Sharpening Question - Why Use a Honing Oil?

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Nov 29, 2001
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Using oil or water?

You can use either but if you use water you should clean the stone afterwards with liberal amounts of oil and wiping with a clean cloth. I've heard you can also put it in the dishwasher but I don't know about that. Anyone else?

Why use oil?

Honing oil works as a lubricant and also suspends the steel shavings so that they don't clog up the stone.

What kind of oil?

Most honing oils are mineral oil-based, some have petroleum oil additives but don't use cooking oil. It'll gum up the sharpening stone.

Using additives in the oil?

People sometimes add silicon carbide to the honing oil to help the sharpening process. It's better just to use a good quality, plain honing oil and a sharpening stone on our tomahawks. They're tools and people have been sharpening tools in this manner for hundreds of years.
 
On the topic of sharpening I was wondering what is a good angle to sharpen the blade to for razor sharpness? I'm having a tough time bringing my Frontiersmen to shaving sharpness, seems like it's easier to sharpen some of my older hawks with oil/stone because their softer metal. Right now the hawks plenty sharp for throwing (it's been throwing great especially with the shorter handle) but for hatchet like chopping work it could stand to be a little sharper, is a Diamond sharpener neccasary to really hone one of your hawks? Right now i'm using a bastard file form the hardware store and the puck stone/oil I bought from you, I definitly prefer the puck to the rectangle. Also, how often shoud I re-aply the oil to the stone and how long should it take to sharpen? Thanks.

On a side note i'm considering picking up a minuteman from you sometime soon (well i'm between that or the leather shouldar rig for the frontiersmen) although I may wait a bit and think about a pipe hawk instead, are you still coming out with that? Actually know 2 other people who may want a pipe hawk from you so their's a chance I may put in an order for 3 when it comes out. Been reading some more of Eckert's books, talking about the Rogers' Rangers and such, interesting stuff. Anyway would that discount/shipping deal you offered me after I bought the Frontiersmen still be available on my next purchase?
 
I've hesitated answering it because I'm really not completely sure of the whole answer.

One one hand, you can sharpen it nice and thin and shaving sharp. The problem is that the first time you use it you'll ruin that nice thin edge since it's a hawk/axe, not a knife.

On the other hand, it's not getting sharp enough for what you need.....

You should apply the oil as needed to move the hawk smoothly across the stone. Depending on how fast you're sharpening and how much you've done with the edge will determine how long it takes. Back in the old days you always cleaned & sharpened your tools after each use so that it was always ready.

You don't need a high angle when sharpening because your want good blade area.

Regarding the Minuteman or the leather shoulder rig....

Honestly the Minuteman would serve you better. The shoulder rigs are REALLY sweet but they're drop through and made more for show than utility. If you really feel you need a carry system go to Survival Sheath Systems and have Rob make a custom shoulder rig or belt sheath from Kydex. You'll have to send the haawk in because it's made for that specific hawk but his turn-around time is a day or two.

The offer I made to you because of the shipping delay is good on ANYTHING you buy from me, from sharpeners and oils to hawks. Anything you want.
 
The more I think about I'm probably better off with a slightly thicker edge anyway considering I mostly use it for throwing and I have other axes for chopping work.

Yea, now that I have the new stone/oil and you told me about the WD-40 I tend to clean/sharpen it after every or every other use. I stained the handle a shade called "Early American" from Minwax which looks great so sometimes I touch up the stain too. Today I was going for some long range throws, about 6 rotations, so sometimes a wild throw can scratch up the handle a bit. After about 6 or so trys I hit it but real low, if the tree was a person woulda hit em in the shins. Was fun though.

As far as the sheaths go i'm sure the survival sheath is more efficent but seeing as I don't need it for combat and prefer an older look on my hawks (I'm not a fan of the VTAC synthetic handle kinda look although i'm sure they work great) if I was to get a rig it would be leather. I'm kinda leanin towards the minuteman anyway tho for my next purchase. Is the pipe hawk still in the works though or has it been scraped?

I can't wait to see more of the author series, are you doing hawks for the whole Winning of America Series?
 
SIX ROTATIONS! :eek: How far back are you?

The pipe hawk hasn't been scrapped. I just can't figure what I want to do to finish it. I have 5 here - finished but they're not completely finished. They're very basic and I need to do more to it.

We're doing the whole Winning Of America series and hope to include a War Club and a Gunstock Axe. I'm working on those now.
 
Maybe about 45 feet? I didn't measure it about but it's about 5 paces for a rotation with the length/weight of my hawk so about 30 paces which are about 18 inches so I think about 45 feet, really more of a hail mary than a proper throw. I just kinda huck it and occasionally it sticks, a couple times it stuck in the tree behind it acidently. With my longer hawks I try it two handed but since my Frontiersmen is cut down I gotta do it one handed which although goes less straight actually seems to fly farther with one hand. It's a good time.

Do you have the basic design of the pipe head finished, and if so could you post a picture? Sounding like it's gonna be real nice. Any ideas about what your gonna use to finish it?

Can't wait to see what you come up with for the series, sounds great.
 
That's a hefty hawk to be throwin' that far. The Minuteman is an excellent thrower.

The pipe heads are done. Some are polished but I'm thinkin' that some should be bead blasted. The drilled handles are curly maple and very nice looking. The finish question is really how much decoration I want to put on it. I have bone stem pins for cleaning the bowl and still working on the mouthpicec but I think I'm going to do the buffalo horn. Maybe some in brass or silver, too.

On the other hand, maybe I should follow the Tecumsah design more closely.

Decisions, decisions. I'll get a pic of the head later today one the sun comes out.
 
Yeah, it's based on the book That Dark and Bloody River. It's a Shawnee style but not Tecumsah's specifically.

You should visit his website Allan W. Eckert Official Website

He's a very nice man. He lived up the road from us in Ohio and was always very generous with his time. He's a cool guy to talk to. Want to read a freaky book? Read The Hab Theory by him. It's out of print but you can get it from Print On Demand publishers. I had Walden Books order me a copy.
 
Interesting site, I didn't realize you knew him personally. Did he have input on the frontiersmen's design? I'd imagine if I wrote a book i'd be pretty pleased if someone wanted to make a product from it. So far all i've read of Eckert is The Frontiersmen and i'm a bit more than 1/2 way through Wilderness Empire now but I mean to read some more. By chance are you guys designing anything off of Wilderness Empire?
 
We asked for permission but he said he didn't have any idea about designing a tomahawk and since we were basing it on the time period he let us do the work. He was very happy about us making them but since he's gotten older he's given a good portion of his private collection to The Jesse Stuart Foundation which has a small regional museum in Ashland, Kentucky. We donated a special #000 of the Frontiersman which was mirror polished and had Allan's signature engraved on the handle. There are still some numbered editions available through New Graham Knives I believe. They bought a few of the last and in Florida, Willard Baird I think still has several.

You should pick one up and keep it as something special.

The Naval Boarding Axe we're doing will be for Wilderness Empire I believe since the setting is the Great Lakes Region of up-state New York and the Mohawk Valley. The axe we're using is based on the Iroquios design which of course is all British design but they used it. I'll keep you posted.
 
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