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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
6150 hawks
- Thread starter Waco Kid
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2002
- Messages
- 2,954
I got mine yesterday as well, but figured I'd hold off talking about it so the guys who didn't get theirs yet wouldn't have an anurism from the anticipation. 
The bit on mine seems bent/warped a little to one side. Is yours pretty straight? There was also a ripple in the edge, but I think I may be able to straighten it out without too much trouble.
I dropped an email to Lee Oates of Bearclaw Knives to see if he'd be willing to do the heat treat on mine. Looks like he's worked with hawks before, and has reasonable prices. I believe he used to do the heat treating for Texas Knifemaker's Supply as well. Will let you guys know what I find out.
The bit on mine seems bent/warped a little to one side. Is yours pretty straight? There was also a ripple in the edge, but I think I may be able to straighten it out without too much trouble.
I dropped an email to Lee Oates of Bearclaw Knives to see if he'd be willing to do the heat treat on mine. Looks like he's worked with hawks before, and has reasonable prices. I believe he used to do the heat treating for Texas Knifemaker's Supply as well. Will let you guys know what I find out.
Hey possum,
I just checked -- and if I look from the top, I don't think it's perfectly straight. It's very subtle and I definitely wouldn't have noticed anything if you hadn't mentioned it. Also, it has such a great 18th Century look, it doesn't bother me.
I want to put a curve in the bottom, not sure how though -- anyone else going to try this?
For HT, I was going to check with a local knifemaker, but if he can't do it, Lee sounds good.
Also, I asked Mike Stewart (one of my favorite knifemakers) about a good hardness. Here's what he said:
"If you are going to throw it--I would stay in the 48-50 range.
If you want to have it hold a edge--52-54 should do the trick.
Just remember that as you go up in Edge holding--the Toughness level comes down.
Simple Steels are not that effected so you actually have a pretty wide range of acceptable performance."
I just checked -- and if I look from the top, I don't think it's perfectly straight. It's very subtle and I definitely wouldn't have noticed anything if you hadn't mentioned it. Also, it has such a great 18th Century look, it doesn't bother me.
I want to put a curve in the bottom, not sure how though -- anyone else going to try this?
For HT, I was going to check with a local knifemaker, but if he can't do it, Lee sounds good.
Also, I asked Mike Stewart (one of my favorite knifemakers) about a good hardness. Here's what he said:
"If you are going to throw it--I would stay in the 48-50 range.
If you want to have it hold a edge--52-54 should do the trick.
Just remember that as you go up in Edge holding--the Toughness level comes down.
Simple Steels are not that effected so you actually have a pretty wide range of acceptable performance."
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2002
- Messages
- 2,954
I couldn't resist playing with the head a little bit the other day, and found out it's not completely annealed. It's still soft enough for a file to bite, but not quite what I'd hoped. I was thinking it should be no problem to straighten out the bit if it was soft, but since it's mildly hardened, I don't know if I can straighten it without breaking something. I haven't heard anything back from Mr. Oates, so maybe I'll just have to give him a call & discuss it. He might be able/willing to straighten the head a bit for me in his forge.
I don't plan to throw my hawk, so I'm going with at least 56 Rc for a good mix of edge holding and impact resistance. Maybe as high as 58 if I can find a chart for this steel & see the impact values.
I don't plan to throw my hawk, so I'm going with at least 56 Rc for a good mix of edge holding and impact resistance. Maybe as high as 58 if I can find a chart for this steel & see the impact values.
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2005
- Messages
- 3,516
Get yourself a Nicholson bastard file or 2 in several sizes, they should serve you well. A round "rat tail" file would probably serve you well on this project, get a smallish one about 3/16 wide, and maybe a half round, an 8 inch one, flat on one side and oval on the other.
Filework is great because you can take it slow and not worry so much about screwing up like with power tools, just file away the cast marks and burrs,
it can be quite meditative in my experience with them.
Plus they are cheaper and quieter, great for an apartement workshop like mine.
Possum, how bad is the bend/warp? could you show a pic of it please?
Filework is great because you can take it slow and not worry so much about screwing up like with power tools, just file away the cast marks and burrs,
it can be quite meditative in my experience with them.
Plus they are cheaper and quieter, great for an apartement workshop like mine.
Possum, how bad is the bend/warp? could you show a pic of it please?