One of the perks of working in a machine shop, is the access to large machines in my off time. Can't afford a swage block? I'll make my own dang it! Putting a few different size holes in this 700# piece of steel for drifting tomahawk eyes. Will post pics once I get it set up and use it.
- By - oldanvilyoungsmith
Largest order for steak flippers I've had to date. Gonna make a bunch of groomsmen happy.
When you come across a feel-good thing.
- By - oldanvilyoungsmith
700 pounds?? Surely that can’t be right… that’d be monstrous
Yep. Approx 700 lbs. That's what they weighed it out at when i bought it at the scrapyard. And yes, it's pretty huge.
Good god, that’s the biggest swage I’ve ever heard of!
It's bigger than needed for sure. I bought it years ago to be an anvil for a power hammer build I was planning. Never .ade the power hammer, so the giant steel chunk has been sitting there just rusting away for years. I finally decided I may as well put it to some use, and I needed a better thing to use to drift out tomahawk eyes.
So I see a lot of your tomahawks, and I think most of them are reforged ballpeens. Where do you get them all??? Flea markets? Yard sales? I imagine they’re not all new.
They are new. I find that it's worth paying a little extra, so that they're all the same steel alloy, as well as size/shape. Once I worked out a good heat treat, it's applicable every time. I don't have to retest everything with each tomahawk.
This piece will be available on my FB page, this coming Sat (June 4th) at 12 am.
very cool design. i might need one of these.
Thank ya. This one will be available on the Eagle Eye Forge Facebook page, this Sat, beginning @ 12 am.
an auction?
This one will be a straight sale. Post goes live at 12 am Sat. First to claim it, gets it. I may do auctions on following Stone Ravens. Haven't decided yet.
Some people just don't get the concept of 'too nice to use'. These are that. Way too pretty to allow them to get scuffed up. Last stop...the mantle to be displayed for bragging rights.
If someone wants to order a "plain Jane" version, I'm happy to make one. But I doubt there's many people that want to pay handmade custom prices, for a plain Jane tomahawk, lol.
In all seriousness, don't scale them back. They're perfect as is. I'm just hard on my tools. You should see my hawk. The eye is a lot less circular than it should be and the forge weld is blowing apart. I've owned it for near 20 years however one day I expect it to disintegrate in my hands.
Well thank ya. As a heads up, I have an approx 2.5 yr wait list (no commitment, just puts you in line to place an order when I get that far along (I don't like to take custom orders to far out).
Wow a 2.5 year wait list you've got a lot of work ahead of you. I'll think about it.
I do, lol. My wife keeps telling me not to post pics of new tomahawks, because the list gets longer everytime 🤣
Its never bad to have work especially if its something you love doing. Like the saying goes if you love your job its like you haven't worked a day.
Very true, one day I'd like to make it my full-time, but not there yet. Part of the reason it's such a long wait too, is I work slowly. Between job, and family, it's tough to get enough shop time. That's why I don't take custom orders very far out.
Real nice. Great work.
Thank you
The bluing is a nice touch, these look great.
Thanks. I've always loved the match between blued steel, and this dyed color of curly maple.
Very cool. Those look amazing
Thank ya very much
Oh, I see now! Do you weld in a HC bit or stay with the hammer steel? And are those handles curly maple? If so, where do you get such nice curly maple staves?
I use the original hammer steel for the blade. After much testing I've been able to get appropriate hardness with a water quench, and then tempering.
Great, thanks for the info!!
No problem. Feel free to hit me up if you have any other questions.
What woods are the brown one ? Georgous
All of the handles are curly maple. The very light ones are pre-dyed.
Okay thanks, I need curly maple now
Here's a little before/after shot and a small write up I did last year about my curly maple process that you may find interesting. Lmk if you have any questions.
Very nice
Thank ya
I like the heart in #3 :)
It was a custom request, but then the customer dropped off the face of the earth as best I can tell, lol. Fortunately, someone else on my wait-list liked it too.
looks good. what sort of wedge is used for securing them?
@7leagueboots is correct.
So cool. Just bought one on your etsy shop. Thanks for the post!
Thanks for the order! I'll get it shipped out soon as I have it forged.
I use one of these for breading meat to be fried, like fish or pork. It makes going from flour to egg wash, to breading then the oil easy without getting bare spots or sticky hands. No need to adjust the hook to neatly cover both sides.
I love that idea! I hate getting club fingers when breading stuff.
Great idea
Thank ya.
Nice, going to make some rail road spike knives for my groomsmen. It’s quite the task haha
Oof. That's a lot of forging.
Its for cutting stuff that is far away on the grill so you dont have to burn your hands. They are actually super useful when grilling.
Yep. He pretty well covered it. Most guys who use them are cooking larger amounts, on large fires.
damn they're pretty
Thank ya
How do I buy a set?
Shoot me a message. I can't take any custom orders right now, as I'm backed up. But I can add you to my wait-list if you want.