Stephen Stumbo 44 Posted Monday at 02:14 PM Share Posted Monday at 02:14 PM (edited) Recently finished tomahawk. I dubbed it the "HammerHawk" as it's previous life was spent as a ball peen hammer. Forged from a ball peen hammer, steel is cold blued, fitted with a curly maple handle, and a leather sheath. Edited Monday at 03:03 PM by Stephen Stumbo 6 Link to post Share on other sites
Jon Bishop 8 Posted Monday at 11:18 PM Share Posted Monday at 11:18 PM That’s very nice. Did you weld a bit in? Or is that just the grind line on the edge? Also, what did you use to finish the handle? It’s beautiful! Thanks, Jon Link to post Share on other sites
Gerald Boggs 209 Posted Tuesday at 12:34 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 12:34 AM That's quite nice, and as it started life as a ball peen, Bloody Nice :-) Link to post Share on other sites
Stephen Stumbo 44 Posted Tuesday at 01:01 AM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 01:01 AM 1 hour ago, Jon Bishop said: That’s very nice. Did you weld a bit in? Or is that just the grind line on the edge? Also, what did you use to finish the handle? It’s beautiful! Thanks, Jon Thank ya. The line you're seeing is the quench line. Behind that line it's un-hardened. I used "majestic maple" it's a chromic trioxide mix that I find really pops the color and chatoyance of curly maple. 26 minutes ago, Gerald Boggs said: That's quite nice, and as it started life as a ball peen, Bloody Nice :-) Thank ya very much sir. Link to post Share on other sites
Jon Bishop 8 Posted Tuesday at 02:09 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 02:09 AM I couldn’t tell on my phone what the edge line is. I get it now. That is some very nice work. The grooves you put in front of the eye look great. Makes me want to get back on some projects. I looked up that handle finish. Did you buy the stain from RW Wilson knives? Thanks, Jon Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,714 Posted Tuesday at 06:48 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 06:48 PM Lookin' good, Stephen! I've never played with the chromic acid, but it does pop the grain. Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Dougherty 1,166 Posted Tuesday at 07:24 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 07:24 PM That is a nice piece. Like everyone else I'm also mesmerized by the finish on the haft. Until very recently I thought that sort of color was always aqua fortis. Recently I learned that there is also iron nitrate, which I assumed was related to aqua fortis (nitric acid) but people who use it say it is different. Now I hear about "chromic acid". I need to learn more about these... Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,714 Posted Tuesday at 10:58 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 10:58 PM For the record, when wood finishing people say aqua fortis they mean ferric nitrate. When antiquarian chemists say aqua fortis they mean nitric acid. Nitric alone does enhance the grain, but doesn't add color. Well, it does add orange, but that's not really helpful... Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Dougherty 1,166 Posted yesterday at 01:30 AM Share Posted yesterday at 01:30 AM Thanks Alan. I've been itching to do a Kibler Flintlock kit, and the guys finishing them all debate aqua Fortis a ferric nitrate. From what you said, I'm guessing they are getting misled by branding or labeling. Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,714 Posted yesterday at 04:20 PM Share Posted yesterday at 04:20 PM Yep. To keep it clear, if you use ferric nitrate to stain the wood, you can call it aqua fortis stain, but not plain aqua fortis. There was an outfit called Wahkon Bay that used to sell ferric nitrate labeled as aqua fortis stain, that may be where the confusion got started. Sorry to hijack the thread, Stephen! Do you use heat on the chromic acid like you do the ferric nitrate? Link to post Share on other sites
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