Here's the second iteration of my attempts to forge a ball peen hawk. These two started as 12 oz hammers. Heat treated in a kiln at 1500 into 10 second oil, then tempered at 450. Eyes are drifted larger and rectangle, with handles wedge fit like a modern hammer. Cutting edges are right at 2 1/4", with hickory handles at 12 and 13 inches. Overall weight is around 15.5 oz.
Currently for sale in the classifieds.

The only thing I know about knife building is what I read here and watch on "Forged with Fire".

On the show they make a big deal about heat treating and then "the quench", which you mention... what's the second tempering do? Is it another round of heat/quench or ...?

The basic ideas... heating to 1500 or so puts the carbon atoms into solution relative to the iron atoms within the steel. Quickly cooling the steel in oil sets the atoms into place into a structure called "martensite", which is hard but brittle. Tempering reduces the brittleness. Two temper cycles are recommended to make sure that all the atoms are nice and relaxed Tempering temperatures are usually in the 350-500 range.

And for FIF, they show the quench because it's exciting. They leave out the tempering b/c it's boring watching a blade sit in an oven. For FIF, the blades are tempered overnight by Jay or Ben.

looking good. Forrest

Nice!

Old school