Wild Rose

9 Roses #9 - Bird Beak Pipe Hawk with Pipe Bag and Custom Flint Striker circa 1850's This pipe hawk fetures a handforged iron blade by mi amigo, bladesmith Jerry Rodri, Nine Tongs Forge, Durango, Co. Along with the brass bowl the curly maple handle has brass fittings with a deer antler mouth piece and cap. Decoration of the handle includes two braintan wraps beaded with early period pound beads in black and red, common "war" colors. The iron and brass head is variation on the spontoon style and was inspired by several original pipe hawks, such as Fig 7 page 70 and Fig 9 page 71 in the book "Indian Tomahawks & Frontiersmen Belt Axes" by Daniel Harstler The small pipe/striker bag is made from brain tan deer and is pound beaded in white, blue, and black, typical colors for the pre-1860 beadwork - the style of beadwork was inspired by several Southern Cheyenne pieces of that period. The custom C scroll striker by Jerry Rodri was inspired by figure E on page 350 of the book "Firearms, Traps, and Tools of the Mountain Men", by Carl Russell. The entire set has an aged patina - used but not abused. Dimensions: Pipe Hawk * Overall length: 18 3/4" * 　Head: 6" long including pipe bowl * Handle Diameter: at head 1 1/4" at butt 15/16" * Blade: 3 5/16" x 7/8" 　Pipe Bag * 17" overall length including fringe * 11 1/4" overall length of bag only * 3 /12" wide x 5 /14" long beaded pouch section Striker * 3/38" x 1 3/16" Warranty: This item is warrantied for everything but abuse and/or using it for purposes outside the range of it's design for the life of the original owner Total Price: USA Sales - $800.00 USD includes Shipping & Insurance via USPS Priority Mail Foreign Sales - $850.00 USD includes Shipping & Insurance via USPS Express international You must make sure all country and/or state laws allow this purchase. Payment Method: call 1- 970-317-5592 to pay by - PayPal, Visa, MC, Postal Money Order, Cashiers Check, or Western Union

This pipe hawk features a handforged iron blade by mi amigo, bladesmith Jerry Rodri, Nine Tongs Forge, Durango, Co. Along with the brass bowl the curly maple handle has brass fittings with a deer antler mouth piece and cap. Decoration of the handle includes two braintan wraps beaded with early period pound beads in black and red, common "war" colors. The iron and brass head is variation on the spontoon style and was inspired by several original pipe hawks, such as Fig 7 page 70 and Fig 9 page 71 in the book "Indian Tomahawks & Frontiersmen Belt Axes" by Daniel Hartzler The small pipe/striker bag is made from brain tan deer and is pound beaded in white, blue, and black, typical colors for the pre-1860 beadwork - the style of beadwork was inspired by several Southern Cheyenne pieces of that period. The custom C scroll striker by Jerry Rodri was inspired by figure E on page 350 of the book "Firearms, Traps, and Tools of the Mountain Men", by Carl Russell. The entire set has an aged patina - used but not abused. Dimensions: Pipe Hawk * Overall length: 18 3/4" * Head: 6" long including pipe bowl * Handle Diameter: at head 1 1/4" at butt 15/16" * Blade: 3 5/16" x 7/8" Pipe Bag * 17" overall length including fringe * 11 1/4" overall length of bag only * 3 /12" wide x 5 /14" long beaded pouch section Striker * 3/38" x 1 3/16"

Rotometals is very good source and if you buy $100.00 worth you get free shipping. While silver solder is eminently usable it is much more expensive per pound than that from RM and if you use a lot than I suggest buying from Rotometals....

Here's a basic one http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/829129

Some suggestions - you basically need to paint veg/bark tan with leather paint to get it white: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=47979

Scott while the luthier finishes are similar or of he same type they do have some difference between the finishes that were used for such things as gunstocks. Along with the Eric Kettenburg link I posted above I'd recommend this info as well: 1) Gunsmith of Williamsburg DVD - this was made in 1969 and shows Wallace Gusler making a rifle from scratch and includes the use of scrapers and finishing 2) http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=5097.0 - this discussion includes some updated info from Eric K on his methodology 3) Staining and Finishing for Muzzleoading Gun Builders - Methods and Materials 1750 to 1850: a great little book by Bill McKnight who also offers the following advice on finishing a gunstock with shellac as a sealer and linseed varnish over that " I used the orange dewaxed shellac as a sealer in a highly diluted form. You don't want shellac on the surface of the wood. Only in the wood. I also used to use a hard steel burning tool after the last coat of shellac sealer. The pressure of the burnishing tools causes the shellac to melt and quickly solidify again. Smooth finish results. Shellac first came into Europe as a "gum resin" in the late 1600's. In India they had never used shellac as a spirit varnish. The shellac had always been applied on round things in a lathe. As the piece would spin they would hold a stick of shellac against the part. The frictional heating melted the shellac. This was then smoothed with scouring rush and then polished. So with the burning tool I was simply melting the shellac. This was a way of dewiskering a finish. A boiled oil or boiled oil varnish will not have good adhesion to shellac. Why it is used as a highly diiluted sealer. In the wood but not on the wood. The top finish of boiled oil or boiled oil varnish will resist liquid water. But water in the molecular form (humidity) will pass through it fairly easily. Fairly permeable. The shellac will transmit some moisture through the film of sealer. As moisture enters into the shellac film it causes it to swell. A point is reached in the swelling where all of the pores are effectively closed off and no additional moisture will be transmitted through the film. So a combination finish of shellac under a boiled oil or boiled oil varnish limits stock moisture changes on a daily basis. NO finish can limit the seasonal changes in wood moisture content. But it is the rapid, and sometimes extreme, changes in relative humidity that can cause stresses in the wood that then cause the wood to crack." I've used the same basic method on my guns, knife handles, etc. for 40 years and it works well with maybe a touch up or two of the oil varnish in a year and my gear has been used everywhere from the wet Super SE coast of Alaska, the hot humid swamps of Louisiana, and the high dry deserts here in the SW. Also get good quality linseed oil _ I now start with the Tried and True Brand, but you can also get good quality from art supplies or flax seed oil (the highest quality food grade) at most health food stores. Always apply the varnish in very thin coats - sun shine and plenty of air movement help it dry faster and more completely.

Traditional Varnishes - while directed at the 18th Century the basics go back much further in time... http://www.muzzleblasts.com/archives/vol5no2/articles/mbo52-1.shtml

That's the way I understand it Scott - never done it myself and gas is just too precious these days.. Another method used by some of the best in the muzzle loading world is too use a rust browning solution like LMF or Wahkon Bay and let it go past the normal point. To get a really old cruddy look hang the blade in a closed container (I use plastic sewer pipe with capped ends) - wipe down with muriatic first and then leave a cup of it so the fumes will create the rust - if you ever used muriatic in a shop you soon find that the fumes will rust everything made of iron. Check every 3-4 hours, wipe off the loose scale with a coarse cloth like canvas and rehang until you get the look you want. I use the blue/bleach method for quickies but to get the most realistic look the either of the rusting methods work best, but it takes longer

Forget the plaster of Paris and get some casting plaster - when I did a bunch of investment casting in the past I always used this http://www.usg.com/usg-no-1-casting-plaster.html and for lots of info on casting of various types check out http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/

Nicely done so far sir and for drilling handles here's a little photo tutorial - http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=25979.0 I believe you can see it with registering. Also for those interested in tomahawks you can now download for free in several formats, Harold Peterson's seminal work on the subject http://archive.org/details/americanindiant00pete

In 50 years of building knives and hawks this is the first spike hawk I've ever done, but now that I've got the bug so to speak it won't be the last. This one is in fact a three way collaboration: 1) The iron head with steel bit was forged by mi compadre, the late Gib Guignard 2) The spike was handforged out of iron by another compadre and neighbor Jerry Rodri 3) Assembly, all decorative work, and aging were done by me - deco on the tiger striped maple handle includes: rawhide wraps, brass and iron tacks, brass wire. The other items: 1) 28ga Smoothbore by Tom Stroh 2) Re-Handled English style scalper - the blade, hand forged by Gib Guignard, is made of original shear steel. Grip and deco by me 3) Powder Horn - original from SW Virginia area, has two dates scratched into it 1791 and 1825. I re-furbished it by repairing the cracks at the butt with rawhide, added a longer antler tip and the beaded strap.

The River Trader blades IIRC are done by soaking in gasoline - it gives a somewhat different patina than most anything else. re: the cold blue and bleach method - while heated bleach will react a bit faster it's not necessary and increase the fumes dramatically - I've used the method for years and just use room temp bleach or set it in the sun when it's warm enough..

Sorry for the slow response and thanks guys - sometimes it's a case of CRS (the wages of a misspent youth!) and I forget which boards Phil the aged bead look is one of methods I've spent a lot of time getting "right" based on my examination of thousands of original pieces - it's the only method I regard as proprietary since it helps set my work apart and that's good for sales... Sid Old West gear of al types is my specialty and if you would like to see more check out my website www.wrtcleather.com

A whole bunch of recipes for colors from white to dark brown http://www.sciencecompany.com/Patina-Formulas-for-Brass-Bronze-and-Copper-W160.aspx note: be careful when using ammonia - too long of an exposure can cause embrittlement with brass amd copper but brass more so...been tehr done that

Durango, Colorado - far SW in the Four Corners area

re: for nuisance beaver (and yes there are such despite what some seem to think) best advice is contact the state Fish and Wildlife/Division of Natural Resources, etc department - as noted there are legal ramifications and if the FW/DNR deem the critter to be a nuisance they will remove the beaver often by live trapping and relocating or by whatever means they feel is appropriate and or necessary....

here's a link to photos from the book "Scottish Swords and Dirks" by John Wallace - the text includes measurements.. http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/dirk-book/dirks-page1.html hope that helps....

A forum dedicated to Percussion Revolvers http://percussionrevolvers.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=mlmo8dfmok4ids1lp5amjt20n7& These also have sections dedicated to shooting some of he best info available http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/19/ as for Pyrodex - it is in fact MORE corrosive than real black powder due to it's inclusion of perchlorates - you can order real Black from several sources such as Jack's Powder, Powder Inc, or Graef and Sons - cheapest is to order a full case and usually you can order a mixed case. Powder Inc and Graef also sell smaller amounts, but they cost more per pound and you have the Hazmat fee to consider. REal black powder fouling is corrosive (and then only when the humidity is above 30%) but the unfired BP is not very corrosive at all and only when wet - I've left my BP guns loaded for weeks at a time and have never had a problem. FWIW - I've been shooting BP since 1962, both percussion and flinter, my smokeless center fires seldom get taken out of the closet - my regular go to powder is Goex made here in the USA - for cartridge BP arms or target shooting I prefer Swiss but Goex just announced a new high quality powder that looks good and MAYBE the equivalent of Swiss. Since the early 1970's I've used only 3F in everything I shoot up to 16 gauge, but you may like to try both 2F and 3F in your guns(s) - some guns just prefer one or the other.....

Geoff- several appear to be Amanita Pantherina - the first two images and the next to last, they appear to a have a few "warts" on the caps but then not all Amanita have prominent or very many warts - they are not good to eat- more info on Amanita http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita.html

Matt very nice shots as noted - what part(s) of my home state did you visit - 1300 miles out here's just a weekend trip for us locals.... I live in Durango, the far south west corner just north of the New Mexico border....and yep one can get both frost bite and sun burn all in the same day, both winter and summer. Last night's low here was 22° and the high today was 75° with 6% humidity mid-day - add in the elevation ( I live at 6500' ASL but the mtns 30 miles to the north go up to over 13,000') and the sun gets intense real quick and with low humidity and no clouds at night the temps can drop real fast and low...then there's the wind which can change quickly - yesterday was 20-55mph today 5-10mph....

Bear jawbone grip with cable Damascus blade and Southern Cheyenne style sheath...... it's designed to be worn on a bandoleer which isn't finished yet........

If you've got a tax/sales license then you can also buy from Ohio Bag Company Weaver Leather Company

Bear jawbone grip with cable Damascus blade and 1850's Southern Cheyenne style sheath...... it's designed to be worn on a bandoleer which isn't finished yet........cable Damascus can be documented to the 1860's.......

No reason why not that I can see - it appears to me that Jay is (maybe?) using a bead blasted finish and then bluing to get that non-reflective satin finish..... IMO such a finish is more about the prep of the unblued blade finish than the method used to blue them here's a link to Jay's discussion on blade finisheshttp://www.jayfisher.com/Blades.htm#What_about_blued_blades_and_coatings

Another option and IMO the best, is to use the cold/slow rust blue method which is even more durable than hot blue and with respect to Dave, it's far more durable than the so-called cold blues such as those sold by Birchwood-Casey and others that are intended for touch up purposes only. Basically you do a rust brown/gray then boil it in distilled water which changes the color from red/brown/gray to blue/black. It's the premium bluing method used by high end gun makers such as Holland and Holland, especially on double guns where hot blue cannot be used since it would melt the solder holding the barrels and ribs together. There are several ways to achieve it, but IMO one of the best available methods, at least here in the USA, is Pilkington's available from Brownell's, not the cheapest but in my experience the best and probably cheaper than the hot blue ingredients. Advantages are the heat is limited to that of boiling water so there are no problems with affecting the blade hardness and you dontl have to deal with hot salts. Why more knife makers don't use this method escapes me other than perhaps they just don't know about it. A less expensive option would be to use something like vinegar, FC, or muriatic acid to create a light, full cover coat of brown/gray rust (just don't over do it to the point you create pitting) - rub back LIGHTLY with a Scotchbrite pad then boil. Repeat until you've achieved the result/look you want. Then kill any further activity with ammonia and wax or oil as normal. The best grit finish to use is no more than 220-320 - more than that and it's tougher to get a good rust coat. While I haven't used 01 in a long time IIRC it rusts pretty easily???? Here's an example - not the best blue job since it was just a quicky experiment for seeing how well it would hold up to wear (very well thank you very much), but it shows the potential - I hung this one in an enclosed jar with a bit of muriatic in the bottom until I got the coat of rust I wanted then boiled. IIRC I repeated it about 10 times to get this color/look. IMO - heat treat some scrap of the same metal as used for the blade and experiment until you get the method down, then apply to your finished blade.