Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Stuart Willis Tomahawk


Stuart worked as the blacksmith atKing's Mountain State Park and Walnut Grove Plantation from 1995-1999. In 2000 he turned his full interest to the early American bladesmith specializing in tomahawks.

He hand forges most of his knives from plain carbon steel (1080,84,95) and occasionally 5160. His hawks and axes are from 1045,80,84,5160 and mild steel with the cutting edge being carbon steel forge welded in. Sometimes he recycles old files, plow points, leaf springs, coil springs, old tools or any other good steels that can be found laying around abandon farm buildings.

His hawk and axe handles are handmade mostly hardwoods that are native to America. Knife handles are hardwood,bone and stag. The hardware,end caps,guards and pins are from scrap metal,brass,pieces of wrought iron and pour in place pewter. The handle decorations are from feathers, rawhide, glass beads, sinew or anything that would have been on a period blade.





Copy and images provided by Stuart Willis.

1 comment:

  1. Wow Stuart NICE work. I love you, your cousin Angela Bridges......

    ReplyDelete

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