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Miller & Sons Forge
Welcome to Miller & Sons Forge, makers of tomahawks, knives, and other custom equipment. Each of our tomahawks is a unique creation that has been hand forged in Virginia, USA. We use a variety of materials to craft our working and presentation-quality custom tomahawk heads and handles, and each piece from Miller and Sons Forge is designed to last a lifetime. Our hand-crafted tomahawks and other products are excellent tools for a wide range of outdoor activities. Miller and Sons equipment make great additions for any outdoor enthusiast, military person, hand-crafter, hunter, reenactor, rendezvous participant, muzzle loader, or anyone else who appreciates a quality blade at their side.
Miller & Sons tomahawks are generally made from tool steel recycled from old ball-peen, cross-peen, and similar style hammers. We start creating each tomahawk by hammering out the basic shape on an anvil, ensuring that the head has a balance that is appropriate for the particular style of tomahawk being produced. The head is then drifted to accept a standard-size tomahawk handle. Once the primary anvil work has been completed, the head is then sanded to final shape, and etchings or filings may be added for additional decoration. The finished tomahawk head is heat treated in the forge to normalize and then harden the steel, and then it is reheated for tempering to draw out the brittleness in the steel in order to create a long-lasting edge. Final sanding and buffing complete the look of the tomahawk, and many of our heads are gun blued to create a beautiful and protective finish on the steel. Hickory, Ash, Curly Ash, and Curly Maple are the most common woods that we use to create our custom handles. These are the types of wood from which the old colonial Virginia and Kentucky long rifles were made, and the look of the finished products is fantastic. Tomahawks created in the frontier styles look great when paired with other period equipment such as blackpowder muskets or long rifles. These can be great additions to a person's overall outfit or kit for reenactors at various reenactment events showcasing early colonial times up through the late 1800s. Presentation handles are generally done in curly ash or curly maple, and one can often see the curls appear to move on the handles. These are strong hard woods that have a beautiful look and texture. Engravings, etchings, or brass bands and inlays are sometimes used to add decoration to the handles. Stone or shell inlay is used on some pieces to create special presentation tomahawks. High quality presentation tomahawks may also have pewter bands or end caps that are reminiscent of the best of the old early-American styles. Unlike most axes and hatchets, the head of a tomahawk is placed on the handle from the bottom and is held in place by a “pressure-fit” that allows easy replacement when necessary. Tomahawk handles are generally very strong and will take some serious punishment. One of the most likely ways to break a handle is to throw the tomahawk. While throwing tomahawks is a fun sport that we often enjoy, we do not recommend throwing tomahawks that have specially-made handles due to the risk of breakage. Also, keep in mind that some tomahawks are excellent for throwing, but some are not due to size, shape, or balance (particularly if the tomahawk has a hammer poll). If you want to throw a tomahawk, make sure you remove the presentation handle and use a plain replacement handle. Throwing or generally using a tomahawk or knife is a dangerous activity, so please follow all necessary safety precautions at all times. Our tomahawks and other products are made to stand up to tough use, but all tools have their limits. Miller & Sons Forge also produces a variety of custom knives. Our knives are made of stainless or carbon steel with handles made from deer antler, elk, caribou, buffalo horn, or curly maple. Fittings, such as guards and pommels, are generally made from brass or nickel silver. For general questions, please email us at [email protected] *Please Note: It may take some time for us to respond to your email. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience. *All web-site text and images are Copyright 2010-2017 B. Miller. All rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction. |
Please view the following images for examples of our tomahawks and knives, and then click the button below for additional pictures.
Hammer poll tomahawk with carved braided handle.
Stag handled knife with stacked nickel and leather bands.
Selection of decorated spike and hammer poll tomahawks.
Click the button to visit our Pictures page: