Steel Tomahawk

What temp. and how long should you temper steel?

I made a tomahawk out of a railroad spike and already hardened it. I just need to know how to temper it. thanks

That depends on the grade of the steel. Different grades of steel may require different hardening procedures.

Generally, the kinds of steel used for railroad spikes are not very good for cutting knives-not hard enough, But for a tomahawk edge holding isn’t vital, of course. (In a railroad spike, you want steel that is strong, and extremely tough but not too brittle. Keep in mind that the harder you make a steel, the less tough and more brittle it becomes.)

I’d say, use a very conservative temper, around 300 degrees F for about an hour.

You may be able to simply quench with oil in the future, and use it in the as-quenched condition, without sacrificing too much on fracture toughness.

I doubt you’ll ever use your tomahawk in a serious way, so in a sense the heat treatment is pointless……

You know, when using a new or unknown material, it helps to make a try-piece first, then experiment with heat treatments, and see how easy it is to bend the blade.

Cold Steel – The Fighting Tomahawk DVD

Canada – TOMAHAWK Stainless Steel Mug $17.99 This is a brand new stainless steel mug imprinted using sublimation technology. It is a 14 oz mug…

SOG Specialty Knives & Tools F01T Tactical Tomahawk, Black $24.75 The original Vietnam Tomahawk, SOG’s F01T-N Tactical Tomahawk is the latest incarnation of one of history’s most unusual weapons. This versatile piece of equipment handles a number of tasks including excavation, operations breaching, obstacle removal, and extraction, which makes the F01T-N an ideal tool for military and service personnel..caption {font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif…

Trademark Global 15-Inch Jungle Master Hunting Knife $9.99 Jungle Master Fixed Blade Tactical Bowie Knife This 15 “ hunting knife features a thick quality stainless steel blade with serrated top edge. Ridged rubberized metal handle for a sure grip make for easy holding. Nylon sheath Included15 ” overall 10 1/2″ 440 stainless steel Curved Clip Point BladeRidged rubberized metal handle for a sure gripTeeth serrations on reverse bladeHeav…

Havahart 1020 Live Animal Two-Door Mouse Cage Trap $10.88 Havahart, 10″ x 3″ x 3″ Live Animal Cage Trap, For Mice, Moles & Shrews,1 LB….

Newest NC Model Gyro 3.5 Channels Metal RC Helicopter – Free USB & AC Charger – Value of $14 - $19.99 Full Function 3.5 Channels Remote Controlled with Gyro.Intelligent RC System .Up, Down, Left, Right , Forward, Backward, Low Speed & High Speed.Ready-To-Fly straight out of the box. With Flashing lights during flight.360 degree exact directional .Altitude & Rotor Speed Control .Precise controlling and hovering.3.7V Li-Poly 140mAh .Rechargeable Battery. Real Helicopter Performance .Flight Stabilizi…

The Fighting Tomahawk 2 DVD Set $61.14 Training DVD Fighting TomahawkManufacture ID: VDFTThe Tomahawk is a uniquely American invention. It can double as either a highly useful tool or as a ferocious piece of weaponry. It is in fact these two attributes that have endeared the Tomahawk to generations of countless Americans. Tomahawks in many variations have seen service in every armed conflict in our nation’s history. Unfortunate…

Assassin’s Creed III $55.96 Assassin’s Creed 3 X360…

Assassin’s Creed III $55.96 Assassin’s Creed 3 PS3…

Blades Of Steel $1.99 …

Cold Steel Warriors Edge Dvd $47.53 Three disk DVD set of approximately 7 hrs. Covers topics such as the 3 ranges of knife fighting footwork stabbing methods defensive footwork the principles fpr creating openings sparrign instruction and more….