Frequently asked Questions
What is the handle material and quality?
I make my tool handles from hickory. The hammer handles are made from the best selected billets of wood I can find. The top tool handles are a little bit different; they are made from a lesser quality hickory that may have knots or different colours in the wood. Because top tool handles are under a lot of abuse, no matter how tough the handles are they will always break if they are hit with a sledge because of a missed blow. This is why I do not find it essential to spend the extra time and money to fit top-quality handles to the top tools.
Is it dangerous to hit the top tools with hammers?
No. This is because top tools are made of a different kind of steel than hammers, and they are not hardened. If top tools were hardened, they would crack and send shards of steel flying. This is why you never hit two hammers together. Rather than cracking, top tools will only slightly mushroom and need to be ground down once in a while. Hitting hammers with top tools is completely safe as long as you take care of your tools.
Where and how do I SHIP MY PRODUCTS?
I ship anywhere in the world as long as there is an address. My products have been shipped as close as just up the road and as far as Australia. The shipping cost is simply added on to the bill. Most things I ship are in boxes reinforced with tape. I have never had any trouble with customs, so there should be nothing to worry about in that respect either.
What steel are my tools made from?
My top tools, bottom tools, hammer tongs, etc, are made from 4140. 4140 is a good all-around steel and also very forgiving, One benefit, for example, is that you can cool your punches in water and they’ll stay tough. For my hammers I use 1045. 1045 is a plain carbon steel that works well with water quenching and will not deform easily. My flat bit tongs are made from mild steel or sucker rod; the thick structure of the tongs don’t require anything fancy, and they can also be cooled in water when they are hot without causing fractures.
WHat is your Top tool heat treatment procedure?
The top tool steel, as mentioned above, is 4140. Therefore, it’s tough and IS NOT heat treated. As long as they are used on hot steel, they have no reason to be hardened. Hammer eye punches in particular lose any hardness anyway within the first use because being inside a glowing billet causes them to get red hot really fast. Flatters and set hammers that I make are hardened and tempered so as to preserve the flat faces.
can you make me a knife!!!!!?????
No. I do not currently make knives for commercial sale. The market is saturated with really good makers, so there is no reason for me to compete right now. I am not capable of making quality knives in a short period of time. For example, the machete I made that you see at the top of this page took about a year of on and off work. However, I obviously sell damascus, so you can commission a knife maker to make a blade with my damascus.
Why do I use the JR as my touchmark?
I get asked frequently why I use the JR as my touchmark. The ranch I was raised on was started by my great great Grandfather, whose name was John Rawe, and his brand was JR Bar (JR with a line underneath). This carried on to my grandfather, also named John Rawe, and he bears most of the responsibility for making Rawe’s Ranches one of the most respected Charolais breeders in Canada (maybe the most;) The JR Bar brand bears a meaning of quality, performance, and perfection. Just look at the Ranch website and you will see what I’m talking about. I adopted the JR part of the brand because it has now been in the family for five generations and obviously means a lot. It makes me strive to make the best products I can, and gives me more reason to ONLY stamp the things that would pass by the Ranch standards. If it’s got the JR, it’s got to be above and beyond! At least I’ll try.
what is the lead time? How long until I get my tools?
Usually all the products are made to order, so there is a lead time and they will usually ship about one week from the date of purchase. The lead time depends on the time of year (in relation to ranch work, fiddle competitions, traveling etc), and also how many orders have come before yours. Sometimes orders will be shipped out the next day, and sometimes it has taken up to two months. If orders are urgent, I have been able to accommodate to customer’s requests.
What is the difference between the “classic” and “square circle” rounding hammers?
There’s no practical difference between the two; they are forged with a similar process, the handles are the same, and the faces are ground the same. It just depends on what look you prefer! The “Classic” hammers are an old design popularized by Brian Brazeal starting in the early 2000s. The square version of that hammer has been around almost as long, and was refined and popularized by Alec Steele starting in the mid 2010s; he also coined the term “Square Circle” for these hammers.
Why is my business name “Harty locomotive Works”?
This business name combines two of my passions, namely forging and steam power. Back in the day, “locomotive works” shops built steam locomotives from the ground up and had huge forging equipment to make the parts for these engines. These workshops were often powered by steam themselves, from the giant steam forging hammers and presses, to the stationary engines that ran line-shafts to power entire machine shops. These were true industrial forging shops, and they represent the type of work I like to do. As for my shop, I am blessed to have similar forging equipment to what these shops would have had, including a 600lbs Niles Steam Hammer, and a pre-1900 eleven-foot long lathe that actually came out of a steam locomotive roundhouse. In addition to this all, I have experience in working with and repairing steam engines, though mostly traction engines, in fact, my family owns a 1912 Sawyer Massey 22-68 engine. Aside from the combination of equipment and interest, “Harty Locomotive Works Ltd.” is a unique, eye-catching name that helps set this business apart from your standard blacksmith shop.