A big shout out and thank you to Tim Dougan, the winner in the St. Jude's donors drawing for the Shrew Steel Hawk!
Tim has graciously donated his prize to the St. Jude's Auction, Forum 4.
This is a new, Ron LaClair Shrew Hawk with belt sheath. It will be delivered directly to the high bidder from Ron LaClair's Traditional Archery Shoppe.
(Bow not included
)
From the Shrew Hawk website:
Comments from the Blacksmith about your Shrew Hawk
Each of these axes goes through several steps in the forging process to become the “Shrew Hawk” pictured here. A slit is chisel-cut in yellow hot mild steel, and the opening is forged to form the eye using a drift that matches the handle dimensions. After cooling, the blade blank is then slit, and a flattened piece of car leaf spring or drill rod is inserted and then forge-welded to form the cutting edge. Upon close examination of many of these hawks, a thin line can be seen near the sharpened edge which marks the weld line between the body of the blade and the cutting edge. The axes are heated to their ‘critical temperature’ and annealed overnight in dry wood ashes and then ground to their final shape. The cutting edge is heated in the forge and quenched in linseed oil to harden the blade and is then tempered to a purple or pigeon blue color. This gives the edge the ability to remain sharp through continued use but flexible so as to avoid the risk of damage. The hammer poll is not hardened and will nick or mar with heavy use. The handles are hickory or ash, and in the event a replacement is necessary, they will require some adjustment in order to achieve a proper fit.
Your ‘Shrew Hawk’ will give you years of service and will in all likelihood be around long after you will be! We offer a life-time warranty on these hawks and will replace any free of charge that fail through appropriate use. These axes will come in handy for a whole range of camp chores but really shine when used to help field dress animals in the woods. In over 25 years of forging, we have never had a case of an edged tool being returned to us because of blade failure.
Years ago, Ron carried the prototype of the “Shrew Hawk” until losing it while out hunting one day. Its replacement has been his constant hunting companion for over two decades.
Carlton Matteo
Blacksmith
Kudos to Tim
. TG members are the best!!
Bid it up high for the kids!!!