Everything has a purpose...

There's lot of thought that goes into the design work of my 'hawks.  Usually there's more than one reason behind why I decided to build them a certain way.

 

For instance, the flared stainless steel tube rivets are a very strong, solid construction method.  But the fact that they're a tube means that you can run cord through them, using them as an anchor point for a lanyard, a handle wrap, or both.

 

(From a manufacturing standpoint, the countersunk holes in the handle slabs not only allow the tubes to flare and solidly lock them to the tang, but also allow me to mount the slabs on the jigs that I use to shape the slabs, using machine screws.  Sometimes there is more than two reasons behind the design.  :D  )

 

A customer who has been using the heck out of his older 12" Wrecker from back when I was still using Durabake and Micarta instead of black oxide and TeroTuf posted this picture on FaceBook recently where he had taken advantage of the tube rivets in the aforementioned manner.

 

 

 

The knife is a forged kwaiken he got from me at Blade Show earlier this summer.  Been using the heck out of it too.

 

Two Wreckers at Blue Line Gear

Two 12" Wreckers are currently available at Blue Line Gear.  Credit to them for the excellent photography.

 

Blue Line Gear

 

 

12" Wreckers in progress

Got a batch of 12" Wreckers in progress at the moment.  If you are not following me on Instagram or Facebook, my account is @Helmforge.  You can see a lot of WIP shots there.  Here are some of them.

 

 

 

 

 

Trio of 'hawks

These are the first tomahawks to leave the shop in a while.  They all went to the same customer.  All 1/4" 4140 and black TeroTuf, with Kydex sheaths set up with a second retention strap, MOLLE locks, and shoulder slings.

 

An 18" Wrecker.

 

 

 

 An 18" War Chief with sharpened inner beard.

 

 

 

And a 12" Woodsman, pics taken prior to the carry hardware being added to the sheath.

 

 

 

He wants some more.  I shall not endeavor to dissuade him.  :D

 

Hope to get another batch waterjetted this week, but most of those will be for a group buy.  Hopefully a couple of prototypes will be in there too, though.

Wood chopping with a Wrecker in Finnland

I had a customer in Finnland send me a link to a YouTube video he had posted cutting firewood (probably rowan, he says) with his 18" Wrecker.  I got his permission to post the video and his comments.  His 'hawk has the black oxide finish and tan TeroTuf handles.

Here's what he told me in his e-mail:

"I am very happy with Wrecker tomahawk. I did some testing last weekend. I find that tomahawk cuts very deep in soft wood. Handle is good and I didn´t feel any slippage from hand. Spike is very useful when splitting wood."

I found the use of the spike to split the wood particularly interesting.  It's not something that I have personally tried during my testing.  Good to see the spike being multi-functional.  :)

Not sure what all the white stuff on the ground is, though.  We don't have such things in San Antonio.  :D

Heaping helping of 'hawks

I have not posted tomahawk pictures like I meant to.  So, in no particular order, tomahawks I've made in the last half a year or so.  All are 1/4" 4140, black oxide finish, TeroTuf scales, flared stainless steel tube rivets.  Kydex sheaths with a variety of carry hardware.

Ok, I should be pretty well caught up.  :)

Woodsman, Benghazi Warfighters, Little Roks, and forged oxtail camp chopper

My brother-in-law asked me to donate a couple of blades for a Ducks Unlimited auction, with the opportunity to sell blades at the event.  Time was short, but this is what I put together.  My wife went in my stead; I have blades to make and friends coming in from out of town.  She's a good 'un.  :)

The Woodsman 'hawk and one of the Benghazi Warfighters were the auction items, with the other Benghazi Warfighter and two Little Roks for sale.

The 'hawk is 1/4" 4140 steel, the knives are 3/16" 80CrV2, and they all have back TeroTuf handle slabs and a black oxide finish.

On the other end of the spectrum, I also sent along a forged 5160 oxtail camp chopper with a 12" blade and a hybrid handle wrap.  It has a foundation of neoprene along the tang (something new for me, instead of the leather I have been using), with an underlay of hemp, an overlay of stripped paracord, and a three-strand Turk's head knot of intact paracord, all impregnated with West System marine epoxy.

Back to work.  :D