Phew! What a busy last few months!

Howdy folks!

I'm well aware that it has been a little quiet around here of late.

Some fun, interesting, and inspiring things have been happening around the shop and away from the shop, too!

A few projects have went out to customers and a few are still awaiting their final touches. Here are a few photos of a folded tomahawk I did for a friend back in February. Folded mild steel, 5160 core and bit, hickory handle, pewter end caps poured.


Something very exciting happened since the last time I was able to post. I got to head over to DRAS Fabrication and Design in St. Louis and take an axe forging class from Liam Hoffman. If you haven't seen any of his work, it's definitely worth checking out. I'm just saving my pennies until I can buy one of his hammers. They're awesome!

Striking for Mr. Fienstein, slitting and drifting the eye for his 2.25lb camp axe.

It was a fun weekend. The first day was full of demonstrations followed by our turn to make a 1.25lb little camp hatchet with a striking partner. I lucked out big time, as I got paired with Mr. Stephen Fienstein. Who is he, you may ask? He's a hell of a guy, that's who he is. He works with casting anvils for companies here in the US and has been forging for a long time. He was a boatload of knowledge, a pleasure to work with, and my stomach hurt from laughter by the end of the weekend.

Our first small hatchet didn't work out well. We salvaged it, but the walls of the lungs were just a little thinner on one side. We decided on the next day that we were going to kill it!

Our first axe... it was a bit rough.

The next day, Liam let us loose on forging two axes for the day, these were bigger at 2.25lb when finished out. We started on Mr. Fienstein's ax and I was striker for the morning. I learned a lot about proper striking technique. I do feel bad, though, seeing as a snapped Mr. Fienstein's sledge handle! If you've never been a striker and smashed a piece of 4140 the size of a small brick before, it's a chore. Your hands start to ache from the impact of hitting the steel, your arms and back start to hurt... but lordy is it cool to see how much metal you can move.

Mr. Fienstein's axe turned out much nicer than mine. Mine turned into a nightmare and I had to bust my butt to salvage it, but I think I salvaged it. I'd like to thank Andy and Liam for the experience. It was an awesome class and I can't wait to go back to DRAS Fabrication for another class!

Here's a video of Liam and his striker, Andrew, showing how it's done. 

You're probably thinking "...that's all you've been up to for the last SIX MONTHS?!"

Well... no, that's not all.

Lots of things have happened in the last six months since I've posted. I've started a lot of projects, but haven't had much shop time (you all probably know the drill; new job, life, moving, home restoration, etc).

I have, however, nearly completed my hand carved handle for my ax I forged at Liam's class.  I lucked out big time by having the contact of Mr. Nick Thrane of Thrane's Axes and Saws. He sent me some b-e-a-utiful ash and hickory for carving handles. I have also nearly completed a bowie that I started on back in January (shown in my last post after the first rough grind). All needed for that blade is a vinegar bath or a Ferric Chloride bath, gluing up the g10 and micarta scales, and some fine shaping.

I also have a 7 inch bowie I'm working on for a friend, as sad as I am to say it's taken me far longer than expected. It'll have a copper bolster and stag handle. It's a hunting knife, 5160 spring steel.

I don't have any photos, but I did forge some cable and did the first initial weld and draw out. I have a lot of work to do with that stuff. It seems to have a mind of its own in terms of where its going to move when being forged.

I hope to improve the quality of my work soon, as any crafts person does. I recently aquired some equipment through the unfortunate passing of my cousin, James Poag, whom I've previously posted about. He was an amazing man and one hell of a craftsman. I purchased his old tempering oven, engraver, chasing tools, and some great material he had that he never used. So if any of you folks have tips on engraving and using chasing tools, I'm open to all tips.

Cheers folks, keep your stick on the ice.