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.
If you have lots of time, yes.
. . . see the hardening line before putting in the effort. . .
I did what, pegs outlined in less than a day, and used just basic hand tools to do it. That included a new haft made from a stave.
Depends on what tools are at your disposal. With cutoff wheels and a grinder you could get it back in action in no time. At the very least it'd make a good axe for work in conditions likely to beat it up, like chopping roots.
There's probably still going to be at least 1/4" of good steel in it after modding anyhow.
You also have to keep in mind that the hard steel bit partly wraps around the softer core, so the vinegar bath could make it look like there's still some hard steel on the sides, but the center/edge is soft. I'd try reshaping the edge right in the scallop and then etching, to make sure it was still hard all the way through first.
Well, actually, I'd just pass on this one and find a better one for 10 bucks somewhere...
Although that's only if it's welded construction. If it's whole steel then it'll be hard in the entire dark region of the etch.