Pipe tomahawk forged from Gun Barrel

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I'd seen an article in an old muzzle loading newsletter on how you make a pipe tomahawk from an piece of octagon rifle barrel.  Lots of references but nothing useful to post.

I did find this site with lots of beautiful pictures;

http://www.olddominionforge.com/axes.html

As I recall, the procedure is to start with about a 6 inch piece of octagon rifle barrel. A piece of pipe might substitute.  Choke it to form the bowl leaving a small hole.  Then saw the barrel lengthwise and forge the two leaves to form an eye around the appropriate mandrill.  A piece of good steel is forge welded between the remaining ends of the barrel below the eye.  The rest is all finish & decoration.

I hope my brief description gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

[Kid Terico]

Thanks Sir charles. Great site and nice Hawks. KT

[Shotgun Steve]

Kyle Willyard owns ODF and his knives, swords, axe's ect are second to none.  Folks who reenact the 18th century
know Kyles work well.I own a couple of his knives and I wouldn't part with them.

[ChuckBurrows]

yep - take a look here http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/hawks/hawks.html
the basics are illustrated in the third row down - figure 8

While using pieces of barrel or other tubular stock was done and there are several documented originals (although overal fairly "rare"), overall plain sheet wrought iron was the most common material for the body of axes and hawks pre-1860's based on the original records as well as the archaeological records. Also rather than sawing most smiths would have split the base steel. Much easier to do when properly set up as well as virtually zero loss of what was often an expensive material.
The steel bit was usually quite narrow and thus quite often replaced - the historical record is rife with records for "re-steeling" axe and tomahawk blades.
On the other hand by the post 1860 period when large quantities of steel became more available due to the Bessemer process of steel making which increased yield and lowered prices, most axe and hawk heads were made of solid steel. Also when one sees the term "cast" steel it does not mean that the head was cast to shape, but rather it was made from a type of steel made using the Huntsman process first developed in the 1740's.

And yes Kyle is one of the best and most knowledgeable "period" smiths working today.
PS Steve looks like we were posting at the same time - isn't that one of Kyle's knives I'm doing the new sheath for and also the one I did for your sgian occles?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Chuck;  Good link!