A few years ago I became interested in the spike tomahawk, its design and history. At that time I was moving from hammering metal to leather work so I figured it was time to make one. I sought out one of the best teachers in the art of hammering and I teamed up with Daniel Casey. After three days with Daniel you see the fruit of those efforts. We used a chunk of wrought iron that came out of an old bridge from Tennessee. After a couple of hours that old Iron started to give way to our will and design. A high carbon bit was inserted into the tip for added durability. I used a curly maple handle to blend the look of those period rifles. I tapered the handle with a slight and graceful tapper. Then I wanted a simple raised pewter band just to add a touch of refinement. When it was all said and done the Spike hawk is 17.25 inches long from head to handle. The blade is 2 inches wide, blade to spike is 9 inches with the spike being 4.5 inches long. As I headed back to my historic leather work I was pleased with then end product. Daniel is an excellent teacher and craftsman. I had a blast that summer weekend.
Copy and photos supplied by Eric Van Alstine.
Fantastic job - very authentic in appearance.
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