Blacksmith Trade Tomahawk weekend – war or peace

The Algonquian people first created the tomahawk. Before Europeans came to the continent, Native Americans would use stones, sharpened by a process of knapping and pecking, attached to wooden handles, secured with strips of rawhide. The tomahawk quickly spread from the Algonquian culture to the tribes of the South and the Great Plains.

Other Native American tribes created a tomahawk’s poll, the side opposite the blade, which consisted of a hammer, spike or pipe. These became known as pipe tomahawks, which consisted of a bowl on the poll and a hollowed out shaft. These were mostly created by European and American artisans for trade and diplomatic gifts for the tribes.

In this weekend class we will be creating our own trade axes and forging our own axe blades and polls. Students can choose to make an axe that is made for war or one that is made for peace.

Day one will be working with hammers, presses and metal lathes to create our axe heads.

Day two will be an introduction to the wood lathe and and handle/ pipe stem fabrication, as well as assembly and finishing.

Ages 18 and up
Price: $185