fun with it, I have over the years. I even had a few rebar knife kits at a few gun shows, no takers.....

[Ramsey]

Yep, have to watch out for some sources. I have seen some rebar they had in stock which was Mexico and from other places but when I saw in raised letters and numbers 60 Germany then I figured it was the 60 grade you had talked about and made in Germany. Anyway the first time I was in I only bought a few sticks of it and tested it. It seemed to harden very well and I broke it and examined the grain, looked great. I went back and got quite a lot of it. Haven't paid much attention to it lately at the store to see what is on it. I like it when some of the lines are left on it which show that it is rebar. Kind of like forging a railroad spike and cutting the head off, what purpose is that if you can't tell what it is made from. I did do that for a customer a few years ago, he ordered it for his dad who was retired from the RR and that is how he wanted it made.

Ramsey