Testing. I have no pics, (a mistake) but I can describe how I do some of my testing - applies to most of my other knives as well.
I haven't got the where-with-all to make a hawk head with a hole / drift, so the full tang idea was the go. I wanted it to have a hard edge but be durable so the differential tempering idea came in. I fully hardened the entire piece, then drew down the spine and head so that the tang was near-annealed and the back of the head spring tempered.
The one I destroyed (identical to the one shown) was tested this way. Of course, basic chopping tests - full force whacking on seasoned redgum. This is harder than oak and is used for railway sleepers. chopped through a 3x8inch piece with no edge damage, then started to chop through branches of a lemon tree that I keep around for this sort of thing. Many of the branches were about 1/2 to 1 inch thick. As a measure of edge geometry, teh intention was to cleave through each one with a single stroke. I used the redgum sleeper as a "chopping board." I lost count but I ran out after maybe 150sticks of this. A couple of pieces I had to chop through twice were failures of technique.
The choked up on the handle to chop through chicken bones. I got some chicken drumsticks and got through about 25 before I ran out. My wife has been wondering why the butcher has been supplying these 1/2 drumsticks - really small bite-sized pieces !! Then whittled wood for 15minutes, like I would to make fuzz sticks for firestarting. Then took the 10-12inch lengths of redgum and started splitting them lengthwise. A couple I could do with a single stroke, but on the rest, I whacked the head in then used another piece to hammer the head through to split the block. This is where the original design with the handle coming up the sides - failed - it would fould the handle material. Also, theres not enough weight to whack right through the very big blocks. Its only 3/16inch thick stock.
It was also important that the spring temper (rather than soft back)_ would not cause deformation when hammered. I used the back of the head to crush 2 old sandstone and 4 concrete blocks for my rock garden. I also used the flat side of the head as a hammer to hammer a couple of 3inch nails into the sleepers all the way through. Left a few marks on the side but the head didn't bend or "mushroom" like it would on an annealed back and spine.
By this time, the edge had flat spotted a bit - no chipping. I used a cheap silicon carbide stone to stone out the flats on 1/2 the edge and used an EZELAP diamond hone (fine-red) to hone out the other 1/2 to test the ease of resharpening. I reckon the stone worked faster. It took only about 2mintues with the stone to get the dings out.
At this time, I realised that the Micarta handles had taken a beating - there were scuff marks everywhere, including along the back where obviously I'd missed with the "club" when hammering through. Micarta has surpassed my expectations for durability.
It probably wasn't a fair test of handle shape etc. I was wearing my usual leather rigger's gloves for the gardening job, but I developed no hot spots or sore areas.
That was in one day.
A week later, I destroyed the piece by wearing full protective gear and using a shovel and wood splitting axe to chop the handle apart. Put it on the ground and whacked away. It took A LOT of chopping to whack through the Micarta handle, which eventually cracked. The head took a big 1/8inch piece out of the axe head when it went through the Micarta as well. Importantly, the head and tang had not bent out of shape.
(PS.- Comparing G10 and Micarta, Micarta will eventually crack after extreme abuse, G10 will not crack as easily, but seems softer and the axe will cut into it a lot easier each stroke.)
After that, I used pliers and hacksaw to remove all the bits and pieces of pins and screws holding the handle together and retrieved a servicable head with a 6inch long handle. Wrapped it with a piece of cloth and I still had a servicable hatchet head, like a mini cleaver, once I re-ground the edge. Unfortunately, I now only have photos of the re-ground head without a handle.
Sorry for the long post. I am going to need to start actually taking photos of the testing process to keep track. Basically, I am happy with the way it survived the testing. Jason.
